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Friday, June 14, 2013

Jackie Evancho: The Phenomenon


Jackie Evancho:  The Phenomenon
 
 

 

I had to think long and hard to decide how such an article as this, on a 13 year old child, could be framed.  The problem is knottier than I had imagined.  Jackie is a child—a talented one, to be sure, but a girl. She is extremely famous, and almost unbelievably successful.  Does that make her fair game for reviewing?  Some writers and critics have begun to review her work, and I find that to be inappropriate.  I could not and would not do such a thing myself.  I rejoice In her fame and fortune, but I strongly feel she should be left alone to be a little girl  a while longer.  Her day will come.  It’s not even clear what path she will  follow.  Opera?  I doubt it, personally, but I could be wrong.  Theater?  Broadway?  Pop? She just did her first movie, with Robert Redford.  Will she be an actress?  Do you see the problem?  What, exactly, is one reviewing?  I say let’s let her be a little girl while she can!  Later.  Later.

 

I first heard of Jackie in 2009, when her mother wrote to me and sent me a recording of Jackie, then age 9, singing “O Mio Babbino Caro.”  I get a lot of mail of this kind, and I always take it seriously and give it my close attention.  It was immediately apparent that this was an extraordinary voice for a then 9-year old girl.  I remember telling Mrs. Evancho that I was most impressed with the voice, but I doubted the wisdom of letting Jackie sing high Bb’s.  A nine-year-old voice is a VERY delicate thing. Pre-pubertal girls and boys have to be treated with the greatest imaginable care.  I also said that unless my ears deceived me, or unless puberty played a game on us, we were looking at a potential contralto or mezzo here one day.  I recommended the aria be transposed a third down.  I’m happy to say that when Jackie appeared on “America’s Got Talent,” she did sing this aria down a third (minor third, if I recall), and the rest, as they say, is history.  The sound this produced was phenomenal, and it’s that phenomenon, that sound I wish to direct myself to, in a purely analytical way, simply to see if I can touch on something meaningful.  I would only add that I was most impressed with Mrs. Evancho, a careful, caring mother, who explored all the reasonable means at her disposal to get Jackie heard.  She wrote to many people, I was only one of many, and gathered advice.  A careful, sensible procedure.  Jackie was, and remains, in good hands!

 Most of you may have heard it, but the Jackie story really begins with her “America’s Got Talent”  appearance.  Here is a video, viewed by over sixteen million people, of that magic moment:

 

Piers Morgan’s comment, after the aria, “Are you sure you’re not 30,” pretty much sums it up!  That is, of course, what it’s all about.  There is a certain amount of cognitive dissonance here.  That teeny, beautiful, 10 year old creature opens her mouth and out comes a near contralto sound.  And this to an audience who had no idea what was coming.  This “Jackie” sound is a result of having developed, early on, what in the voice training business is called a “cupola,”  which is to say a large “hood” in the mouth which results from what is basically a big yawn, creating a kind of echo chamber—an imprecise term, but I’m sure you see the effect I am describing.  It is the quintessential operatic sound.  It is the opposite of that which is open and piercing.  It could also be called “cover,” which in an adult voice is the result of a lowered larynx.  In adults, we are used to it.  Not in 10 year old little girls.  That, simple as it is, is a huge part of the Jackie vocal phenomenon at that age.  It was the ultimate attention-getter.  (And, not coincidentally, one of the benefits of singing in Italian!)

 Let’s change a few factors:  a little more age, go to English, raise the tessitura just a bit:


 
Very winning!  That doesn’t change.  Suddenly not very operatic, however.  The cover has been lifted slightly—English will do that!  The voice is, correspondingly, “whiter.”  No problem at all, but a slightly different category starts to come to mind (and ear):  “cross-over.”  And this is, in fact, a word used often when describing much of Jackie’s singing.

