After the song is over, you can compare your score to national scores and even compare to your region. The phone uses your location to compare your score to others around you. I have only done one song and my score is weak compared to the nationals but much higher than the locals. Hmmm…gotta work on that. If you choose a higher level of difficulty little things happen, like Davidʼs voice suddenly disappearing so that you are on your own! Shake your iPhone and snowflakes appear! (In the phone, not outside…haha!)

The best part… the video instruction by Mr. Archuleta himself!! I could watch videos of him instructing on vocal technique for days….!! He gives a brief “how to” for the game and then goes into a few vocal tips. Just that little snippet of him and his technique makes you crave more of him talking about singing! For anyone in to singing, this is a very fun and ingenious concept. I hope he comes out with more versions targeting hisother works… both holiday and non holiday. Now if only David would start doing personal vocal coaching in his spare time… He doesnʼt need to sleep does he??

Go on line and buy the David app! Youʼll love it!

~mikesd

The moment the plane touched down in Salt Lake City I saw in the background the majestic, snow covered mountains.  I was now filled with excitement for the grand occasions to unfold.  Friends were making sure that I had arrived safely and that there were people close by to meet with in the morning.

The following afternoon, we entered Abravanel Hall and attended a most enjoyable VIP.  We spent time with David at the sound check where he introduced for the first time the amazing songs “Fields of Gold” and “The Riddle”.  Both songs were to be kept a surprise for the evening concert.  Enormous Christmas balls hung from the rafters of the stage as the colorful spotlights shone out beyond them in all directions. Artistically designed snowy Christmas trees, completed the holiday background.  The stage was set.

As the people slowly took to their seats, Benton Paul introduced himself.  An accomplished singer with a charming personality, Benton Paul provided us with a set of songs that let us know that the concert tour was going to be a wonderful success.

In the shadows of the dimly lit stage, the band swiftly took their places.  The houselights went up and the crowd erupted into cheers as David made his way to his rightful place at center stage.  As he began to sing, cheers resonated throughout the hall and everyone rose applauding.  The young fellow, a native Utahn, had come home again as an accomplished musician, known worldwide in the hearts of millions as a musical phenomena.

Following his pop selections, including the ever popular Zero Gravity, David left the stage with the band for a quick change.  A curtain was raised and the stringed instruments, woodwinds and harp came into view.  Once again the stage was set and we were about to hear the celebration of Christmas carols arranged especially for him.  David’s drummer and guitarist now came under the leadership of the conductor.  The complete transformation was genius and answered all of my questions on how he was going to make the transformation from pop music to classical Christmas music.  This was my dream, to see David with orchestra and choir.

One by one, each carol took us to new heights of spirituality.  The angelic presence of the children’s choir for Ave Maria, added one more touch of reverence and artistry.  The swell of the orchestra accompanied by the passion in David’s voice left us in awe and wonderment.  In What Child is This David sang quietly and gently as if he actually was seeing the baby in the manger with mother Mary and the protective shepherds watching from a distance.   It was becoming truly a magnificent concert.

We applauded and we rose to our feet as David graciously bowed to the audience, shook hands with the conductor, acknowledged the orchestra and left the stage.  Thunderous applause gathered momentum until we were confident that he would return for an encore.  Smoke swirled up from the stage floor and surrounded the baby grand piano as David reappeared for O Holy Night.  Every emotion on his face slowly seeped into our hearts and souls leaving us spellbound.  Following the closing notes of the song, he bowed his head once again but this time for a few moments of personal acknowledgment.

As I walked back to my hotel, I felt an overwhelming feeling of serenity.  Did this feeling come from the Salt Lake temple in the background, the waterfalls in the walkways, or maybe it was from simply finding myself in one of David’s favorite places. Whatever the reason, it was so wonderful to be there.

When I returned to my room that evening and without a pause, I turned on my computer and listened to him sing once again, as I tried to become settled with the wonders of his amazing voice.

I was delighted that I had made the decision to stay another day to take in the second concert.  We were absolutely blessed to have two concerts back to back.  Entering the hall for the second evening, I found my seat once again in row seven.  I found myself sitting next to the Richard Parkinson and his wife.  It was a fun filled evening talking before the concert about music and spotting the special guests as they took their seats.

I wondered if I would be as excited for the second concert, and being of sound musical mind, I enjoyed the second concert just as much as the first.  To be able to hear David’s voice one more time before heading back to the east coast was glorious.  One of David’s own favorite carols is Pat a Pan.  At the beginning there was a technical glitch that would have seen me panic if I was singing, but David did not falter and kept on singing.   Following the ending of the carol, appreciative fans rose to the occasion and applauded his expertise.

