The latest audition was a story I just had to share with you. Ken is a strong singer and presence, tall, dark, handsome, ex military, good contestant. I will admit, at first, I thought The X Factor would be something different. The clips on YouTube , from its UK edition were impressive. But, when the show announced that Paula Abdul was joining Simon, I thought “Uh Oh, here we go again…”

Well, my Uh Oh moment came true.  Before I even get to my students audition, The show became unwatchable when they had the American Idol-like, bad singers, and a guy who actually DROPPED his pants in front of the live audience. ENOUGH! I am sorry, I am no prude, but you turn away thousands of good singers for this nonsense?

My student Ken (pictured far right, with another contestant, Javon), and his wife Michelle, flew to Los Angeles, waited six and a half hours, just to get the tickets! The next day , they waited in the rain, until 7pm. Ken made it through to the next day’s rounds. That meant, another night of lodging expenses, and Michelle and Ken missing work. Something the X-Factor Producers couldn’t care less about.

Now the third day, second round of auditions,  He got his golden ticket, and they stayed over again. This time, the security was very rude to Ken’s wife, literally pushing her back.

Ken wasn’t really upset he didn’t make this third round, BUT, he was surprised that some very good singers were passed over. They took 35 people all under 35 years of age from the Los Angeles auditions. Ken is good, and he was better than the man they did take with the oxygen tank. Just sayin’…

These shows are all scripted and calculated. I wouldn’t bet your career on any of these shows.

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

Eric moved to the South 7 years ago from Los Angeles where he did quite well. Knowing, and trusting him to get me the best originals from award-winning writers. I sent a video of my new discovery Katie. He responded with a Yes, I could work with her. We fell in love with 4 songs and Eric and Katie decided to write a fifth one themselves. It is one of my favorites!, “Somewhere, Anywhere”.

Katie and I booked six days in July in Nashville, and Eric outdid himself!. The guitarist was possibly the best guitarist in the country. George Marinelli was with Bruce Hornsby and the Range, and for the last few decades, Bonnie Raitt,  I think because Bonnie plays, people do not realize the genius of this musician.

The drummer had worked with me before when I was in Nashville, two years ago, Fred Satterfield, of the Oakridge Boys and Ronnie Laws. Bassist, Steve Mackey is with Dolly Parton, and again, a major talent. Matt Berry rounded out on guitar and was just divine in filling in those places that round out the song. Eric on Keys and B 3, and adding steel guitar, I threw in some back up on one song, and Katie knocked it out of the park. She has no idea of the star power that Eric got her on her first 5-track EP download.

I can”t wait to hear the finished project. I feel so honored to have worked with these guys, I even got to cut a song with them myself, due to Eric’s generosity.

Katie Pilkey and I had the best time seeing Nashville by night, and being in the studio all day. It is possibly the best time I have had in the studio in a long time.

Can’t wait to do it again!

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

Many of my students have now started on their journey to a life of song. My first one is Alex Lowery, who was with me three years. She is now an extra in the TV show Glee, she is also working with her partner Deanne, in the studio constantly.

My lovely student Marene Thuet , aka (LOU WHITE – pictured) from Paris, France, has headed back to Paris today, to prepare for her May 26th concert. The concert will be not a CD release party, yet, but “Introducing Lou White” In Francis,she is being compared to Joss Stone. She is soulful, funky, deep, wrote all her own songs, and I could not be more proud than the work we have done together. I cannot wait for her to break through here in America.  Wait til you hear this girl!

My student Dayna, is a writer and singer, making her way to L A to work with the best and biggest in the business. Dayna has an interesting background. She sang in choir, in Michigan, and when she found me, I told her she has an unusual sound, like no one else, and she should go for it.  She is doing great, and has knocked out songs with Brody Brown, of Bruno Mars fame. Brody and Bruno are a songwriters team, and dream, they wrote all 7 songs for Alex, and Dayna co-wrote all hers with them.

Katie Pilkey, is going to Nashville in July to record great songs with Producer Eric Bikales, a 5 EP digital download.  Katie has a big future in Nashville, and beyond.

My Student Amber, has formed a group called ” A Rejected Romance”, it is wonderful, they should be out there working soon. My Rocker student

Genevieve Gomez, has just been signed by DJ Green Hornet, sometimes known as Green Hornet. She leaves Tuesday for Los Angeles and it is a done deal. The lawyers have looked at the contract and it  is a go!   DJ Green Hornet is a big name in Rap and R&B music. Good Luck Gen!

Nicole Hamilton just texted me. She has been hired to be in the show “Vegas”, and will resume lessons when she has her rehearsal plans. Good Luck Nicole!

My younger students, they are rockin it as well, Marissa McCoy is singing the lead in “Hairspray”, Saturday night, I will be there. Joey Miceli has the lead in the “Rainbow Company”, and I will be there to see that. It  is called “How I Became a Pirate”

http://www.rainbowcompany.org June  3rd,  4th,  9th, and 10th  at 7pm;  June 5th ,11th, & 12th at  2pm Charleston Heights Arts Center

Tiffannee LeMay, just recorded her first video, and sang for Mayor Goodman. Jessica Mussio sings everywhere, and always gets good reviews. She also made it through the first round of X Factor.