We need to hear Jackie today.  This is a fairly recent video, and it shows what may—repeat may—be a sign of things to come.  This video is five minutes long, and you may not wish to hear it all, but a couple of minutes will speak adequately to what we are trying to evaluate here, and that is simply a description of the phenomenon:

 
This is pretty straight-forward pop, with a slight cross-over quality on top.  :  whiter voice, much less covered, but remarkably pure.  That is perhaps  the most remarkable thing about Jackie’s voice:  from the beginning, there has not been a single hint of harshness, shrillness, edginess, or faulty intonation.  This makes the matter of the seeming “contralto” sound of age 10 irrelevant.  What we have, consistently, over the period of 3 years, is amazing purity of intonation and quality!  Where the voice will go is not for me to say.  On a guess, I’d say crossover/pop.  If this were the 1930’s, I’d say movie singer.  Whether today’s movie market—I’m thinking of Chloe Moretz in Kickass and Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone, inter alia-- will support Deanna Durbin-like singing children is anybody’s guess!  There are trailers on Youtube of “The Company You Keep,” in which Jackie has a part.  The movie is pretty grim.  Jackie’s part is small but important, and she does a good job. Redford was impressed with her.

There are of course other factors in the Jackie phenomenon.  One of the most important is that she is extremely beautiful.  NOT an inconsiderable factor!  Also, she is obviously a very nice kid, being very well raised by her parents.  This shines through in everything she does.  All this makes one mightly little package!  Let’s wish her very well.  She has some tough years to navigate, but given how well she’s handled the last three, and how well her parents have done keeping her centered, my instincts tell me she’ll do just fine! 

_________________________________
Comments on this particular article can only be accepted if they are written in the spirit of the article itself, which is to say celebratory, not critical.   This is not a review; I will never review the work of children who are currently performing.  Edmund StAustell

 

 

 

52 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, what a lovely, lovely little girl, Edmund. I just adore her. And THANK YOU for your rigid standards on criticism. I absolutely agree with you! She's a little girl! Let's enjoy the beauty she brings to us!

Martha

Edmund St. Austell said...

Thanks, Martha, as always. I really appreciate your comment! Excellent!

Anonymous said...

This is an excellent article. I do think that Jackie's parents are striving to make sure that she enjoys being the little girl she still is while, at the same time, giving her the opportunity to do what she loves. So far, after watching her career for two years, they seem to have managed that admirably.

Her voice is, undeniably, a phenomenon. No one near her age, that I have heard, possses a natural voice with all the qualities she has. In the four years that she has sung in public, her voice, while changing, has remained unstrained, clear, and pure. The next couple of years will be difficult but I feel certain that her voice will retain those magical qhalities.

The last video you posted is nearly a year old now. It was recorded in April/May of last year. The following, a song entirely from the pop side of her repetoire, was recorded just 2 1/2 months ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw7e_qvPgks

Joe Merkt
Thompsons Station, TN

Anonymous said...

I think your comments are extremely sensitive and accurate. Jackie has worked with David Foster and others who have nurtured her well.

I can readily imagine that with age Jackie will continue to refine her presentation and technique, and reach new levels of artistic accomplishment! Great job and best wishes to Jackie for what will be a big challenge ahead!!

J.D. Hobbes

Edmund St. Austell said...

Thank you so much, Mr. Hobbes! Always a pleasure hear from you! Good comment, and I totally agree with you!

Ehkzu said...

Actually the second clip is over a year old. She now sounds like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw7e_qvPgks

Which substantiates what you said about her moving in a pop direction, albeit from a "Classical Crossover" stance.

As for her range, in a January interview Jackie said it’s from E3 to D6–nearly 3 octaves.

I've guessed from my strictly lay listener viewpoint that she'll wind up a spinto soprano due to the violet hue of her voice (speaking synesthetically).

Per your concerns about her childhood, & given what you said about her mother, you probably won't be surprised that her parents carefully space her performances, her singing within a given performance, & while she's singing, always doing so mic’d & never belting, well within her actual range.

They’ve said they want “adult Jackie” to feel her parents did all they could for both her life & her voice, preserving her adult options.

And they’ve never shown an interest in the spotlight for themselves--quite the opposite, unlike proverbial stage parents.

They’ve also said they regularly sit her down & offer to pull the plug on the whole thing if it isn't fun for her any more. She has to persuade them to keep it going.

