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So – I've clearly been living under a ROCK for the past 2 days to have just heard about Idina's NYE performance. Some of you may remember the post I wrote after her Oscar performance which also caused a bit of a stir. In that post I spoke about how important it is to take care of our health and how we need to be able to recognize the fact that we are all human and not always going to have a perfect performance. This post will be a little different…
1. TAKE CARE OF YOUR DANG INSTRUMENT!!! IF THAT MEANS CHANGE THE KEY, CHANGE THE KEY!!!
As you can hear in the clip above – her last note was NOT OK. I get it, it's cold out, she is working her butt off in a B-way show and it's a crazy note to sing. (I'd much rather belt that note than an A smack in the middle of my range any day, but I'm a weirdo). HOWEVER, I have honestly never heard her hit it live. Never. Someone please prove me wrong in the comments below. As a professional performer it is her DUTY to TAKE CARE OF HER INSTRUMENT. The note not only sounds bad, it does not sound safe! I firmly believe that she has enough clout as a performer to ask them to LOWER THE KEY. Most people would not have even noticed!
It makes me CRAZY to think that so many young performers are listening to that performance and trying to hit that note in a manner than will actually hurt them! Um, NODES ANYONE?? I'd rather have her justify lowering the key then justify never hitting that note.
2. YOUR GOAL SHOULD ALWAYS BE AT LEAST 100%
This honestly infuriates me. In response to a few people who made some not nice comments about her performance Idina Menzel shared this photo.
Yes, I would much rather see a performer who is connecting and living in the moment. Every. Time. However, “IF I'M HITTING 75% OF THEM (the notes) I'M SUCCEEDING!” ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? With it being a new year and all, I've been reading a lot about goals and I just finished and article about… wait… I can't focus HER GOAL IS TO HIT 75% OF THE NOTES!!?? I'm done. I can't. WHAAAAAATTTT!!??? “THAT IS HOW I TRY TO APPROACH LIFE.” WHHAAAAATTTTT??!!!
I am making a vow right now. MY STUDENTS WILL NOT AIM FOR 75%! YOU ALL ARE AIMING FOR AT LEAST 100%! OK!? WE ARE AIMING FOR 110%. If we have a 50% performance? We'll learn from it because “It's not how you fall, it's how you get up!” But, we are NOT AIMING FOR 75%! EVER!
Ok : ) And, now, I will go back to my normal shimmery shiny self! Here's the really great article I read today about setting giant amazing goals. READ THIS AND SET AWESOME GOALS.
I couldn’t agree with you more. My daughter saw the performance and she asked out loud why she went that high of a note when she couldn’t hit it. My husband and I noticed it as well even though we are not trained singers. As for the 75% is considered succeeding, as a teacher myself I wouldn’t consider that being successful. I enjoy reading your blog! Thanks!
Thank you Ruth! I so appreciate your feedback! I’m glad you enjoy the blog. Please let me know if there is anything else you guys would like to have help with in a future post.
She sings it well live here. http://youtu.be/8b8Zf0z8wHI
Oooo! Thank you Dan!
I also loved her performance of this song on Jimmy Fallon. 🙂
Molly, I couldn’t agree more. I was a bit disturbed when I saw that she mentioned that. Being okay with 75% is so complacent and she is setting an example that is okay to settle for average. I’m planning on writing a post about this next week on my blog to share my views as well.
I agree with everything here…I do, but I also think her 75% was mistaken to mean that 75% is her GOAL. I don’t believe that’s what she meant, she means at the end of the day that after doing her best if 75% is what happens, she considers that a success. But that’s not good either. Even if after trying your best and being ok with that at the end, is probably just as bad as 75% being the actual goal. I believe that if 75% is what happens after you truly did your best, consider the circumstances to what caused that, and do your best to make sure it doesn’t happen tomorrow. Within reason and your capabilities of course, I’m not talking about realizing you’re deathly sick or something.
But this happens more often than not with her, and I’m sorry the ‘cold’ excuse does NOT fly with me, I did a theme park gig in similar weather…my own solo song…for a month…5 TIMES A DAY! And guess what…I was pretty much fine, because I’ve had GOOD training and know how to TRULY take care of my voice. Did I have some slightly off moments, my voice was a little tight, so was just a tad flat/shrill, etc? Yes, but it NEVER was as bad as that whole song from NYE. Being just slightly off here and there is one thing, but to to be completely off, screaming something that isn’t even flat, it’s a whole different note and to be doing this as often as she does isn’t acceptable anymore, and people are still making the same excuses.
Y’all she can’t have been sick/getting over being sick, or THAT tired every single time this happens…it’s not a matter of perfection, it’s a matter of consistency, NO ONE is perfect, but we can all do our darn best to be excellent, not perfect, and therefore be consistent. And no, I’ve hardly EVER heard her do that song live without some significant;y audible problems. I can count maybe two over the past year, but everything else…no.
Thank you for your comment, Jennifer! Another friend pointed out my goal jump and you are totally right. I am always checking in after performances with Mr students. We discuss what worked, what didn’t and come up with new ways approach the problem spots. She seems to be attacking that last note the same way and for her sake alone I wish she could find a different approach.