Idol talk - Article

[patri1016]

Cross Examination
'Idol' talk

Averill Baker
The Southern Gazette

Coming in second was the best thing that could have happened to Craig Sharpe in the recent finale of Canadian Idol.

And until they make it a truly fair contest – until they establish a rule you can only have one vote for each phone number called in – we will never really know who Canada’s true ‘idol’ is. (Yes, more than one person in a household might want to vote, but what with the proliferation of personal cell-phones, this one-vote-per-phone-number would probably be the fairest way of doing it.)

"Who cares?" some of you may ask.

Well, judging by the huge and ever-growing interest measured in the numbers of votes called in, as well as the countless calls made to open-line shows, the huge media coverage and endless coffee conversations, it’s clear a great many Canadians care a great deal.

This entertaining show goes smoothly ‘live-to-air’ twice a week each summer – remarkable when you consider most of the TV programs we watch are pre-packaged so as to go without a hitch when they are seen. Even the so-called ‘reality’ shows are so overly managed and manipulated any resemblance to an honest-to-god ‘real’ moment is a true rarity.

But Canadian Idol gave some real moments of outstanding entertainment and Craig Sharpe was certainly one of those who made that happen. So I guess it’s understandable a lot of people were devastated when he didn’t win.

But thankfully, Craig was obviously not one of those people. In fact he told affable host Ben Mulroney he still couldn’t believe he was in the top ten, let alone the top two.

And speaking of Ben Mulroney, the only thing he didn’t inherit from his famous father Brian, was the deep bass voice – luckily, because the somewhat adolescent tenor timbre of Ben’s voice somehow suits his role as host of a show that involves so many young people.

But let’s get back to Craig placing second: Not winning means he can now return to school soon and finish his grade 12 and perhaps go on to study music at the post-secondary level, so if he does still want a career, he will know enough about his subject not to be walked over by unscrupulous music agents, arrangers and all the others who can make a bundle they don’t deserve in the pop music racket.

Not winning means he can continue to perform in the rich musical and artistic environment that exists in our province for awhile longer – it hasn’t done him any harm so far.

Not winning means he can now retire for a while from the national limelight and watch as the appetite for hearing more of his wonderful voice grows.

There are reports he wants to go straight back to Toronto "while his name is still out there" to promote his career – let’s hope these reports are not true. There’s no worry the Canadian public will ever forget Craig Sharpe.

His voice is absolutely unique and his stage deportment is surprisingly professional for one so young. Add to that his natural musicality, his good looks and, best of all, his absolutely genuine good manners and you’ve got a package for which there is a hungry market that cuts across all age groups and any other category you can think of.

Take your time Craig – lest you find your photo on the back page ad of a TV guide, being used as a ‘come-on’ to attract people to take a cruise.

Averill Baker is a St. John’s lawyer. Her column returns in two weeks.

[url]http://www.southerngazette.ca/index.cfm?iid=1866&sid=14113[/url]

[Idol Cynic]

But let’s get back to Craig placing second: Not winning means he can now return to school soon and finish his grade 12 and perhaps go on to study music at the post-secondary level, so if he does still want a career, he will know enough about his subject not to be walked over by unscrupulous music agents, arrangers and all the others who can make a bundle they don’t deserve in the pop music racket.

(snip)

There are reports he wants to go straight back to Toronto "while his name is still out there" to promote his career – let’s hope these reports are not true. There’s no worry the Canadian public will ever forget Craig Sharpe.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. I can understand the argument about him finishing high school so he'll have something to fall back on in the case of an emergency. But post-secondary education for music? Real-world experience as an artist trumps a diploma every time in the entertainment biz.

Craig is smart to think about striking while the iron is hot. Pop culture is extremely fickle, and the entire CI4 Top 10 will be forgotten in a few years unless the performers promote themselves like crazy and create fresh material.

Let's not forget that CI5 and CI6 will be here before you know it, with each one offering its own promising performers.

[dleonardo]

I agree.

Craig may have potential but he would be competing with winners and runner ups of upcoming CIs. He really have to use this moment to secure the base. I personally think he should release his debut album before CI 5 winner's album is released, accomodating his high school completion. If Craig's album is released after CI 5 winner's album, Craig would lose his popularity and will be no longer "hot"...