The challenge of raised children as gifted as her can be daunting. I started & ran a school district’s gifted student program for several years, so I have personal experience with this subject.

The thing I'd urge concerned adults to consider is that while there's a price to letting children start their career so young, there's also a price to not letting them do so.

Former child prodigy Jennifer Pike spoke to both aspect when she was interviewed for a Guardian (UK) article about former child prodigies:

>>Her drive, she says, was her own. "The number of young people I've met with somebody speaking for them, literally forcing them to do this...I am lucky. I have a very inspiring & supportive family." As a child, she always wanted to do more practice & play more; it was she who had to push her teachers. "It's funny, the mentality of England is often, 'Let's just keep everybody at the same level', rather than assisting individual needs."<<

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/may/15/child-geniuses-prodigies

As Blake said,

"One law for the lion & ox is oppression."

The proof of the pudding is shown in interviews with Jackie. She’s consistently thoughtful about the need to balance her professional aspirations with her childhood, & argues forcefully for the balance she currently has, accepting the compromises entailed by that balance.

Minors are legally incapable of "informed consent." That’s why 13 year olds can't sign contracts. Still, a 13 year old's wishes should be considered, based on how they support those wishes in theory & in practice.

I think most would agree that both Jackie & her parents are doing the right thing now.

The biggest danger for child prodigies is when their fame dwindles after they grow up. But that’s not necessarily a dealbreaker. It happened to Shirley Temple, & she simply moved on to an unrelated career.

And in Jackie Evancho's case, her vocal quality is gorgeous--as you note--regardless of age. That & the fact of her being destined to be a great beauty make it very likely that her audience will grow as she matures.

That's the difference between prodigy & genius. Prodigies simply gain the skillset of a normal adult at an early age, such that as an adult they can no longer distinguish themselves.

But genius--in Jackie's case, musical interpretive genius (not just in vocal quality but in other aspects such as phrasing, portamento, pitch control, & a quality of authenticity)--remains genius. As an adult I'm fairly confident that Jackie will be considered outstanding as a singer.

Edmund St. Austell said...

For Mr. Joe Merkt:
Thank you so much for a lovely comment, Mr. Merkt. I'm so sorry the last video was that old. I have looked at the one you sent, and it makes the point better, so I edited the article and put it up in place of the last one. Thanks for the help! Edmund

June 14, 2013 at 8:16 PM

Anonymous said...

Mr. St. Austell said: "I rejoice In her fame and fortune, but I strongly feel she should be left alone to be a little girl a while longer."

Thank you so much for that. Although in the music market she competes against adults, she is still a child. You have handled the situation excellently sir.

Also you said, "Opera? I doubt it,".

I doubt it also, but I want to make sure the readers are clear that as far as her voice is concerned, that option IS available. Her voice is stronger than ever in most recent concerts. I heard her sing live on May 31 and she sang the A flats in Music of the Night with full power, wonderful vibrato, and complete legato. In my inexpert opinion she sounded very operatic. I won't say that she projected as much volume as an adult opera singer, but it was phenomenal volume for a girl her age and size.

Joel

Anonymous said...

Finally, a review that make sense.

Edmund St. Austell said...

Thank you very much.

Anonymous said...

PLEASE EXCUSE CAPITALS. NOT YELLING JUST SIGHT PROBLEMS.I HAVE BEEN A JACKIE JUNKY FOR 3 YEARS SO IM PREJUDICED IN HER FAVOUR, BUT I STILL APPROACH EACH OF HER PERFORMANCES WITH AN OPEN MIND. I RECENTLY ATTENDED HER CONCERT IN TORONTO AND CAN HONESTLY SAY HER VOICE IS MAGNIFICENT. HER OMBRA MAI FU WAS POWERFUL AND SOARING MUSIC OF THE NICHT BROUHT THE HOUSE DOWN. WHAT MOST PEOPLE NEVER MENTION IS NATURAL ABILITY AS A PERFORMER , THIS WILL SERVE HER WELL WHATEVER SHE DECIDES TO DO IN THE FUTURE.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the article. I didn’t hear her voice before, though her name was familiar to me. She definitely is a phenomenon – a very cultured , talented 13-year -old singer with a voice of rare beauty. I totally agree with your description of her singing (“covered sound”) and development. Even if she won’t become an opera singer, she will be an outstanding pop-star, and she is, in fact.

n.a.

