Dear American Idol Producers,
Although I understand that you are experienced in the task of selecting candidates that appear on your show, your decision to dismiss Cassie was a mistake. She is an exceptional singer who deserves a second chance.
For your consideration is the following video:
Left to Right: Pedro (piano accompanist), Keara (soprano), and Cassie (alto).
This clip was filmed yesterday, September 8, 2007, at our friends’ wedding. Congratulations to Lauren and Matt — we wish you the very best!
The Nitty-Gritty Who-What-Where-When-Why-How:
Who are the other two performing? Close friends of the bride and groom, all of whom I’ve become friends with since moving to Michigan.
What song is that? “Barcarolle” by Jacques Offenbach, from his opera Les contes d’Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann). The piece has been incorporated into many movies including Life is Beautiful. (source)
Where are you? Holding the camera. I apologize for any unsteadiness.
When will Cassie go on tour? To be announced. 😀
Why did you put this video on the Internet? In my recent article titled How American Idol Auditions Work, I described how Cassie is hands down the best singer I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing. I went on to say that every time I hear her sing, I fall in love with her. Consequently, readers wanted to hear her — so here she is.
How can I help? If you want to see Cassie on American Idol, please help make this article popular. Share it with friends. Link to it from your blog. Submit it to social bookmarking sites like Digg, Reddit, and StumbleUpon. If the article becomes popular enough, it may be read by a member of the American Idol Team who can change Cassie’s future.
And in case you happen to be a member of the American Idol Team, please visit my Contact Page if you believe Cassie belongs on American Idol.
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28 Responses to “Dear American Idol Producers,”
Keara is hotter. She would be accepted.
In all honesty, if you think Cassie is all that, then she should try again next year. While I’m sure the producers cut people for many different reasons, you have to realize that in the end this is a TV show that wants to maximize on TV viewership.
Starting a petition to get her on the show will get you nowhere. How many other people try this sort of thing and fail miserably? If you even make it on the show, odds are they’ll try to paint you in a light that would only make it in a blooper reel or on one of their “crazy people” segments.
While it is plainly obvious that she does have singing talent, do you think that she could be the best singer on the show (try not to be biased)? If you think that she is, well then she should prepare for next year, and/or make steps necessary to do it the old fashioned way. They have this contest every year for a reason – the best singers don’t audition every year, or for one reason or another didn’t make the first cut.
This is pathetic. American Idol is not a singing contest to boot, they never said it was. And after all, let’s face it, Cassie doesn’t even sing that good. Also this is so off-topic from your lifereboot theme that I’m unsubscribing this feed because I don’t care about how your girlfriend did on the AI.
I think she has a beautiful voice and should re-try next year. As long as she picks the right songs I see no reason why she wouldn’t be picked.
Shaun! This is so special!! Thank you for taking this video. I was so nervous the whole time I barely remember my own wedding. I’m lucky to have friends and family who took video and pictures.
@Lauren
You’re welcome. You’ve been an avid supporter of LifeReboot and a wonderful friend since we met only one year ago. I wanted to do something special with the wedding clip, and since you were among those who encouraged me to upload a video of Cassie, this seemed very fitting. Congratulations again!
What happened? You were doing fine with your life improvement articles, and then you go and post this. Totally off-topic. Choose a line for your blog and stick with it.
I’ve been reading your blog since it was first featured on Digg in May, and I’ve noticed a distinct pattern in your comments: someone *always* suggests you do something differently. If you’re writing about life improvement, someone is telling you that your articles are too general and you need to invite us into your personal life. If you’re writing about your personal life, someone else is telling you that you need to stay on topic.
I admire you because you you haven’t disabled comments on your blog. You let the rampant know-it-alls say whatever they want, but only reply to the people worth replying to. You must have some thick skin, dude.
I’m pretty sure that this article as meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek. Shaun, nor I for that matter, really expect some producer to read it or any real recognition to come from it. It was more to honor a request made by our good friend lauren (at who’s wedding this was shot) to post a video of me singing on the website, and also to say congratulations to her. I think people need to lighten up a bit. There will be more articles about self-betterment, but for now, try to enjoy a little off-beat personal article. Unbunch your panties. 🙂
wow, angry people! if life-changing advice is something that is highly important to you, i have a tidbit:
if you have a choice of whether or not you should do something… any little thing, think to yourself “will this have a positive impact on my life, someone else, this day, or the world?”
if the answer is no, find something better to do.
getting angry because a guy is proud of his girlfriend? silly silly
Personally, I loved this little glimpse into your life Shaun! And I loved the surfing pic of you as well. Seeing who your someone special is has put you in a different light.
And I think some of your readers who are freaking out missed the point – you can’t succeed unless you try, even if the odds do seem high. And if you want to succeed – be ready to get a little bit embarassed, sit through some dull spots, and explore every single avenue! Successful people rarely get there on the first try or by travelling the road most populated!
Good job. I think these past two posts are among your best!
I agree with Keara. I’ve learned a new saying. Instead of saying “Have a nice day” you should say “Make a nice day”. Think about it.
lauren… i like it i like it!
I like your site, I appreciate what you’re trying to do here, but from that video I’m not surprised Cassie did not make the cut. While she can sing, her voice plainly isn’t that good. While she might be the best singer you’ve heard in your life, it’s impossible for me to know what the means. I love a girl madly, and to me she is easily the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. While that’s -my- truth and she is very attractive, I’d imagine to most others she’s an 8/10 not the 11/10 that she is to me.