I have some younger ones who have great voices, I have a great original song from Hawaii, and plan to do a group-video with that song, and post it on my YouTube channel.

To me, Success is not being simply on the charts It is singing, or performing and getting paid. I have worked my entire life, but I have no Grammy, or Oscar.  I have done what I wanted to do, No one told me who I could or couldn’t have in my band, or show. I did it, sorry Paul Anka, gotta borrow it, “My Way”.

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

I had not been working long enough with her to give my  “Thumbs Up” for her to  go and do it. I felt she needed another year. We pumped up the hard work and I got her as ready as anyone could for her audition. We chose Connie Francis’  “Stupid Cupid”, OK,  younger people would know it as Mandy Moore’s song.

The song was right for her because as you can see from the picture, She has beehive hair and polka dot bows in her hair, and cute little clothes and peep toe high stilletto”s.  We started at the bridge and gave it all she had, so they would be impressed at the starting gate.

Nancy is adorable, and is so much better now, then when she did her audition. I hope she does it again, because by next year she will be even better. She is glad she had the experience and she got the yellow ticket to go through, but what they don’t tell you is, contestants have to pass three sets of producers before you even sing for the real judges. Did you know that? We didn’t.

When I watch the train wrecks that are on the show, I remember that they made it through three sets of judges, SCARY.

Here is her story: She and her beehive do were waiting outside in line, sitting down because you wait in line for hours and hours. The camera man comes by and shoots who he thinks is interesting. He scanned  Nancy up and down, asking her to stand, and he thought she was really cute. A few hours later, they got inside, and she was sitting at a round table with 4 other people. Everyone seemed to be at tables in groups.  A man in a suit came over to her and said “Come over here” They moved a few steps away, and he have her a sticker to put on her dress. She didn’t know what it meant. He said, “You are through the first round.”  She went back to the table, sat quietly, and began to look for other people with the sticker she was given. She didn’t see any others.  She went in to sing and sure enough, she made it to the next group of producers.

The second round of producers put her through also, and it was so exciting for her.  She knew she had the beehive and stilletto”s on her side, she is not dumb. She has a nice voice also, but you need to really bring it and I know she knew she wasn’t there yet. She needs more work and we have discussed it. It takes a lot of homework to get there, you need to do that homework, and you need to eat, breathe and sleep music. What they don’t tell you is, the third round of producers was 3 days away! They flew home and then flew back again!

Now, it had been a very long expensive week, it was time for the final round of producers. Nancy went in with the gusto she had 3 days before.. She really brought it, I know she did, just knowing her focus.  The third and final most important round of producers, were, very nice to her. They explained, “that this is a very hard competition, and once you get to L A you need more game” They thanked her and were so kind. Whew, I am so glad that they were kind and respected her effort, and  passion, and expense, to make this audition.

I am proud that even though she didn’t get to LA, some producer”scout” whoever he was,  he saw something in Nancy, she is adorable, as you can see. He saw the special quality that we , who know her sees. It has been forever since these auditions, they were so long ago in the hot summer months. What we have now, is her experience with a huge TV show and a great proud picture with the golden ticket.  But, we are wondering, if the producer gave her the  yellow ticket?  Then, the judges  also give it, something is fishy here.

Well whatever it means,  Keep singing girl, you make me very proud!

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

Dayna Kovicic

I met Dayna Kovicic two and a half years ago, while I was still teaching at a local Las Vegas music store, Bonnie’s Music.

Dayna came in looking for a voice coach. I had just finished a lesson and they brought her back to my studio. There was this tall, beautiful, Keri Russell-haired girl, who had a smile that could light up Atlantic City! She told me she had sung in choir, and her mom always thought she could sing, but had not done anything with it. and was feeling that her corporate job as a rep for Bacardi USA , may not be her destiny.

I had a great feeling about this stranger who was to become a very good friend, and to quote her blog in Reverbnation, “I knew Jessica being my coach was not a coincidence. Just being in her presence the first time was almost too much for me to handle. Her energy had me on the brink of tears.”

I played a few notes on the piano to see if she had pitch, no problem there, then we sang a song, and she had this quality I cannot describe, you must click onto her link to hear her. her voice is different. She has an Indie, Jazzy, R&B thing going on I cannot quite put into words.

We started with the basics, breathing, and then I moved into my purple studio I had been building in my new house, and we got down to work.

The duo that I had blogged about earlier, worked with Brody Brown, and had given me a relationship with the manager and the agency that I sent her to Los Angeles to meet with. Christopher Brody Brown works with T -pain as well as many others and is a young brilliant, writer and arranger, and producer. Mark Harris and Steve “Biscuit” Walker were the manager and agent team.

Brody and Bruno Mars write together, hence the connection with the girls I coached.