Edmund St. Austell said...

Thank you very much, Natalie! So nice to hear from you! I agree with what you say, she already is a pop star, and quite a good one. Amazing little girl, no doubt about it!

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr. Staustell, I am 67 and a new Opera fan. Jackie Evancho totally brought Opera to my attention along with millions of others, I am sure. I want to thank you for the beautifully well writtien and informative article you wrote on Miss Evancho. Having been a "Fan" for 3 yrs I have listened to each of her songs numerous times. I have noticed the slight changes in her voice as she ages. Thank you for describing how the changes of the roof of the mouth change the sound...I have to say that her 10 yr old "Dream With Me" Concert voice, to me, was perfection. It is still amazingly beautiful, but I miss the "echo" quality she seems to be growing out of. I always thought vocal changes were just due to the developing vocal chords. You explained so well. I was pleased what you felt her options were for the future were. I agree. I only hope when its all too much for her, she will take a long long rest. She is on the go, all over the world, non stop. She is just a kid. A great kid its true, but still a kid. I wany her to grow up healthy and happy. I feel she is growing up to fast. Trying to make everyone happy. I know her parents ARE doing a great job managing her career. And I love that little girl with the big voice. How can she sing with so much feeling? Just amazing.

Carriesmom6711

Edmund St. Austell said...

Thank you, Carriesmom6711, for a lovely comment. You express yourself very well, and it is clear how moved you have been by this amazing child's singing. Proof positive of a remarkable talent, a real gift. We will all keep our fingers crossed for her!

Unknown said...

I follow jackie for more than one year it is amazing the inspiration I enjoy these classics.
I from Brazil

Anonymous said...

Thank you for saying what many have felt. She deserves the treatment you suggest. I hope the world will let her grow at the pace determined by her parents. They have done a great job. If so, the world will be blessed with this lovely lady for many many years.

choirguy95 said...

as Piers Morgan said Edmund, a superstar, no pressure, lol

lorenzo said...

When you describe the roof of her mouth, are you saying she is differant from others her age? Also on another point from a comment entered here but not by you was that is competing. I don't she is. She has said in one interview that when she's on stage, it's like she's the only person on the planet. This girl has confidence to throw way.

Edmund St. Austell said...

No, the "cupola" I mention is just basically a yawn; it lends a deeper, darker, more operatic sound to the voice. It's a common singing technique and can be learned.

Best of Jackie on the Web said...

Thank you for your informative and sensitive article. You draw an interesting distinction between describing a voice and criticizing the singer's use of it. I suppose it's the difference between describing nature and criticizing art.

Edmund St. Austell said...

Thank you for an interesting comment!

Anonymous said...

I was about to skip your review because most of those that I read on anyone or anything, is predictable, at least. Being a fan of Jackie's, who, from the start seemed a miracle, obviously was a factor in my decision to see what a critic had to say.
May I say, WOW! Your thoughtfulness and eloquence had as powerful an impact on my senses as Jackie's voice and performances. Your name is now etched in my brain near The Jackie section.
Thank you, Edmund St. Austell!!
- Bruce

Edmund St. Austell said...

Why, thank you very much! That is most kind of you, and greatly appreciated! She's a wonderful little girl, isn't she?!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your excellent article - most informative.

When I first heard Jackie sing, I was absolutely gobsmacked. I am not a musician or anything like that. I can't analyse what she does in a technical way. I just know it is the most beautiful singing voice I have ever heard in my entire life - over 60 years.

I can, and have, listen to her over and over again without tiring of what I hear. Her "Ave Marias" bring tears to my eyes.

I wondered if it was just me, but on searching all over the web, I find I am far from alone - she has this profound effect on thousands of listeners.

I know there is immense speculation about what happens from here on, but it doesn't matter that much really - she has already brought us some of the most memorable experiences we could ever wish for. Hopefully she will have a happy, loving and fulfilling life, whatever direction she takes - she deserves that at the very least.