[mandyc]

I agree Idol Cynic. No one will ever forget Craig Sharpe, so long is he's making music. To disappear now, would basically be committing career suicide. Obviously the writer of the article isn't living in the real world. If you fall off the face of the earth people will lose interest. He's hot right now and people will respond to that. Does this person think that chances like these come often? He's being given a huge opportunity, and my advice to him would be to take it and run with with it!

[rocket3jo]

Whether Craig won or not, instant stardome doesn't work in this business. It takes years of practice and paying your dues to be taken seriously as a musician and performer. Living in the real world does mean getting an education, especially in music business. If you look at many very successful canadian artists, they have a good education behind them in order to make informed and intelligent decisions about their lives. Really, how seriously would Canada take Craig in a few years knowing he hadn't even finished highschool. Canada likes its celebs to have a little more than air between their ears.

[sjleafsfan]

Originally posted by Idol Cynic
Wrong, wrong, wrong. I can understand the argument about him finishing high school so he'll have something to fall back on in the case of an emergency. But post-secondary education for music? Real-world experience as an artist trumps a diploma every time in the entertainment biz.

Craig is smart to think about striking while the iron is hot. Pop culture is extremely fickle, and the entire CI4 Top 10 will be forgotten in a few years unless the performers promote themselves like crazy and create fresh material.

Let's not forget that CI5 and CI6 will be here before you know it, with each one offering its own promising performers.

Agreed and I don't like that crack that she took at Rex either! What Newfoundlander has sold 100 000 CDs and been on E-Talk Daily and ET Canada more times than I can shake a stick it? Why I believe it is Rex.

[mandyc]

Whether Craig won or not, instant stardome doesn't work in this business. It takes years of practice and paying your dues to be taken seriously as a musician and performer. Living in the real world does mean getting an education, especially in music business. If you look at many very successful canadian artists, they have a good education behind them in order to make informed and intelligent decisions about their lives. Really, how seriously would Canada take Craig in a few years knowing he hadn't even finished highschool. Canada likes its celebs to have a little more than air between their ears.

Craig has one final year of school, which he has made it perfectly clear he will be finishing this year, just not the conventional way. He doesn't have to physically go to highschool to get his credits. If singing is what he wants to do with his life he needs to jump at this opportunity now. Had he won, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.

[Idol Cynic]

Whether he starts now or waits several years, he'll have to pay his dues one way or another. He might as well start now.

I'm pessimistic about Craig being an international star, but he has a fanbase on the East Coast that will like him enough to fuel a viable career. So I wish him the best and hope he matures into an even better artist.

[newfiecatgirl]

i agree with you all. People are jealous because in every season of canadian idol a newfoundlander has made the top 10 and for the last two seasons newfoundlanders has made top 2. A lot of people, on the mainland, not all of them has a conception that newfoundlanders are stupid and the fact that newfoundlanders has made it this far in a nation wide competition is just showing how talent they are.

I also do agree that the voting on canadian idol has to change, the phone lines in newfoundland are not allowing alot of people to vote, even if they wants to vote for someone else other than the newfoundlander in the competition.

Maybe they should resort to emailing votes. One vote per email adress or something of that nature.

Rex is a newfoundlander that has made it far in a short time and fellow newfoundlanders should be proud that he didnt back down from a challenge and he has gone far with it.

we are proud of any newfoundlander that makes it to canadian idol, no matter if it takes them to top 100 or top 2. We are still there to back them up.

[okrock]

Originally posted by rocket3jo
Whether Craig won or not, instant stardome doesn't work in this business. It takes years of practice and paying your dues to be taken seriously as a musician and performer. Living in the real world does mean getting an education, especially in music business. If you look at many very successful canadian artists, they have a good education behind them in order to make informed and intelligent decisions about their lives. Really, how seriously would Canada take Craig in a few years knowing he hadn't even finished highschool. Canada likes its celebs to have a little more than air between their ears.

Well, huzzah!! A voice of reason!! Thoughtful and realistic. Don't expect many people to pay any heed to it though. Not on this forum anyway. But cheers. I agree with you 100%.

[faranya]

I'll add my vote for furthering one's education, too ... whether it's Craig or someone else. Chantal Kreviazuk, for instance, was a classically-trained pianist before Sony ever signed her to a contract at age 22. Diana Krall attended Berklee College of Music on a scholarship before she became a recording artist. Music education provides a wonderful opportunity to rise above the flash-in-the-pan stars of today, who often disappear tomorrow. It definitely enhances knowledge and skills.

