Hey guys (and gals),

As usual life has left me scrambling. Was up with Jack most of the night last night. Been raining here and that's hell for people with arthritis. Plus it went from really warm to cold. So he cries and I spend the night massaging his knees and reassuring him. Pain pills help only so much and most of the time my almost 7 year old is in a fetal postion waiting for pain meds to take over.

But as a positive note, I've been checking out Britains Got Talent online through youtube. As usual, I can respect across the pond talent again. I've alway felt our version is not as good because of age limits. In the last week I have fell in love (and yes, I realize I'm WAY behind in seeing this but hey, I live in the US so cut me a break dammit) with little sweet Connie Talbot and the "eccentric" lady who will be singing with Josh Groban in an Opera house whether or not she wins. (My opinion) And let's not even discuss the 12 year old who made a young micheal jackson look lke he couldn't carry a tune if he carried it in a box.

I wish "American Idol" would give in and get rid of age restrictions. It's all about discovering talent. Everyone on this website can appreciate that.

Best wishes and love and miss the friends I'll probably never have the chance to hug close,
K.

Hi Karen
My GOD someone has posted something on this forum. Yes its probably most people's way of finding 'music' via TV Talent shows. With not following the show I had'nt got a clue who Susan Boyle was with all the media hype on radio and front page of the Uk press. I did check out the YouTube video something like 40 million hits. Hard to judge how much on what you see is true or acting by the judges ( particularly Amanda Holden ). Were they genuinely surprised by the voice she had or did they know what was coming.

Things like this program and X Factor are now more a form of Entertainment rather than singing contests and their album releases are always put out to coincide with the next series. Of course they are always singing covers never original songs the public get fed a diet of this.

There is a rich talent of Inde singer-songwriters in the UK, America & Canada who just never get heard and in this dire economic time many will have to give up on their music. So few make it.
Attendence figures at gigs I've been down are seriously down.

Oh, I post. Just can never get my darn butt over here to do it. I got off work at 11pm, hit bed at 3 am after laundry, got up at 9am and I'm working 11am-11pm today. Lucky for this mum, her kids went to dad's or you could add that to the mix.

Agree completely with you on the television angle. If you watch the Susan Boyle clip, right towards the end you notice Simon isn't in his chair one second and then back in it the next. It like, "Where the heck did he disappear to?"

But I still think it's neat. The only difference is with Britain's version, I find it much more inspiring because I've seen everything from an adorable 6 year old to the 47 year who is also adorable in her own way. It all still comes down to the performance and both nailed it. So I give them prompts.

Hi Karen
Yes your one of the few who do post and you have a hectic lifestyle with work & kids so there's no excuse for other people not to, why bother joining a forum and say nothing. Your exactly right about the clip. I just wonder how shows like this are editted. Do they suddenly find out LIVE on stage that someone really has something special and then film the backstage, pre-show and family home situations afterwards. I'm just very suspicious how these things come about. Its a show compiled for TV entertainment. I never watched the 2 previous series all I've ever seen is that YouTube clip.

I'm sure Cowell is already calculating how much he can rake off in record sales when Susan Boyle releases an album, thats providing that wasn't a one off performance and that she can produce similar ones.

If only SEFTON's name got round the world like Susan Boyle and he had 40 million YouTube hits. Its a crazy world.
I have no idea about the Reality Shows over in America only that Carrie Underwood has done really well for herself since winning America Idol.
There was a life before TV Reality Shows is there any going back?

I'm guilty of watching this program but I only ever watch the auditions. Once its the live shows then its just a serious circus act till the end. I dont think ive ever watched one series all the way through. I picked up on Leon Jackson... No wait that was the X-Factor... Its all the same to me. I'm a reality tv freak.

I havent posted much on the forum either but talking to ones-self can be confused for madness sometimes

Hey Guys

Been quiet lately huh! I guess I should shoulder a large part of the responsibility for that as I have not posted in a wee while. It is a strange time right now. With the success of the few gigs we did over easter still ringing in my ears (I have NEVER enjoyed playing live as much in my entire life as I did those gigs!) there just doesn't seem to have been enough hours in the day to make the music happen and push on (although I have been writing again!). If I am honest I have stalled a little in the push. I get tired of it. Self promotion is excruciatingly difficult for me (akin to having teeth out!) and without the support of a management team it all falls on my shoulders along with trying to stay afloat financially (don't we all!!) Hey ho ... a renewed push is on its way soon I hope. I have just sat here for the first time in ages and had a listen back to Skimming Stones and can honestly say that I am still bursting with pride for the record. It's good to remind myself from time to time as to just what has been accomplished this far even if it is small and as yet pretty well hidden! Airplay has continued on a decent level around the globe and I am happy to say that at the last count some 20+ countries have played the record on their airwaves. A mammoth if not minor achievement/endorsement in itself!

I have taken a look at this thread with a wry smile slowly developing across my face as I read. In my opinion these "talent" shows are just about the polar opposite of everything I stand for. I have no problem with the contestants that enter them trying to get themselves noticed and better themselves etc it's just that I question the word "talent" quite obtusely! I saw an interview with Richard Thompson recently where he lambasted the format and all those that go in them for the very same reasons that I hold. That is that they are based on about 2 elements of the myriad of aspects that go into being an artist. Is it really enough that someone can a) sing in tune and b) present the song with (and I use this word deliberately) some panache?

You see I am sure I am preaching to the converted here but being an artist is about SO much more than that. What about expressing ones soul? what about delivering a song with honesty? what about writing a song with original thought? what about ART! Music to me is about giving something of ones mind, expressing ones individuality, creating something where once there was nothing but a blank page. It's about connecting firstly with yourself and then an audience with something of yourself. Recently a radio station declined to play a track from my record but instead asked me if I would like to submit to them a cover version of perhaps a James Taylor song or something similar ...... talk about totally missing the point(I declined the kind offer)! You see talent shows are all about fame and recognition. I am not. I am about trying to get through the day. Some days I write a song to help me do that. Some of those songs I like to record and let others hear them. If they like them and it brings them pleasure/comfort/ joy/ sadness/ release etc etc etc (delete as applicable) then that is great and makes the process even more enjoyable. The fact is though that I don't do what I do for commercial gain, fame, recognition or ego. I do it because I love to do it and most of all IT HELPS ME. Now I don't stand in judgement over anybody on this earth and hopefully never will but I will also never place myself or my art to be part of a popularity contest or condone the likes of Simon Cowell whose sole (soul?) purpose is to give the masses some diluted and sanitized version of an art form which I love as much as he loves money, fame and celebrity. I guess some might say that this viewpoint might just be my undoing but then again it just might be my salvation........... what do you think?

Yours

S
x


"I am nothing but a Skimming Stone - trying to reach the other side" I can't say it plainer than that!