Finally a couple of observations.

My favourite comment I have come across in relation to Jackie is "When God made her, he was showing off".

And have a listen to this little gem just for the quality of her singing and voice. Audio quality is not that good, but to be able to stand up and sing like this at a wedding, outdoors and not in the best of acoustic conditions is just phenomenal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHsnIL7y14s

Thank you again for your outstanding article.

Edmund St. Austell said...

My pleasure, my friend. Thank YOU for an extraordinary comment!

Unknown said...

Although I have for years been a recalcitrant believer, when Jackie first appeared of AGT, I was awestruck and could believe neither my eyes nor my ears. At that very moment, I no longer had any doubts: God is real.

Jackie is much more than a "remarkable voice". She is the whole package, as you described: talent, genius, her presence, exceptional beauty, marvellously joyful personality, yet still a very sensitive child with fantastic parents to guide her and keep her safe from "showbiz wolves" and other would be detractors.

Jackie has said in interviews that when she sings, she is possessed by the music. Perhaps the word possessed was a little strong. When she sings, she becomes the music and the voice, yet as soon as the song ends, she is again the child that she is.

On a number of occasions I have posted her videos to share with others with the comment: "How can you not be a Believer?" And when she appeared with Tony Bennet, he introduced her to the audience by saying: "If there are any atheists in the house, you won't be after your hear this girl, Jackie."

Admittedly, I am smitten. When I look at her performing, when I look at her face, her eyes, her comportment, her every move, her clarity of expression, her voice, her joy in performing and her sensitivity to the world in which she lives, her love for her family, I know she is much more than a show business phenomena, much more than an exceptional voice.

Her parents have asked that her fans not put her on a pedestal, and they are right in making that request and wanting to keep her grounded. But it is difficult for someone like me and the millions of others who have lived through decades of musical hell that permeates every air wave, radio, TV, concerts (if one can call them that, when in fact they are nothing more than "noisefests"), to not take this girl, Jackie, and a few other artists in that realm of music as a sign that there is yet hope for humanity. And to this I can only add: I have seen the face of God. And God looks just like Jackie Evancho.


Edmund St. Austell said...

Thank you for your most enthusiastic comment! Yes, she is extraordinary in all ways. A wonderful little girl, and a real musical treasure.

Bob G. said...

Sir, thank you so much for this sensible and informative article. I can't think of another source (comments included) that have answered so many of my questions about this remarkable young lady. I would just add that demand for her performances is still running full force, including: a whirlwind tour of the western U.S. in the fall, a Christmas appearance at Carnegie Hall Dec. 5, and plans for a new CD with original music, which should be interesting. Right now, there is no artist I am following with more enthusiasm.

Unknown said...

Thank you for this interesting and unbiased article.

People are so polarized about Miss Evancho. It is refreshing to hear a professional opinion that is not condemning her parents and others for exploiting her, or simply saying something daft like “she could be the best opera singer in the world”

I confess I have been a fan of Jackie for 3 years, at first I think I just had to keep watching her because I could not believe my ears! And you have gone a long way to explaining why she sounded so mature at 10.

But there was always something else with her too, Jackie’s voice pulls at your heart strings, it captivates you, and often moves you to tears.

Last year I took her last two CD’s to my parents in law. They had never heard of her. I played a track whilst we were having supper, and thought that would be all they would want to hear, wrong! They listened to all of both CD 3 times, non-stop! And asked if there was any more! They, like me, like me, were captivated.

Whatever else is said about her Miss Evancho has already delighted and moved millions all over the globe. God bless her.

Edmund St. Austell said...

An excellent comment! Thank you!

Robin said...

For a recent (September 2013) peek into Jackie life, see youtube.com/watch?v=Kmeyznol7_c
Remarkable about this is its ordinariness .. an ordinary girl having fun. I don't know any other performer of Jackie's stature that would have the honesty to share in this way.
I like to believe that she flies above the cash driven circus of the music industry, and presents us with the beauty of her voice out of joy and love of music.
She is something special.