To me, this situation with Cassie and you viewing her as this amazing singer, that is -your- truth. And good for you. She should be that you. But if she’s not to other people, that’s no need to start pandering.
The whole time I read these America Idol entries was thinking, “Are you whining? Are you whining?”
These entries aside, I really appreciate your blog. Keep it up.
Go right ahead and run an occasional off-topic post. You are a person, not a machine. And for Lauren, “Make a nice day”? Oh my goodness, you have just made my day. Thank you.
I hope my post helps out a little Shaun. Best of luck to Cassie. She has a gorgeous voice.
I think she has a beautiful voice, one that would do well on stage–but not on American Idol, as she has a more classical voice, and beautiful, classical voices do not make pop stars–particularly American Idol stars–in this day and age.
I hold a masters degree in Music Performance and a Bachelors of Music Education…. Cassie has a wonderfully trained classical voice… although i can see immediately why she wasnt considered…. as shallow as this may sound.. i do not mean it in any way other than.. from experience from what the judges do… once again this is not what my opinion is.. but what i feel the judges would say..
if she were the ideal tv size, look or etc.. she would have made it no prob… the 1st round is 80% look/personality 10% talent and 10% luck… unfortunately only the excessively large soul singers make it… and even then they get booted quite quickly… especially the women…
you need to have a video of the song she was planning on singing for the judges. I’m sorry, I’ve been a singer for years and heard hundreds of singers and judging from just that video…. your friend is not all that. the end of her phrases sound out of air and there’s no power behind her voice in this song. she needs to work on her tone and on projecting her voice. if this is really what she sounded like to the judges then there is no wonder why they passed her up.
if she IS as good as you say then she needs a song that fits her…. and not that video you have of her sounding like she’s tired and out of breath.
Sarah you clearly have no knowledge of the classical voice. What you heard at the end of her notes was a vibrato, a shaking of the voice that is only present in a developed singer’s voice. Know you stuff before you criticize.
Did she sing like that at the audition? Then I could understand why she didn’t make it. No one singing like that is going to put out a good record. American Idol, you’re right, isn’t necessarily a talent contest. That girl is a talented singer, but not the right kind of singing. American Idol is looking for the next big thing, and that type of singing will never be included in that. Sorry, it wont.
What song did she sing for auditioning at American Idol? Sometimes, that is the kicker. And you are right, just because she does have a good voice doesn’t meant they will want her. You really have to WOW them at the beginning and not rely on your voice. I am going to audition this year and have been singing my whole life. I know that the song selection is key so I am trying to get a “crowd pleaser” song that will show off my voice and be memorable. Try again next year and do the same. Try getting something that is REALLY difficult that she can do that will impress!
This may sound very harsh, but a huge factor in AI and in the music business in general is how you look. You hear the AI judges talk a lot about people being commercially viable or marketable. Sadly whereas your girlfriend does have a good voice, she does not fit in to that mold. With the exception of Jennifer Hudson, who is an exceptionally singer you really need to be like a size 8 or lower, be very pretty and be able to sing to have a shot in the business.
Your girlfriend is fat and not that attractive – also her singing is mediocre. No body cares if you are classically trained and sing church music, you need to sing POP MUSIC.
Things required to make it on American Idol
1) Must look good enough to be on cover of magazine
2) Must sing flawless pop music
3)Must have friendly personality
Dude – give us an update on your relationship with your “girlfriend”. Have either of you realized yet that you are gay? I don’t say that to be mean, it’s just very obvious. Hot young guy with an overweight needy girlfriend. I’m sure she’s a really good friend tho. But, wake up and smell the coffee (you’re gay) and the tea (she’s not that good of a singer). Best of luck to both of you in your endeavors.
Cassie – I was reading through the comments and got to yours. First of all, as a fellow alto :), I think you sing beautifully. Secondly – I was elated to see you stand up for your boyfriend who clearly loves you very much. I’ll be reading more of this blog. Good luck to both of you 🙂
My honest opinion- Decent voice, terrible song choice for an american idol audition.
I just registered for season 10 in California, and the release form is making me very uneasy about going through with the autditions. Everything that you mentioned about the registry procees was spot on, even the “what you need to know” letter was an exact copy.
What you mentioned about them making you repeatedly yell things as a group, and sing songs together, is one thing I also noticed happening on registration day. It was so sad to see them walk around and ask, “Does anyone have a wacky talent? No singing! Just crazy talented people!” I almost felt sick that I was wanting to be there.
I don’t doubt for one minute that Cassie should have advanced to the next round. I just feel bad that everything is done just for ratings and not for the actual talent. The release form even states that they have right to your life “forever and throughout the universe” and that they can release any information “factual and/or fictional”. It’s a total set-up and someone should have already been protesting and knocking this show off the air.
I’m disappoint in all the print on the release form, because they’re admitting they want to embarass you; it only proves they want fools for the show. And even if they missed something, they had to put “but not limited to”. Don’t sell out to them Cassie, I hope you have taken you passion for music elsewhere, or kept it close to home and your heart!
I can imagine the experience was still one to remember, but did you ever go back?
*peace and love*