Kurt Bestor, who arranged David’s scores, was introduced and accompanied David on the piano once again for Ave Maria.  Both Mr. Bestor and the orchestra’s conductor showed on their faces the great admiration they hold for David.  The orchestra, choir and David were in perfect balance bringing chills to all who watched and tears to many.  Concert number two brought us another chance to listen to David and his mother Lupe sing I’ll be Home For Christmas, which was without a doubt an audience favorite ending with another standing ovation.  The opening concerts for David’s Christmas tour were over and I knew that I was going to be a little sad but joyful all at the same time.

Leaving Salt Lake City on the beautiful Thanksgiving morning, I wondered how I was going to be able to relate the tales of David’s first opening concerts.  I knew that I wanted the readers to be able to visualize what we saw, understand what we had heard and to be able to feel the overwhelming emotions that we would be left with for a very long time.

The title “Christmas From the Heart” is a title perfectly chosen by an artist of great distinction.

~ SandyBeaches

We are such a fortunate bunch here at TDC, ever grateful and appreciative that we have the DNA structure or whatever the heck it is that enables us to “get” David, and appreciate him in all of his gorgeous and uplifting awesomeage.

It’s hard to believe that this is our second Thanksgiving together.  But here we are, still laughing, weeping, thuding, exalting and whoo-hoo-hooting for “our guy”!  OK, sometimes we’ve gotten a bit at odds, here and there, but hey! …what’s a little disagreement amongst extended family members?  The many and varied flavors are what makes the stuffing spicy!

So here’s a toast to you, David—a sparkling cider, perhaps?!—and to your family, and to all who have a hand in bringing you and your music to us.  And to all of you out there who are joined at the heart to this amazing young man, I offer this day’s reflection on gratitude.

~ highervibe

The Diamond Ballroom was flooded with people waiting in line to meet and greet David Archuleta on his last stop on the summer tour. Fortunately the line of 100+ fans moved quickly because David had to greet each of us and be onstage in less than an hour. It didn’t give me much time to gather my thoughts as I stood in line, but still the anticipation was unnerving.

After waiting for what seemed like forever, to finally see THE VOICE up close was exhilarating. We all know that David is a feast for the eyes, but it was very apparent that he’s so much more. Gracious, kind and respectful as he honored each fan who came to greet him and listened intently to what we had to say.  Watching him stand patiently for photos with over 100 people, while interacting with us all was sheer bliss.

As some of you know, I had agonized over this day since way before the show was postponed from August until November. Imagining myself talking to David was rather difficult! What would I say? There’s so much to tell him! Should I tell him how passionately his fans love him? Should I tell him how beautiful his voice is? how inspiring he is? how he changes lives every day? Should I share with him the  stories I’ve heard about how he has helped people get through personal crises and about the peace he has brought to so many? Do I remind him that he should have no doubts that he is currently serving his mission? How can you put all that into words in one short minute, while looking into those emerald green eyes that speak volumes of integrity and truth?

Well none of that happened. I had no control of what came out of my mouth.  With only a minute to speak, this is the conversation that transpired:

David: Hiiiiiiii!

Me: Hi David….. Remember those letters for you to sing the song “One”?

David: Huh?

Me: Do you know the song “One”, by U2?  Remember the letters you received from your fans, encouraging you to sing the full song?

David: OH YEAH!!!!

Me: Oh good. I started that campaign and collected the letters that were sent to you.

David: Ohhhh, thank you soooo much!

(At this point they got us in place for the pictures but we continued talking like ventriloquists, while posing for Kristin. I stopped to take a deep breath and he smelled so good, so fresh!)

Me: (through clenched teeth) So….do you think you’ll sing it?

David: I don’t know! (he giggled through his smile for the camera)

But I really like that song!

**Click**

Then “Stan the Man”, my husband spoke to him.

Stan the Man: David, I teach music. I wish I had 100 students like you!!!

David: Awww. (**BIG SMILE**) Thank you!!!!

As we were walking away….

David: Thanks, you guys, for coming!!!!

For me, time literally stood still and it was the energy in the room that brought me back. Oddly, it was “Stan the ODD-less Man” who got the million dollar smile and the handshake from David. But he did not get what I got. He did not feel the magic, or experience the natural high, nor the  strong rush of emotion followed by a sense of peace and fulfillment that has not left me yet.