And we're not talking about advanced degrees where Craig's concerned -- merely about completing high school. I know from personal experience that when a student interrupts his schooling, it can be awfully hard to resume it later on. The momentum gets lost over time. Today I was chatting with one of my former "kids" who dropped out before graduation. He's married and a father, in his mid-twenties. He left school to become a fisherman and thought he'd be able to do that for a lifetime. But things didn't work out that way. Now he's attending community college and told me he now realizes how much that high-school diploma is actually worth.

But he broke stride and is playing catch-up. It can happen. The best of intentions can get sidetracked, and life moves so quickly. The author of the article writes an articulate argument. I agree with okrock that it's hard to find those who will listen and reflect on it.

[okrock]

Originally posted by faranya
I'll add my vote for furthering one's education, too ... whether it's Craig or someone else. Chantal Kreviazuk, for instance, was a classically-trained pianist before Sony ever signed her to a contract at age 22. Diana Krall attended Berklee College of Music on a scholarship before she became a recording artist. Music education provides a wonderful opportunity to rise above the flash-in-the-pan stars of today, who often disappear tomorrow. It definitely enhances knowledge and skills.

And we're not talking about advanced degrees where Craig's concerned -- merely about completing high school. I know from personal experience that when a student interrupts his schooling, it can be awfully hard to resume it later on.....The author of the article writes an articulate argument. I agree with okrock that it's hard to find those who will listen and reflect on it.

Yeah, it's too bad so many think the instant gratification of early success is so wonderful. Just as far as CI is concerned, Ryan at 24 has had his problems, Kalan and Melissa have certainly had theirs. People bring up young performers like Michael Jackson, Tanya Tucker, Leanne Rhimes as examples of people who started out in the business very young and were successful. Maybe in selling records they were, but just look at what happened to all of them in their personal lives. Very very unhappy times for them. The list is long of people who had big struggles, and very short of people who coped. Clay Aiken, who was 24 when fame struck, told Larry King the other night about his panic attacks and being on antidepressants and moving back home to try and deal with the crazyness. Why Craig's fans are so anxious to wish this on him I just don't understand.

[sjleafsfan]

Originally posted by okrock
Yeah, it's too bad so many think the instant gratification of early success is so wonderful. Just as far as CI is concerned, Ryan at 24 has had his problems, Kalan and Melissa have certainly had theirs. People bring up young performers like Michael Jackson, Tanya Tucker, Leanne Rhimes as examples of people who started out in the business very young and were successful. Maybe in selling records they were, but just look at what happened to all of them in their personal lives. Very very unhappy times for them. The list is long of people who had big struggles, and very short of people who coped. Clay Aiken, who was 24 when fame struck, told Larry King the other night about his panic attacks and being on antidepressants and moving back home to try and deal with the crazyness. Why Craig's fans are so anxious to wish this on him I just don't understand.

The thing with Ryan and Clay is that they are older and were not willing to let Sony tell them what to do lock, stock, and barrel. Sony doesn't want anyone their ages to win Idol because they've been around and know the drill and Sony can't pull the wool over their eyes and tell them what to do and have them accept it as gospel.

[okrock]

Originally posted by sjleafsfan
The thing with Ryan and Clay is that they are older and were not willing to let Sony tell them what to do lock, stock, and barrel. Sony doesn't want anyone their ages to win Idol because they've been around and know the drill and Sony can't pull the wool over their eyes and tell them what to do and have them accept it as gospel.

I'm not sure how this comment has anything to do with Craig getting his education. And the fact that Ryan and Clay are older didn't help them much in dealing with Idol and fame. Both suffered since they had no experience in the music business and had no idea how the fame was going to affect them. But are you saying that since they were older and Sony couldn't pull the wool over their eyes (which I disagree with) that Craig, because he is so young and inexperienced, will have that happen to him? And isn't that exactly what I said I was concerned about?

[sjleafsfan]

Originally posted by okrock
I'm not sure how this comment has anything to do with Craig getting his education. And the fact that Ryan and Clay are older didn't help them much in dealing with Idol and fame. Both suffered since they had no experience in the music business and had no idea how the fame was going to affect them. But are you saying that since they were older and Sony couldn't pull the wool over their eyes (which I disagree with) that Craig, because he is so young and inexperienced, will have that happen to him? And isn't that exactly what I said I was concerned about?

Not saying that about Craig at all and I hardly think that Clay has suffered in the music business at all.