Dear Lee: I am rooting for you!

Dear Lee,

Hi! Remember me? Yeah, I have still been watching. Just had to send you a little note telling you I am rooting for you. I think you will win unless there is some strange, strange event. You have been super consistent all season long.  I think you are also doing this for the right reason. Crystal said she is doing it for her son, which is great. I have no problems with that. But you are doing it because you love it, and therein lies the huge difference. Your point here is not to make a whole lot of money (though I am sure you won't mind :) ), it is to follow your passion.

I absolutely loved both performances last week. Here they are. They were both amazing.

Best of luck. I will be voting for you!

Sincerely,

Dear Lee: I am rooting for you!

Dear Katelyn: My Favorite Moments

Dear Katelyn,

It has been a long time since you have left, but I wanted to share my favorite moments of yours on the show. First, your audtion:

Next, The Scientist. I love this. I have it on my iPod. Every time it comes on, I am struck by how great of a singer you are.

And this cover of the Beetles:

Great stuff Katelyn! I really do hope someone picks you up.

Dear Katelyn: My Favorite Moments

Dear Andrew: My Favorite Moments

Dear Andrew,

 I first want to start off by saying what a classy guy you are. The way you reacted when you found out you were voted off was perfect. Here are my favorite moments from you this season. First, your audition:

Then during Hollywood, of course the elusive Straight Up:



Then we had the top 24 performances. I love this, I have it on my iPod:



And my favorite (also on my iPod):



I am excited to see what you bring in the future.

**************And if you want to watch Andrew on Ellen, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nFrIQ14YVw . A great thing to notice is when Ellen asks him the worst part of Idol and the best part. He starts with the best instead of the worst. He is such a nice guy. *********************

Sincerely,

Dear Andrew: My Favorite Moments

Dear Top 9 (the second): My Reactions This Week

Dear Top 9,

Well, I put off writing about it. Here it is.

My top three favorite were Lee, Crystal, and Mike. Lee, you are fabulous. You are really good and sound effortless.

My middle three were Casey, Katie, and Tim. Yeah, I said Tim. I can't believe he actually sounded good. Tim, your next thing to work on is your phrasing. You don't join things together at all and it was driving me crazy, but other than that, you did a good job.

My bottom three were Andrew, Siobhan, and Aaron. Oh Andrew! I was so worried. I voted! I voted a lot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then the results night came. Andrew left. Can I just comment on how much class Andrew has? He left with so much class last night. He was upbeat and happy. Naturally, I will have much more in a proper good-bye.

Then Tim and Katie found themselves as the bottom two. And who should leave?

Not the guy. No. It was Katie. I don't feel too bad about it because I don't think she was one of the better singers up there. BUT I must say she improved vastly over the course of the season. She is obviously humble and a hard worker. She has great potential.

Kind of brings you back to wondering "what if" certain people had made it to the top 12 (people named Katelyn, Alex, and Lilly).

Are you wondering who I will be voting for now? It will be Lee. Lee is my new favorite.

Sincerely,

PS--Can I just say I am WAY over the sitting behind the judges thing? Can you all please stop that? Thanks.

Dear Top 9 (the second): My Reactions This Week

Dear Top 9: My Reactions

Dear Top 9,

Sorry it has taken me so long to write. You know how it gets when the weather is nice and you have a birthday party to plan and all...maybe not the birthday part for most of you.

Anyway, imagine my surprise and dismay to see Andrew in the bottom three--especially after my rant last week. I mean, I know he hasn't given performances true to himself each week, but we all know he is my favorite.

I was not surprised to see Aaron in the bottom three. I was surprised to see Michael there--but mostly because of the judges love for him, not out of reaction toward his singing.

I was surprised to not see Tim there. Really?

In the end, it was Big Mike going home...but then the judges used their save on him.

Can I just say I think that was a mistake?

I really don't think he will win the whole thing. Plus, this is kind of early to be using your one and only save. And in a season full of shockers so far, the judges may live to regret that. What if Crystal, Siobhan, or Lee find themselves going home--unable to be saved? When you still have three people you like more (it seems you do at least), and four weeks to use the save, I think it is a mistake to save him.

We shall see what happens.

Sincerely,

Dear Top 9: My Reactions

Dear {insert right person here}: Stop Being Mean!

Dear People In Charge,

I don't know who decides this, but it must stop. Nearly every single week of this season, you have made it so Andrew is one of the last two when deciding who is in the bottom three (or before the top 12, who is going home). It is getting to be ridiculous. Can't you spread the love? Why do you always make it Andrew? Do you realize that he is quite popular? So you are trying to boost ratings because you think people will get nervous and stay around longer or turn on the TV because they are worried about him? I don't know what it is, but give the poor guy a break! Let someone else sweat it out for once.