My magic moment, indeed.  And I’ll take that any day.

~ Bebereader

The first half of the CD is filled with “ye olde classics” such as Joy to the World, Silent Night and O Come All Ye Faithful arranged with orchestrated classical strings and a prom style performance. The second half ventures more into a cut back, groovier take on Christmas songs featuring more modern and unusual Christmas tunes. There is a nice variation between the old and the new, the traditional and the modern, and the lavish and the restrained. Christmas From the Heart is a fantastically balanced album truly possessing something for everyone.

Each track has its own moments of vocal magic. Silent Night demonstrates that soft fuzzy quality to his voice better than any other song I have heard him sing, whilst O Holy Night and Ave Maria enable David to take the bull by the horns and belt.  David manages to capture the spiritual heart of each song so wonderfully, enhancing the beauty of Silent Night and elevating the joy in The First Noel, to name just a couple of songs. Joy to the World lets David put his take on a very traditional Christmas tune and inject some big vocals. O Holy Night gradually ascends into an epic collision of beautiful melody and David’s voice, accompanied by a full orchestra.  This is a track not for the faint of heart. Truly epic.

Towards the latter end of the CD we encounter some more unusual songs with a more modern sound.  Two personal highlights of the album include Pat a Pan, a rather unexpected pleasure, and Riu Riu Chiu. The former includes a snippet of French and the latter is sung entirely in Spanish. Pat a Pan begins with a cheeky little melody but emerges into a grooving soft rock song with some superb dramatic string work and an energetic chord progression. Riu Riu Chiu plays off a simple melodic hook but continues to build to an absolutely superb climax. Spanish is such a wonderful language and David performs this song with strong emotion and understanding.

A jazzy duet with Charice Pempengco, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, sits as a highlight of the album.  David has a chance to display his wonderful blues/soul intuition. The two voices blend wonderfully, and Charice shows tasteful restraint. Not quite sure why, but memories of Aladdin and Jasmine spring to mind when listening to this song. Maybe A Whole New World should be next on the list?! Haha.

Ave Maria is one of the most commonly covered songs ever sung. It has been performed by the truly, truly great, and thus is subject to critical comparisons.  It has the ability to pack a powerful spiritual punch but must be executed to perfection in order to do so. David’s vocal performance on this track is nothing short of a masterpiece. At 18 years of age? What can you say, really?

The final track on the album is an original song, Melodies of Christmas. This song is the link the between the debut album and the current CD. The radio beat and simple hook make this track the best one to represent the album. Overall, I like the song. It has a decent melody and chord progression. It gets a little hectic towards the end and the lyrics are a little cheesy but hey, it’s Christmas, so maybe in December I’ll be able to let that pass. David brings an uplifting sense to this song, which I think will go down well when the time is right.

The album ticks a lot of boxes here. Vocally, I think the album is a masterpiece and I haven’t heard a major label commercial release with awesome singing for a very long time. One major box I felt was un-ticked by the first album was the production value. In an earlier review, I raised major concerns with the sound, cohesion and direction of the production of the first CD, but I feel this album is a huge step forward. I was fearful that the orchestras would sound tacky, but was surprised at the lavish sound.  David’s voice sounds pure and the arrangements are, with a few exceptions, tasteful yet powerful.

There is something here for everyone. Some will enjoy the more traditional and orchestrated sound, and others will take more of a shine to the stripped-back modern stuff.  Leaving the merits of the concept aside, the album delivers in the quality. Christmas songs may not be what everyone wants David to do, but in terms of quality, the album merits itself as a very worthy Christmas album. David is growing, you can hear it both technically (Ave Maria’s climax note) and also stylistically (I’ll Be Home for Christmas). The future is looking brighter and brighter and the journey is still young, but I can say for sure – this is a very strong stepping stone along David’s path.

~chenson

(For those few people who don’t know him, chenson is a college student studying music,  and lives in the south of England.  He has hopes of becoming a session musician and writer, and has followed David pretty much since week one of AI.)

Jennifer Barry was inspired to make a promo video for Christmas From The Heart. Jennifer – thanks for sharing this with us. <3

Before I get to the VOICE, I must say that being a seat filler has its ups and downs (pun intended!). After moving around a couple of times I eventually settled into a seventh row center aisle seat, about twenty feet from the stage with a magnificent view. The announcer said at the commercial break “When we return you are going to hear a very special performance by David Archuleta, just amazing”… or words very similar to that. As we went back to taping, the presenters came out and announced the music category pointing out the various artists. Unlike many other award shows since this was already announced they didnʼt pan the audience for other nominees, some of whom were not there.