Greg D said...

Jackie introduced me to "classical". I was a pop/rock guy. Now all I listen to is her. She soothes my soul and calms me. I appreciate your analysis. I know nothing about techniques but I do know that I love her music and what she represents.

Anonymous said...

Recent (November 2013) comments on the forums suggest that her voice has made big strides in power and range lately. In particular the San Rafeal concert of 15 November was highly praised.
I would appreciate input from a neutral professional - is she really improving in remarkable ways, or just progressing normally for a young talent?

Edmund St. Austell said...

Thank you for your question. I think the answer is fairly clear. Without going into any details, the simple answer to your question is that she is progressing normally for an excellent child singer. A good example of a truly remarkable child singer, who sang like an adult at 13 would have been Deanna Durbin. Jackie is a gentler creature. She sings with a mike, she never pushes, she has a very good pop/crossover sound, and is progressing normally.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Edmund.

Unknown said...

Without a doubt, the finest, most detailed explanation of how that phenomenal JME voice operates over and over again. As a 30-year engineer at Lockheed Martin, most of my work has been in RF instead of Acoustics, although I had a smattering of acoustic signal analysis work on detecting and identifying helicopters back in the mid-1980's. I am going to see JME for the first time in a couple of weeks in Long Beach and will drop you a note on what I observe. But no question, this is simply the best, clearest technical description of how she does what she does and where it likely will end up. The one multi-talented singer of my generation that comes to mind for comparisons is Linda Ronstadt who seemingly could sing just about anything. JME sees to be more weighted towards the classical/movie themes then the pop/folk rock that Linda focused on. Regardless of what she sings the sheer beauty of the voice comes clear to anyone who has an appreciation for special talents like JME (such as my wife, a 1981 Purdue Graduate, who when she sings causes wild animals to scatter in all directions). The only question I have about your analysis was that you really did not say anything about the control theory of how she can make such fantastic, real-time, perfectly controlled changes to the musical notes she sings. I am not sure this voice is as much about the instrument (vocal cords, ie, the transmitter) of the signals being produced but the signal processing going on in her brain. What is your opinion of relative importance of the vocal cords vs the signal processing? The girl is clearly a genius and not just a musical one. You can see it in some of the other things she does and are published on the web. I doubt in her studies she has ever seen anything but the letter "A" in her grades. As a former Army Intelligence Officer (born in Southport, Indiana) you can see a indication of this by her response back to Peers Morgan after singing for the first time on AGT 2010 when she uses the word "Exactly" when he keeps asking her (for the third time) if she is "sure your not 30". Little girls who are 10 years old, who just sang their heart out in front of a stage audience, judges and millions of people on TV, just don't make that kind of response when being questioned by a guy like Mr. Morgan. Anyway, sorry for the weak grammer but I had to comment on something I had been looking for so long, a really good look at just how that voice works and what it is probably going to end up being in the future. And if you are a Professor at Purdue University, well, that was a pretty impressive assessment given that I root for IU - Go Hoosiers!!!

Edmund St. Austell said...

This year the Hoosiers are doing well; we are doing nothing at all, so Go Hoosiers indeed! Maybe next year. Thanks very much for your comment, a great one. As to the mental signal processing, I've never heard that question raised, but I will certainly ponder it. You may be on the right track with that. I know that if she and Piers Morgan were locked in a room and only the most intelligent person could get out, my money would be on Jackie, hands down! Don't have much regard for that man. We ended up with him after they threw him out of England.

clarke ong said...

Well, here's my take on miss Evancho. I'm coming at this from the point of view of someone who just appreciates music, all kinds, and beaty.

Right now, I'd have to say I'd rather listen to Jackie Evanch sing than anyone else on the planet.
I don't care how old she is, or how she does it, the plain truth is that she does it, all by herself.
The girl simply has a very, very beautiful voice and an obvious BIG understanding of music.

Anonymous said...

Apparently she is proving more versatile than some believed. Jumaane Smith just released a duet with Jackie - a jazz version of La Vie En Rose. It's currently No 1 on the Amazon 'Hot New Releases in Jazz' list.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/new-releases/dmusic/324552011/ref=zg_bs_tab_t_bsnr

- Robin

Unknown said...