Sincerely,

Dear {insert right person here}: Stop Being Mean!

Dear Top 9: My Reactions

Dear Top 9,

First of all, Didi gets to stay in the picture for a bit. Second of all, you all did well last night. No one was totally awful. But I also think no one was totally awesome. There wasn't one performance that I will be seeking to purchase off the over-priced iTunes (do you like how I threw that in there?). Here are my reactions and predictions:

Aaron: I didn't like the song and there were some pitch issues. The good thing is that you showed your country edge to your voice, so that will please your country crowd.

Katie: Before you started singing, I told my husband, "This is the song Brooke White sang. There is no way she can top that." When you were done, I declared that you had done really well. That was definitely your best performance ever.

Andrew: First of all, I loved how all the guys said you were their best friend. Everyone's best friend. You sounded good, but it wasn't my favorite performance from you. I won't be buying it. I think I would have liked it better without the horns in the background.

Mike: I really didn't like it. Not much to say beyond that.

Crystal: You did quite well. I was happy to see you be more of yourself. Last week was so strange with the heels and all.

Tim: I fully expected you to blow it as usual, but you sounded good. Randy totally insulted you as he tried to compliment you, but like Simon said, I think you did well even compared to the other contestants.

Casey: So my neighbor, who is a good singer and Beetles fanatic, thinks you did the best last night. I disagree. You did well. You sounded good. But I have finally figured out what I don't really like about you. It is your vibrato. It is too fast for me. If the vibrato was gone, I think I might be able to get on the Casey train. But don't change your vibrato just for one passenger.

Siobhan: Hmm. I didn't like it again. You get so nasally. You swallow your sound unless you are either really high or really screaming. I don't like that at all. Maybe you just need some voice lessons to pull that out.

Lee: You did awesome and were once again the best of the night.

So, what are my rankings?

Top 3:

1. Lee
2. Crystal
3. Katie

Middle 3:

1. Andrew
2. Casey
3. Tim

Bottom 3:

1. Siobhan
2. Aaron
3. Mike

Now for the tricky part. Who will be in the bottom 3?

I don't really know. I have been saying (and seeing) Tim and Katie for weeks now. I think Tim will land in the bottom three just because he needs to, but I don't know if Katie will. Based on last night, she shouldn't. But at this point, things aren't necessarily based on one night. And they shouldn't be.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Aaron in the bottom.

I am going to say (with little confidence): Tim, Aaron, and Siobhan.

Sincerely,

Dear Top 9: My Reactions

Dear Tim: Daddy's Shoes

Dear Tim,

You have my husband to thank for this one. As we were watching your performance last Tuesday, my husband commented that you were like a little boy walking around in your Daddy's shoes. Now, he wasn't saying that you were clomping around or ungraceful. As Ellen pointed out, you are quite sneaky on stage. He also wasn't discussing the "Deer in the Headlights" look you get on your face quite often.

No. It is just that you are really out of your league. If I pull you out of the competition and see you on stage in your high school auditorium, you are great. I am impressed and think you have a good voice. But when I watch you week after week, I see that you are just a boy trying to fill shoes you just aren't big enough for. I don't really think you will ever grow into them, either. I don't know. There is a small chance--you are young. But you aren't making the improvements the other contestants are making.

You also aren't seeming to take things seriously. Maybe you have a nervous habit where you laugh when criticized. If that is the case, I advise you to overcome that because that will be a, let's say, disruption to married life. You might be, as you say, just really happy to be on stage. If that is the case, try suppressing the laugh until you walk off. Laughing is super weird. I kind of doubt it is what Simon said. I doubt you are laughing because you know what they say doesn't matter. I mean, he is right. You have teenage girls and VFTW behind you all the way (you are their longest-running pick you know). But I don't think you are laughing because you know that you will stick around anyway. You seem like a better guy than that.

My money is on you not knowing how to respond, so you laugh. My motto is always "you can laugh or you can cry." Getting criticized week after week would lead you in one of those two situations--but try to avoid laughing until you have left the stage.

Sincerely,

Dear Tim: Daddy's Shoes

Dear Didi: Oh Sigh

Dear Didi,

Well, I have been putting this off. It is hard to say good-bye. But, alas, I must at some point. I wouldn't want to not say good-bye, so I had better get to it.

You were one of my top favorites (this group is quickly dwindling down). I loved your voice. I liked it best when you did stuff low-key. I am sad to see you go. I would like to think you would have grown as the show continued forward. You definitely are a better singer than some there, but we won't name any names (deer in the headlights anyone?).