What Dayna did not realize, being so new to the biz of show, was that when she got to the studio on the wonderful exciting Sunset Strip in Hollywood, was that Brody was going to sit at the keyboard and say “OK, what do you want a song to be about?” She thought they were going to magically have a song for her to record. It turned out that they spent the whole evening writing their first song, together, and she found that the lyrics were coming out of her like water.

She called me from state line, “Are you busy? I am almost home, want to come over and play you a song WE wrote?” I dropped everything and said “Come on over!” This became a weekend event as she went back and forth to write with Brody every weekend!

It blew my mind when I heard this electronic dance tune and her voice ringing through my house.

She has been writing ever since, and even took a trip to Nashville to meet with my friend and producer/writer/pianist and Musical Director for Neil Sedaka, and so many others, Eric Bikales. Erik had produced a country student of mine a few years ago. he found some brilliant songs and the best Nashville studio musicians and I trust him completely. Dayna had heard Cherish‘s recordings and said “I want to do that!”

Now she is mixing it up with Carrie Underwood‘s pianist, and film producers, and she is global! All while still holding her job down.

She realizes this business takes time, you have to earn it, and be ready for it, she has to play with live musicians, work an audience, and know herself, musically. Oh, and did I mention she has taken up guitar with Vince Lauria. Now her songs are on paper! Smart girl!

Dayna is committed and studies with me every week, You can never be so good that you can’t learn phrasing, and breathing, prolonging lessons has its benefits, and I advise it. I have taken lessons, and I have sung professionally for over 40 years, OK remember I started at 12 !!

When I got into the show “HAIR”, at 17, I was already a pro. A lot of my students don’t have that work history and have not yet sung with musicians. Dayna will be ready and she will know when it’s time, I trust her intuition and she has the smarts to know when it will happen.

Visit her Reverb Nation page to give a listen and a look at Dayna. Your eyes and ears will thank me.

Dayna’s hair and makeup by: Natalie Lane

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

Missy has her family here in Las Vegas, so I am so glad I will still be in touch with and be able to work with her. What really blew my mind was her sending me a CD of a recording she wrote and sang on! Mindblowing is putting it mildly. It is a really good song! It could be a Katy Perry song, but Missy could sing it.

We had trouble with her nasality when she would record.  That was getting better all the time, but now, whoever engineered this record, really took her to a new level. The song is edgy, but Missy is edgy so that’s OK. It’s about sleeping with your boyfriend’s best friend.

The song pops, and I am so proud of her. I wish everyone could hear it. I am going to ask her permission to put it up on my site. It may not be copywritten yet… don’t know.

So, here is an adorable former cocktail waitress, who has been with me for a year, and now I am listening to her first original song.  I feel like a million bucks. You go girl. I am waiting for the next one!.

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

Amber is nearly 20 and a rocker. She can rock any song. She just feels it and moves like it. When we did her Glee audition, she even knew the producers names and mentioned them in the monologue. This girl really knows what she wants and is going for it.

I can tell she does the work away from me. I can hear improvement every week. Also, she is a redhead now, so the picture you see will be of a schoolgirl blonde, looking quite innocent. I am not saying she isn’t innocent, but  as a rocker, she is very outgoing.

Her mother, Paula, is really fun also. When they come to the house, they bring a joyfully good time. Like the time Paula showed me her new tattoo!   You go girl!.  Amber has made  a breakthrough with her chest into head voice. It is sounding really good and we are on our way her to producing a much better singer than first walked into my life.

Amber works with animals, too. Love that about her. Amber is one of my very wonderful students who are changing my life every day.

I never thought i would become a mentor. It is the best feeling on earth. Well, almost!

Jessica Marciel

Las Vegas Vocal Training

Then I worked with a 9-year old rapper! Yes, that is what I said, she is stunning. Her dad is signed with Def Jam in New York, and she is going to audition next month. Gabriella is her name, and rapping is her game!!

Brittney Caraway is a stunner; a girl who glows, and what a voice. she is doing the work, and I love her sound and range, she has great potential. Great for marketing,  looks and voice. She works at the Wynn Hotel, and has a  good connection to get heard from the right people!

Cara has studied with 5 or 6  coaches in Northern Califfornia. She sings in choir and needed to develope her chest voice. She decided to for/go the choir while she learns this new way of using her voice. It takes so much focus, I agreed, she could fall back into old habits. What a great voice Cara has. Truly amazing.

Katrina, oh what a beautiful little girl. Her mother is a model… not your average model… a real stunner. And Katrina has her genes. For a child, she has focus, and takes direction. Teaching her is a joy.

Anna has just moved to Las Vegas with her military family after three years in Italy. She is full of wonder and life and soaks everything in like a sponge. She is 7 years old!!

Nick is an adult , guitar playing singer, who wants to get better. He is a pleasure to work with and takes direction very well.

Kyla is adorable, such a cutie, another little future singer. She is serious and takes her lessons as they should be, with focus and attention.

Jazmyme is an amazing dancer and entertainer, she dove into Michael Jackson’s Man In the Mirror, standing with the mike and dancing around the mike stand! She will be amazing and is so pretty.

I feel very fortunate to have such a wonderful group of new students. Makes my work quite gratifying.

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training