Thank you Mr StAustell for the best review of Jackie that I have seen. Very well balanced and carefully considered.

Also thanks to all the comment writers for sensitive, thoughtful and restrained views.

One that particularly struck a chord was on the echo effect that one sometimes hears - I notice it particularly on Pie Jesu and have wondered about it, sounds rather like double-tracking but as Jackie will not permit any electronic voice enhancements I have been rather confused about it. How does she do this?

She is indeed an exceptional girl with so many things going for her, the looks, the dresses, the giggles, the way she skips offstage and her charm and impeccable manners, incredible intelligence, curiosity and fearlessness and that oh so wonderful voice.

A credit to her upbringing and wonderful parents. Let us hope that the coming years bring nothing but good things for them and her. She is sure to face adversity but I believe she has the tools to deal with it and I'm sure she will excel at whatever she chooses to do.

Norm Rustic said...

Dear Mr St Austell
Jackie Evancho surely belongs on your wonderful UTube channel. Perhaps it would be helpful if you were to add her age at the time of each performance, as you have done for some of the titles.
Norm Rustic

Edmund St. Austell said...

I'll see what I can do. I have a lot of Jackie videos posted, but perhaps I can add the date. Give me a little time, I'll see.

Edmund

Anonymous said...

A delightful and highly informative article, Sir.

Thank you so much for corroborating what my wife and I, along with a world-wide following of supporters have come to realize........ that Jackie Evancho is one very special individual, indeed.

I look forward, with much anticipation, to your next blog..... as we, together, follow Jackie's career.

Edmund St. Austell said...

Thank you very much, my friend. Yes, she is a lovely, lovely child, and an extraordinary talent. A gift to humanity.

TaraH said...

I confess I've always enjoyed opera (I'm really more of a Wagner person), but I do listen to Jackie to see how she develops. She has a great potential and a beautiful voice. I could never fall into the camp of saying she was going to destroy her voice or that she "shouldn't" sound the way she does, because I had a similar sound when I was that age--for the record, after a few years of struggling, I did finally move into contralto repertoire, which has been the best decision for my voice. I can't help but admit that I'm not so secretly hoping she'll embrace the lower end of her voice at some point! Thank you for your great article.

Unknown said...

I pray she sings opera not pop.

robin bermanseder said...

Just heard 'Think of me' from Jackie's new album,
She has gone to a whole new level!

Anonymous said...

Edward,
You mentioned that a child's voice is quite delicate. Can you please explain what measures should be taken to protect a voice like Jackie's as she matures?

Larry j said...

I saw Jackie last night in Milwaukee and during the show i thought to myself "If Jackie was a violin she would be a Stradivarius." I never thought ahead of time that when it comes too hearing the female voice that I am spoiled for life cause no matter whom i listen to I will compare them to Jackie and they won't measure up and I will be somewhat disappointed. Larry J.

Norm Rustic said...

Dear Mr St Austell
My second comment. To repeat, your channel is wonderful.
I continue to avidly listen to Jackie Evancho. Lately, I have had access to upgraded audio equipment. I recommend that to everyone. I was always amazed at her talent, but hearing a truer rendition is just stunning!
We don't know how she will progress, but I am really a big fan of everything she did at age 11.

Jeff Yenior said...

I'm a total musical zero. I couldn't tell you the difference between an A minor or a D flat. I don't know what makes a soprano different from a tenor. I know beauty when I hear it. Miss Evancho makes me happy when I hear her sing. I don't care about the rest of the technical stuff. I only know that she has been given a gift and I hope that she blesses us by sharing as long as it is in her heart to do so. As far as critiquing by anyone. It doesn't matter. She sings from love. She loves the music. She loves her family and I suspect she loves the people who listen to her. By what I can see, she loves God and seems to be great full for her gifts. There will always be someone who doesn't like her. But I, in my humble opinion adore her voice and her demeanor. She is without question a musical wonder, but more importantly, a wonderful person. God Bless.