Here are my favorite moments from you this season:

First is your audition:

Next is Terrified during Hollywood week:

Then we have "The Way I Am"

 And this was my favorite:

I am sad to see you go. I guess when you don't have any great performances in the Top 12 by this time, your clock is ticking (I actually really hope this to be true for someone soon). I hope to hear more from you in the future!

Sincerely,

Dear Didi: Oh Sigh

Dear Bottom Three: My Reactions

Dear Bottom Three,

Sigh.

Katie, Yes, you deserved to be there. I am not surprised you were there in the least.

Didi, I worried you would be there, but hoped against hope you wouldn't be.

Tim, You are quite comfortable there, aren't you? Somehow, you are squeaking through. I know that website I won't mention pushed extra hard for you last time.

That is all I have to say on the topic right now.

Sincerely,

Dear Bottom Three: My Reactions

Dear Top 10: My Predictions

Dear Top 10,

Okay, so here are my predictions for tonight.

Tim, you will be in the bottom three. I can only hope you go home. It is your time! I am hoping Simons reverse psychology on America worked and you will be leaving tonight.

Siobhan, I hope you are in the bottom three. You deserve it from last night. I am not sure what kind of following you have, so I don't know if you could have been saved after that performance. But I doubt you will be the one with the fewest votes. If you are, there is a good chance the judges would use the save on you; however, they might want to hold on to it in case something like that happened to Crystal.

Katie, I am hoping it is you who rounds out this bottom three. I don't necessarily think you were one of the three worst last night, but I haven't ever been wowed by you and I think that deserves the bottom.

Didi, there is definitely a chance you will be in the bottom three tonight. I hope not, and if you are, I really hope you aren't the one with the fewest votes.

Aaron, there might be an ever so slight chance for you to be in the bottom three tonight, but I doubt it.

Let the results begin!

Sincerely,

Dear Top 10: My Predictions

Dear Usher: Thank You

Dear Usher,

While R&B is not my absolute favorite genre, I have always liked you, Usher. I have had your albums since your very first one way back in the day. But this letter isn't about that. It is about thanks.

Thank You! You know, as I watched last night, I thought, "Wow, R&B is a much better theme for these guys." Then I thought for a second and realized that made no sense. Last week was Billboard number ones. Those are great songs. The contestants, save one, were all the same...what was different? You! You are the different factor.

I think you gave advice to contestants that actually improved them. Three contestants in particular stood out to me. Katie was much improved. Andrew was back to Andrew. And Lee came out of his shell. Fabulous all around.

If I review the definition of mentor:

Noun. An experienced and trusted adviser...an experienced person...who trains and counsels...

I think you proved you can be trusted. You definitely have experience. And you were able to help and train as much as possible in that short amount of time.

As we were watching, my husband, who isn't a huge "music" person, commented that your comments were making him appreciate music more.

Thanks for a much improved night, Usher.

Sincerely,

Dear Usher: Thank You

Dear Andrew: Your Moment

Dear Andrew,

This was so great. Such a moment for you. Loved it.

Here it is with Usher's suggestions and the judges commentary:

And because I will want to listen over and over without all the commentary:

Loved it. Did I mention I liked it?

Sincerely, 

Dear Andrew: Your Moment

Dear Readers: In Case You Missed It

Dear Readers,

In case you missed the singing tonight, here is a video from YouTube highlighting it very quickly.

Sincerely,

Dear Readers: In Case You Missed It

Dear Top 10: Woot Woot!

Dear Top 10,

Wow. Tonight was SO.MUCH.BETTER. than last week. Usher, I will sing your praises in your very own letter, but let me just say you are awesome and you obviously did something right. Do you think it is any coincidence that the week Miley was the, um, "mentor" it was basically the worst week American Idol has had in a long time? Hmmm? I don't. Usher showed us all what it means to be a mentor.

Okay, let's discuss the performances tonight.

Siobhan: I wonder if I will ever be able to type that name without looking it up to be sure. Okay, not good at all. Painfully flat. More screaming. Definitely one of the worst of the night.

Casey: Remember how earlier today I said I could possibly come to like you? Tonight you earned some liking. I thought this was the best performance you have done yet. It seemed very "you" and was a great job. I also noticed there was no head shaking. Maybe you only do it with your hair down? Gotta shake the hair out of your face? *shrug*

Mike: This was also a good performance. Your voice sounded great. However, I have to say I did not like you sitting behind the judges. What was the point of that? Were you trying to get closer to that guy in the far back corner so you could connect easier? And if you are trying to connect to the audience, why did you keep your back to, I don't know, about 10% of them the whole time? That little platform can be nice to visit sometimes, but it isn't a place to camp out.

