DW Joy is more the expert on what-passes-on-Idol than I am, as I tend to instantly forget bad television and haven't seen an episode since the Oakland girl (was London her name?) looked like a prohibitive favorite.In general, American Idol singers frill up their notes, without regard to the meaning or emotion of the lyric involved. Joy was particularly exercised about some guy's rendition of the lovely Don McLean song, Vincent, about Van Gogh's suffering. Performed simply, the song's a gem. On Idol, it was filled with show-offy vocal pyrotechnics, each having nothing to do with any human feeling (other than "Look at me!")What I teach, and what everybody I respect teaches, is to act the lyric, paying careful attention to intention; make every breath a motivated dramatic pause, etc. My students wouldn't be caught dead fancifying a note on a word that didn't warrant it. On Idol, Paula Abdul would say something encouraging to them.