As they were introducing David they brought just two stools out on stage. My first thought?? OK, this is going to be major. An acoustic guitarist and the most handsome human being in my world right now… Contigo en la Distancia. Perfect. Emotional. Perfect. Emotional. I honestly donʼt know that I can find the words to describe what a moment it was. The audience spontaneously erupted in applause and cheers a few times during the number. At the end of the song, in the front row, Selma Hayek bolted out of her chair to her feet in wild applause. She was the first one in the theater ON HER FEET, followed by most everyone else. David smiled, took his bow and graciously left the stage.

What a moment. To have heard a full and beautiful rendition of this song in Spanish from David Archuleta is something that will never leave my mind. I have to also add this. David sometimes mentions that he doesnʼt speak Spanish or maybe isnʼt fluent. Others have said how can he say that when he sings in Spanish so perfectly? I believe that as foreign languages go, pronunciation in particular, you either have it or you donʼt. In other words, you can pick up the CORRECT pronunciation of almost any language because you have an ear for it. Doesnʼt mean you have to know the language. David clearly has that ability, especially with his musical talent and how he performs his songs. I am always aware of that when I listen to music in other languages. I think you all know how this one went last night…perfecto.

David Archuleta and Eva Longoria at the 2009 ALMA's

I waited for David to emerge from the venue but finally gave up when we were told that he had left the stage area and would not be leaving through the same exit as some of the other celebs.  The rest of the evening was great and there were stars to be seen. Selma Hayek, Rita Moreno, Oscar de la Hoya, Antonio Banderas, George Lopez (and no Mario wasnʼt there…darn!)  Eva Longoria-Parker, Christian del la Fuente (muy caliente), Wilson Cruz (across the aisle from me), Wizards of Waverly Place cast (some in front of me), Ricardo Chavira from Desperate Housewives (thanks for leaving early in the show ʻcuz I sat in his seat for 90% of the show!), Jimmy Smits, John Leguizamo and more! Nelly Furtado was great, Pitbull was awesome and Sean Kingston rocked it!

It is amazing how a two hour drive at 11:30 at night can sometimes seem like it took 10 minutes. Muchas gracias, mi David Archuleta…       Contigo en la Distancia…

~mikesd

Rascal recently re-introduced me to David’s music after I introduced him to American Idol long ago. Far surpassing what I remember from Idol, David turned out to be a technically skilled, communicative, and super-goofy singer.

But above words, his voice has that rarest-of-rare qualities: the one that strikes your soul and makes you put him on repeat. As a musician (pianist, singer, songwriter, producer), getting that compliment is no easy feat, reserved for the likes of Mariah, Stevie, and Aretha. My only gripe is that some of his current material is not great pop music, and is not good enough for the voice.

Now that David is in my personal pantheon of pop, I’ve been daydreaming of 80s power ballads that I would love to hear David remake (of course inspired my Mariah’s cover of “I Want To Know What Love Is”). With my inner black girl at the piano (and arranging vocals) and David’s at the mic, these songs would really up the Archuleta ante. Some of the lyrics may be a little old for him, but I think he can handle it.

Top 6, in no particular order:

Concrete Blonde -- Joey

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIIlUHBNkEc

Firehouse – When I Look Into Your Eyes

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZRQlqH4flk

Starship – Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PP1HEFlkdY

Heart – What About Love

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBqU8FOE0uk

Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse of the Heart

www.youtube.com/watch?v=840B27zYfOk

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvP8u-9QX5s

-- soulfan

Recently David tweeted about a dream in which he was riding in an orange car that kept breaking down. (And that it was irritating!) This cryptic sketch of his innermost thoughts reminded me of the poem I wrote some months back, which you see above. I found it so intriguing that his subconscious chose the color orange for his vehicle, it’s such a powerful color. It’s the color of success, creativity, passion, freedom and independence. It’s about action and achieving one’s goals. Metaphysically, it is the color of the second chakra. Having his last three shows canceled was not something within his control, and this dream sounds like a visual representation of having his freedom (self-determination) compromised.

This color-dream correlation gave me pause, asking once again–”Why this ODD? Why me? What is it about David and that dang Voice of his–and his journey–that I connect with so deeply?” But then I was reminded of this bit of wisdom:

“There are no others.” – Ramana Maharshi

Now I’m wondering–if we are all connected, why do we here at TDC seem to be more connected to David than to many of those others? It’s an enigma. Apparently, an orange one.

~highervibe