Bridging the Gap: The Untrained Artist vs. the Polished Musician

Last fall, the University of Southern California Thornton School Of Music announced its new bachelor of music in pop music performance degree program which will begin in the fall semester of 2009. This unique degree is the first of its kind in the United States and may very well take the competitive edge that embodies this music school to a whole new level. In a time where raw, untamed talent can rise to the top under the umbrella of competitions like American Idol, maybe this program will bridge that gap between the untrained artist and the polished musician. For instance, American Idol winners Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood were not too spectacular when they were competing on the Fox network show. But after just a few months of intense vocal training post-Idol, their vocal chops had completely transformed. They had become controlled, musically articulate, and their sense of pitch was fine-tuned. It seems as though they now have the tools to help them understand how their voices work.

In David Ng’s recent article, “USC Thornton School of Music announces expansion, new degrees,” I was inclined to offer my thoughts on this news as well as reference the relevance of a program such as this. Additionally, I found a post by blogger Stuart Heritage titled “ACM Entertainer Award Won By…A Woman? Mercy!” in which he describes how reality TV stars like those on American Idol are “infiltrating” the music world not by using their musical abilities, but through their television appeal. Below, I have included my comments to these articles as well as the links to their websites.


“USC Thornton School of Music announces expansion, new degrees”
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Thank you Mr. Ng for writing this article about USC’s Thornton School expansion and new music programs. An expansion of 50% must provide the Thornton community with much needed space for its musicians and faculty. Having spent time on the USC campus, the music school has always seemed relatively small despite the very competitive atmosphere it bolsters. I wonder if the new facilities will allow the school to foster new performance ensembles as well, given the news of the new pop music degree.

This fresh degree program seems like a very positive move by the Thornton School. So many young artists who have not yet grasped their raw talent or refined their skills have a unique opportunity now to really move forward and learn how their abilities work. I believe this can serve as a bridge for so many eager, driven musicians who may not have the groundwork as of now, but can build upon their talents in an academic setting. The public has seen artists such as Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, who may have not had the best vocal skills when they were on American Idol, but who have learned how to control their voices after the show and flourish because of professional training. USC’s new program can offer these pop musicians and vocalists a fantastic opportunity to refine their skills through intense training, much like the classical musicians in the school, and graduate with abilities that they did not have before.

“ACM Entertainer Award Won By…A Woman? Mercy!”
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I appreciate your animated take on this year’s ACM awards show. I would have to disagree with your assessment that Carrie Underwood’s win is something to cause worry within the industry. You comically note that she “a) never takes her clothes off, b) never eats delicious meat and c) never reveals any personal secrets about herself whatsoever.” You also infer that her American Idol win is something that is alarming in the fact that it was a reality TV show she competed on and because of that platform, her established stardom is making her “infiltrate” the ACM awards. I cannot say I am a fan of country music myself, however, Ms. Underwood has come a long way since her stint on the Fox network show.

What once sounded untamed and raw now sounds controlled, effortless, and oftentimes brilliant. As a classical musician, it is a breath of fresh air to see how intense musical training can transform an otherwise decent singer into a strong, graceful, and impressive vocalist. It is unfair to assume that her rise to fame from her past on television is the sole reason for a major win at the ACM awards show. I watched her performances at the event and it is hard to argue that there is anything else but talent that is keeping her on top. Even you yourself reference her lack of interest in confessing personal secrets, something that many young female singers indeed do for publicity. I look forward to seeing her progress even more in the coming years.

Leaks: Fix Them or Let Them Flow?

Oh the blunders of the music industry – Kelly Clarkson’s much anticipated new album “All I Ever Wanted” with a release date of March 10th has been leaked. Her album has spread like wild-fire over P2P networks over the past week and the incident has garnered a significant amount of attention. According to Rolling Stone, the Norwegian division of Apple’s iTunes is to blame for this incident. Ms. Clarkson is not the only artist who has been affected by these “missteps” in the industry – the band U2, for the second consecutive time has had one of their new albums released early. Universal Australia began selling digital tracks from their new album “No Line on the Horizon” more than 2 weeks ahead of schedule. These situations make many music-lovers question the carefully orchestrated process of releasing albums as well as the meticulous and confidential aspects of how an artist’s music is unveiled. Are these situations really mistakes or is this all precisely planned to create hype and media attention? This week I decided to delve into the blogosphere to read what people were thinking about this situation. In The Los Angeles Times music blog entry titled “Kelly Clarkson's 'All I Ever Wanted' leaks early. Thanks, Apple?” Todd Martens discusses this debacle. Additionally, EdibleApple.com offers a take on the matter. Below, you will find my responses to these entries, which can also be found on their respective blogs.

“Kelly Clarkson's 'All I Ever Wanted' leaks early. Thanks, Apple?”

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It is refreshing to see a well-rounded take on this Kelly Clarkson leak. The intriguing aspect of these “mistakes” is that you hardly hear of an album being leaked that ends up being a total flop. Ms. Clarkson’s last album was highly anticipated as well, but there were no problems in its distribution. I wonder if this has anything to do with the content in that album. The previous album “My December” turned out to be a disappointment on several levels – Kelly wanted to take more artistic freedom, she had a semi-falling-out with Clive Davis over the direction of her music, and the hype was all around her. Yet, with all of the media attention before the release of her previous album, no early circulation or major leak occurred. Since “All I Ever Wanted” has made it around the internet this past week, the reviews are extremely positive – a stark contrast to the first weeks of her previous album’s reactions. Having heard the album in its entirety on YouTube, it’s definitely apparent that her music has essentially taken a U-turn and embraced 2004’s “Breakaway” rock/pop vibe. Another important fact you talk about are the album’s “mini events” that took place over the past few weeks when little snippets of information were released. It is difficult to know exactly how the whole release process is planned and executed, but thus far, it seems that this leak has sparked a very positive reaction with her fans. The music is refreshing, new but familiar, and more mainstream – all aspects that were lacking in her previous album. If this was all one big accident, which I remain skeptical that this was indeed an error, Kelly Clarkson and her label should milk it for everything its worth before the official release date on March 10th. Her 1st single on this album already made history on the Billboard charts – jumping from practically last to #1 in a mere week. Positive reviews by the listening public before an album is released can only fuel the hype and make music-lovers that much more interested.

“iTunes leaks Kelly Clarkson’s new album weeks before its release”

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You have hit the nail on the head in regards to the irony of this leak surrounding Norway’s division of iTunes. Norway’s adamant pursuit to obtain DRM-free songs on iTunes really draws attention to this leak and its ironies. You also write “…an album leak is probably the last thing the former American Idol winner needs.” As much as I would want to agree with this statement generally speaking, I tend to disagree in this particular situation. With the whole played-out chronology of the “All I Ever Wanted” release, the pseudo-events offering a glimpse into the album’s cover and lyrics in the past weeks, and the historical jump her single made from almost last on the Billboard charts to #1 in just a week – this album is heading towards success already. After listening to the new album in its entirety on YouTube, it seems as though Ms. Clarkson has reverted to the pop/rock sound that made her 2nd album “Breakaway” so catchy and profitable. It’s almost as though she’s offering an acknowledgement to Clive Davis (who she turned away from in her last compilation) in this album, judging by the tone she has taken and the pop sound making more of an appearance this time around. If this leak was truly an accident all-around, then maybe all of the early and very positive reviews by the public are exactly what Kelly Clarkson needs to continue where she left off with 2004’s “Breakaway.”