Didi: I think the judges are unnecessarily harsh on you week after week. I thought your voice sounded good. I do think it would have been much better if you had your guitar, though. I do agree that you should reach to your singer/song writter self. Your voice mixed with the instruments did not work. It was off. The song also seemed too fast for you. You seem intent on showing us all that you are "diverse." There are lots of problems with that. One is that your voice does not lend itself to "diversity." Another is that this isn't a show of "look what I can do." It is a show to find the American Idol--a singer you can get behind and look forward to buying a record from. If people don't know what they will get from your record, they won't get your record. Do you remember Matt Giraurd from last season? Do you remember him switching styles often? It didn't work for him and it won't work for you. I want you to stay. Choose yourself and stay there.

As for Ryan...good job avoiding his questions and you were funny with him.

Tim: So much, Tim. So much. So much was funny about that. A lot of it was the things my husband was saying off to my side (more on that later). A lot was what the judges said. Ellen was right; you did look like you were trying to sneak. You were walking so carefully and you weren't in heels. And I have never laughed so hard watching American Idol as I did at Simon's comment. He is so spot on. It doesn't matter what they say. Not only do you have Vote for the Worst on your side, but likely lots of little girls. Keep in mind little girls move on when they get a bit older, so your fan base won't hold. Little girls grow up and gain real musical opinion--plus you will grow up and lose your teenage charm.

Andrew: Andrew! Yes! LOVED THAT. Best of the night--although Lee was also awesome. So great. I will be buying that off iTunes. That is the Andrew I have been cheering on. And yes, I have been voting for you the entire time I have been writing this post. Fantabulous (yes, I made that word up). I also loved you telling your mom to behave. That was great.

Simon said you were boring and pointed out that Tim is getting through based on personality alone. Well, I don't think you are boring, but I do think you could show more of your personality. Unfortunately, it isn't all about singing right now, so show us that fun side.

Katie: Vocally, that is the best you have sounded in a long time. But it was all a bit too theatrical. You tried to look serious and instead looked semi-mad. Last week, it probably would have landed you in the upper section of the ratings, but this week everyone else stepped it up, too, so you haven't really budged. With Tim taking up Vote for the Worst, you might be in trouble.

Lee: Another fantastic performance. Really great. I really think you will be in the final three. I will also be buying this performance off iTunes. I will also vote for you a few times tonight.

Crystal: That was okay. I wasn't as impressed as the judges were. I was impressed that you can play the piano. I am always impressed to see ability with instruments. But I remember this song sung by Paris Bennett back in the day, and I think she did it better vocally. The shoes were a bad choice. You seemed scared to walk in them and made sure to keep a hand on the piano as you moved. It wasn't authentically you. I mean, you did well and one of the better ones of the night. But if I am comparing you to yourself, not great.

Aaron: You seemed nervous. I think the choice of song wasn't a good one. You sounded good, but it has been done so much on American Idol. It was good, but paled in comparison to many of the others.

Time for my rankings:

Top Three:

1. Andrew
2. Lee
3. Casey

Middle of the Pack:

1. Crystal
2. Michael
3. Aaron
4. Didi

Bottom Three:

1. Tim
2. Siobhan
3. Katie

All in all, it was a much improved night and makes me excited for the future. Hopefully they bring you some good mentors in the future.

Sincerely,

Dear Top 10: Woot Woot!

Dear Casey: Head Shaking

Dear Casey,

While I am on the topic of quirks, I have noticed a funny quirk about you. You shake your head "no" while singing. If I was a fan, I might find it endearing, but I am not really, so I find it slightly annoying.

But I will say that I do see you as someone who could grow and potentially win me over as a fan. At this point last year, I wasn't crazy about Kris--he was pretty much off my radar. So I am open if you earn it.

Sincerely,

Dear Casey: Head Shaking

Dear Kara: Kissy Face

Dear Kara,

So, I don't know if you have noticed this yet. When you are, I don't know, thinking, listening intently, whatever, you make this kissy face. It is kind of funny and really quirky.

I hate to tell people about their quirks because they will usually change them if they know, but this was so interesting I had to point it out. I like it because I know you are really thinking at that moment.

Sincerely,

Dear Kara: Kissy Face

Dear ????: Who chose that?

To Whom It May Concern,

I am curious...who is in charge of choosing group number song choices? After all of the complaining from the judges about the song choice of the contestents, who thought it would be a good idea to do this 1984 hit? As Simon would say, of all the thousands of songs you could have chosen, why that one?

But you know what I noticed? When Katie is lip singing, she is remarkably on pitch. Here it is in case you missed it:

What I am saying is, I am not really sure about the song choice, man.

Sincerely,

Dear ????: Who chose that?