David A. for AI: Who said I'm biased?

I’m not a big fan of American Idol, but I was drawn to this season’s program because of two contestants who made it to the top 5, who share something common with me. Brooke White and David Archuleta are both LDS.

As the season’s finale approaches, and after browsing through blogs and news about AI, I am disappointed that some people make it controversial as to how producers are manipulating the results.

Another disappointment is on how media obliterate the character of a good man. I’m referring to David’s Archuleta’s dad, Jeff.

Coach Dean Kaelin, David’s vocal coach, had worked closely with Jeff Archuleta for 6 years now. Being labeled as ‘stage father from hell’ does not even closely describe Jeff, being a father and mentor for David. The backstage ban follows tabloid reports that Jeff Archuleta is an overbearing father who has pushed his son to tears and upset people during rehearsals. Coach Kaelin had to speak for Jeff. "I don't think any of this is true," said Kaelin, who noted that in the six years he has coached David, he has never seen Jeff act like a "stage dad." "He can be focused and very intense and very protective of David when he thinks David is being treated unfairly," he said. "But they read into it and say these things . . . he's just trying to do the best thing for David."

One of the reasons why I’m rooting for David A., among other things, is the fact that he is able to put school and American Idol in synthesis. While in American Idol, David still had to put in 4 hours a day for school (which somehow explains why Jeff Archuleta had to look over his son very closely). The other contestants had the luxury of time to rehearse.

Another amazing piece of information about David A is that he only has one functioning eardrum. In connection to that, his surfaced, mature voice that we all admire comes from just one vocal chord. David started singing at age 7. At age 12, he already had won the juniors singers' competition on the televised talent show "Star Search," but in the process, Archuleta lost half his voice when a virus attacked his vocal chord. It left one chord paralyzed. He had to deal with a medical problem that permanently changed his voice. It took months of work and vocal training for Archuleta to heal, but he never fully recovered. Ironically, the damaging illness gave him his unique textured sound, which has been much praised and lauded.

I love David sing because he does it with a soulful touch. I can say that his voice is naturally soulful. Yes, he puts tweaks to his lines as much as any other pop singer does, but when I heard him sing John Lennon’s “Imagine”, I thought this kid has a lot going for in terms of personal touch and from then on I’ve come to realize his charisma.

I’d go for David A because, as a musician myself, I was trained with the traditional rather than the contemporary. I remember one of my professors in college refer to rock music as “noise”. However, I appreciate David Cook’s interpretation of his song choices which has a rock genre that appeal to the rather middle ground of the type of rock music which was alluded to by my college professor as “noise”. If you look at David Cook and if you have come to know him just now because you’re listening to him in American Idol, you would think that he’s just another rock singer. It’s amazing to know that he started to sing when he was in 2nd grade when he was given a solo in a school choir performance. He also performed in musicals. Eventually, Cook became the lead singer and guitarist of the band Axium. His taste and preference for rock was probably influenced by this latter involvement in a band. I can say that he’s a well rounded individual who was also an active baseball player in high school. All of these experiences made him ripe for a finals slot in American Idol, against young and inexperienced David Archuleta.

On a final note, I see David Cook’s music as slow, expressive, yet tedious and undistinguished. Like any other rock singer, he’ll probably just come and go. David Archuleta’s music, on the other hand, is joyful, fun, & soulful. I’d go for the latter as it appeals to my sensitivity.

Part of being an idol is character—the kind of personality one conveys in front of people. That is important because it’s what people see. We come to know American Idol contestants mostly from third party write-ups. We don’t literally know them. How they compose themselves during interviews, performances, and just in their idle moments, say a lot about them.

My say for David Cook—arrogant; for David Archuleta—modest.

Whoever wins the AI title, nevertheless, deserves it. Both Davids already have their careers cut out for them.