This year has been interesting in that they are weeding through and separating good from bad pretty early on by having 3 rounds of 12 and only choosing 3 each week to move forward to the top 9.
The one thing that always amazes me is the reactions of contestants after some good constructive criticism... some take it well, and... well... others, not so much.
Last night was a weird night... a lot of incredibly poor song choices that ultimately made their performance worse or forgettable. The one that stuck out to me the most though, was our very own Oklahoma native, Matt Breitzke, from Bixby.
Matt did "If You Could Only See" by Tonic...
Now, here's the thing about Matt...
Matt's just a good ol' boy... incredibly likable personality, and just a friendly guy! After his performance, the judges all pretty much agreed that the song just wasn't for him... bad song choice, but all said they like him!
Simon was telling him how much he liked him, how much he wanted him to do well, but that he just was frustrated because he hated the song.
Matt's reaction? "I disagree"... and proceeds to talk about how that song was one of his favorite songs.
While I get that it is his favorite song, he may have jeopardized his future on the show with one choice. The thing that really gets me is how he disagrees with 4 industry professionals that are all in agreement and all telling him the same thing. All 4 giving constructive criticism that could further his music career... and he disregards it because its his "favorite song". I'm aware that these judges won't make or break Matt's career, and ultimately, he'll do what he wants to do... but to totally disagree with 4 judges that have made their name in the music industry and have years and years of experience?? Not quite sure where that mentality comes in to play...
I'm not bashing Matt, and I don't always agree with the judges on "Idol"...
But let's put it into perspective...
At one point in time, Tiger Woods was learning to play golf and someone was training him from a young age to be successful in that sport. He started playing golf knowing nothing about the sport, not knowing how to grip the club, swing at the ball, etc.
I have a hunch that when Tiger's golf instructors (his dad and others) said "Hey Tiger, you're gripping your club all wrong. I love you, but hate the way you're swinging that club," I'm almost certain that his reaction was not, "Sorry, I disagree with you". In fact, it was most likely the opposite! Because Tiger wanted to become a successful golfer, he took every piece of advice and implemented it into his game, and now we see Tiger Woods breaking records and winning tournaments!
The same rules apply to be successful in any industry... business, sports, and yes, music.
My point is this... too often, musicians seem to carry the persona of 'I-Know-All'... do we not?
I know that, more often than not, I do. However, I don't know how many times, as a producer, I've made suggestions because I believe it will only make their album more marketable, only to hear... "Eh... I disagree".
Now, understand, this is what I do... I produce albums on a daily basis and I make suggestions on music marketability for a living. I don't mind someone telling me they disagree. However, I can't help but think deep down, disregarding a producer's suggestions or changes to their music is only hurting their project in the end.
Success is not made overnight. Nor is success a one-man show. Success comes from surrounding yourself with and putting trust in people that are there to help you become successful... Michael Jordan's coach, Tiger Woods' coach, and yes, even Simon Cowell.
I'm pretty sure these successful people didn't make it where they are today because they shot down every piece of advice from those that were instructing them.
We can always agree to disagree, but let me encourage you all to put your own agenda aside and listen to the advice of the ones that are put in your path to help make you a success. The individuals that are trained and put into place to advance your career in whatever field you may be in.
This obviously transcends all barriers of life! Start implementing a successful mentality by allowing the help of others in all areas of your life and career. Ultimately, you could be the only thing standing between you and success.
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