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Similar to last evening, I was unable to see the Top 10 female performances; however, I did manage to capture the recaps at the end of the show.

The ladies seemed in fine form, but it is so difficult to gain a full assessment of their performances from a 15 second clip.

So, readers, I am once again asking for your opinions on this week’s Top 10 performances. Who were your favorites and who did the judges seem to favor in their comments?

So I missed part of the show this evening because of personal musical obligations. However, I did see the recap and it seemed that there were some interesting surprises within the male performances tonight.

Personally, David Archuleta absolutely blows my mind when I hear the depth and maturity of his vocal skill. I thought that Luke Menard and Chikezie sounded very good and it seems that David Cook was very strong as well.

So, readers, shed a little light on the subject. Your views are always welcome with open arms.

Well, that’s that. No big surprises tonight. Hopefully the ladies will do better next week without the flu and with this first big week behind them. Ditto for the guys, yet, overall, I thought the male performances were visually and audibly more impressive than the female performances.

The mother in me wanted Garrett to stay another week. He is too adorable.

And the tears that were shed. Poor Ramiele. She was a mess. And it seems that everyone loved Joanne.

I also felt that the group number was quite outstanding. The ensemble vocals were very impressive.

Any thoughts out there, Masterclass fans?

Well. the ladies were not better or worse than the guys last evening. Like last evening’s all male performances, there were some brilliant female vocalists and some not so stellar singers. The show seemed to pick up steam midway through the two - hour song fest.

Generally, all the ladies came well equipped with a solid technical foundation in their singing style; however, only a few managed to successfully combine the technical process with the artistic process - which, ultimately, results in a memorable and inspiring performance.

Once again, I welcome your comments, as I am not able to provide full length vocal masterclass articles until the Top 12 singers are determined.

Hi all:

Well here we are-finally! The Top 12 guys are set to perform and I look forward to finally hearing a full performance from all of these talented singers.

Please share your opinions on the Top 12 Male performances and I promise I will add to the -hopefully-lively discussion.

Vocal Masterclass articles will resume once the Top 12 is determined. My schedule is too busy to fully evaluate the Top 24 performances, although I will attempt to sneak in an article or two or three over the next 3 weeks.

As promised, the very talented American Idol Season Seven Top 50 competitor, Josiah Leming, is now being featured on MTV.COM. The Executive Producer, of MTV.COM News, James Fraenkel, is very committed to ensuring the ongoing musical success of Josiah Leming.

Here is the link to the MTV.COM article, followed by a live link to the MTV.COM Video Show.

Additionally, he will be a featured musical guest on the Ellen Degeneres show later on today.

Your comments are most welcome.

Well it appears that the Josiah Leming lovefest is gaining steam, as this exceptionally talented Top 50 competitor from American Idol Season Seven has landed a television performance spot on the Ellen Degeneres Show on Tuesday February 19th, 2008. I am ensuring that my DVR is ready to go and so should you because this young man will, in time, be an unstoppable force in the music industry.

Additionally, I have received word from Jim Fraenkel, the Executive Producer of MTV.COM that a special documentary on Josiah will be featured on the MTV.COM website Tuesday morning (February 19th) at 10:00 A.M. A link to the webcast will be available in the coming hours, as the entire staff have been working round the clock to capture the essence of this young man. A production team traveled to Morristown Tennessee on Friday to film Josiah in his hometown environment, speaking with family members and, of course, focusing on his talent.

However, what he does need is immediate mentoring and artistic grooming skills in order to better prepare him for the difficult process of gaining fame within the music industry. A grounding force in a musician`s life is a prime means of life support. No one should have to swim these rocky musical waters alone and rocky it is and shall be.

Right now, he is riding on the crest of the American Idol wave of popularity, but this too shall come to an end. He needs people that will stick with him in the long haul, as his vagrant lifestyle at such a young age is real cause for worry.

In the meantime, let`s celebrate the emergence of a promising young artist, for whether or not he is your favorite, you cannot deny his prodigious talent. Thanks to YouTube.Com, you can gather a sneak preview of his past performances. Better yet, click on over to Josiah`s MySpace.Com’ site, where you can hear and see Josiah sing and view his numerous blog entries.

For all the latest American Idol News, visit SirLinksalot: American Idol or the American Idol Official Site

Your comments are always welcome

Well, let the madness begin! Is anyone else out there disappointed that the rumored Top 24 list of American Idol Season 7 does not include Cardin McKinney or Josiah Leming? I was immediately drawn to these two singers for various reasons - most of which had to do with immense talent and unique artistry.

If we are to believe Joes’ Place over at Idolforums.Com, it appears that these two singers did not make the final cut. Perhaps both singers had a major meltdown during Hollywood week and/or Simon, who clearly did not like Cardin’s theatrical talent, managed to “deep six” this talented young lady.

However, Josiah is an enigma. He has a great back story (if we are to believe the editorial content during his audition), but more important, is an extremely proficient and distinct singer/songwriter. And, I loved the British accent. All the Brits sing with a naturally pure vocal technique because of their distinctive accent, so I am not going to argue against this approach by any means.

And, without naming names, some people who were advanced to Hollywood and are presently rumored to be in the Top 24, do not have a glimmer of star quality and/or vocal talent. Let’s hope that some of these singers found a vocal coach between the time that elapsed from their initial audition to the Hollywood rounds. Otherwise, we will have another yawn fest on our hands.

That being said, there is indeed some remarkable talent in the “top 24″ and, again, I will stay “mum” on the subject of naming potential stars from this Season’s line-up. However, most of my personal favorites were seen in the first two weeks of televised auditions and that’s all I’ll say for now.

However, I am open to surprises and the one thing I have learned about American Idol is this: expect the unexpected.

Your comments are most welcome.