Latest news with #singing
The Verge
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Pablo Rochat's delightfully unhinged projects
'Alexa, sing the song.' I always enjoy whenever they cross my social media feeds and this one is no exception. It appears to be a work in progress, and really needs no further explanation but I will make two notes: 1) the tiny hats! 2) watch to the end for a great reaction.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
If you love musicals, you'll adore this sun-drenched singing retreat in Spain
STANDING in front of a West End musical director, a professional vocal coach and a class full of singing enthusiasts, I begin to question all the life choices I've made that have got me here. I don't often get nervous, but I'm now expected to start singing – aloud, and in a room full of people! 7 7 I'm on a Sing, Eat, Retreat break, where each escape focuses on a different showstopping show. I love musicals – I've seen Jersey Boys, Moulin Rouge, Six, Wicked and countless others multiple times – and the retreat I've signed up for is themed around one of my favourite films, The Greatest Showman, in the stunning surroundings of Tarifa on the most southern tip of Spain. As a sound therapist, I know that belting out your favourite songs releases feel-good endorphins that can help to boost your immunity and lower stress levels, and that singing in a group amplifies these benefits. But, even with that knowledge, I've never actually sung in public, not even karaoke. Joining the cast This six-night retreat is hosted at a sprawling mansion-style villa, Huerta Belinda, complete with an A-lister-worthy pool, intricately tiled courtyards and views of Morocco. Stepping in, I feel like I've made it to the judges' houses on The X Factor, and that either Nicole Scherzinger or Simon Cowell will walk through the door any minute. Once we're past introductions, musical director Steve Moss of Les Misérables and Mary Poppins fame, informs our group of 21 that he's going to treat us 'like a West End cast'. And after a welcome dinner and drinks, we quickly settle into a routine. Our days are filled with vocal warm-ups, ensemble singing, smaller group vocal tech sessions, where we learn about things like breath control and posture, and one-to-ones to improve individually. A performance director also chats to us about staging and 'acting through song'. Each day of vocal work starts at 10am, ends in the early evening and also features group rehearsals for the live public concert we're working towards. There's some downtime to sit by the pool and soak up the sunshine, have a massage (for an additional cost) or use the sauna, but most of us end up using the time to try to memorise the lyrics. The idea is to be 'off book' for the show. Of course, all that singing builds up quite the appetite and, luckily, all meals (except one when we go to a quaint local hotel for dinner) are included. Think continental breakfasts with eggs in the morning, mezze-style buffets at lunch and huge, hearty paellas, casseroles and roast chicken with veg for dinner. There's also an endless supply of crisps, biscuits and cakes to snack on throughout the day, as well as sliced ginger, lemon and hot water on tap for throat-soothing teas. Sing for your supper Like any good ensemble cast, we are made up of a wide range of people – men and women, aged from 23 to 50-plus, with a doctor and teacher in the mix. More than a handful have sung at previous retreats – one lady is on her fifth visit – and inevitably, there's an open-mic session in the main living room after dinner each evening to show off what we've learned each day. 7 7 This place is a karaoke fan's dream come true! If I'm honest, my first one-to-one session feels like an extreme version of rejection therapy. Luckily, Steve happens to be one of the most charming people I've ever met, so I'm not even offended when, in between kind words and gentle encouragement, he tells me I need about 20 more lessons to become a half-decent singer! Still, I leave the session feeling in awe that I'm learning from an industry leader at the top of their craft, and I'm excited to see where this experience will take me. As the week goes on, we're also treated to an outstanding guest masterclass with West End star and vocal wizard Luke Bayer. After the session, everyone is left buzzing with energy from his tips and direction, especially when he ends it with a bonus private performance of Dear Bill from the musical Operation Mincemeat. This is Me It's soon Friday night, the soundchecks have been done, the lights are up and the glass-walled garden room of the villa is teeming with locals. MD Steve becomes our conductor, a round of applause welcomes us to the stage and, fuelled by adrenalin, everyone pulls it out of the bag as we perform several hits from the film, as well as an encore of Someone In The Crowd from La La Land, which is by the same songwriters as The Greatest Showman. 7 7 The four strongest singers also perform solos. I'm so proud of myself and my new pals that, under the bright lights, I resolve to join a choir so I can continue singing when I get home. That night's open-mic session is even more jubilant. Emboldened by my time on stage, I agree to be a backing singer for guest tutor Luke as he belts out And You Don't Even Know It from Everybody's Talking About Jamie. We have so much fun and I can't believe I've gone from never singing in public to sharing a mic with a West End stage lead. I've been to many retreats, but this one has helped me to connect with myself in a way I didn't realise I was even seeking. From now on, I'm going to embrace my singing voice – even if I'm not yet ready for the stage! 7
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Coming full circle for the artistic director of Cirque du Soleil's Kooza
I WAS BORN IN St Petersburg, Florida, in 1984. My mum called me Mr Sparkles or Mr Showman. I was always putting on a show. I was always entertaining whoever was around. I definitely had something. That's why I think they encouraged me to go into theatre. There was just something a little different. They recognised something special. Advertisement NO ONE KNEW I could sing until I was probably nine or 10. When they heard me sing in the school choir, that was when it turned into 'put him in lessons and let's help facilitate that as much as we can'. Jamieson Lindenberg in his youth. Photo: courtesy Jamieson Lindenberg I STUDIED AT A performing-arts high school for theatre and dance. My core education and training vocally as an artist was in this conservatory as a young adult. That is where A performing-arts high school for theatre and dance. My core education and training vocally as an artist was in this conservatory as a young adult. That is where Cirque du Soleil came to recruit ushers. We did an interview and they offered me a position as an usher for a show called Quidam that was playing at the Tropicana Field (in St Petersburg). That was my first job. I was 15. I'D NEVER HEARD OF Cirque du Soleil, but I was absolutely blown away by what I was seeing. I was studying theatre, so it was quite a contrast to Broadway, which is what I went on to do. Jamieson Lindenberg (right) at a singing competition in Florida when he was 14. Photo: courtesy Jamieson Lindenberg I BROKE SOME OF the rules – I was very late to work as a 15-year-old high-school student is – and I was let go. I was disappointed, but didn't even think about Cirque or that I could ever perform or be involved in that capacity because I finished school for theatre.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Guide #193: Meet Ernesto, the viral America's Got Talent contestant … who doesn't exist
Have you heard Ernesto's story? It's a real tearjerker. You may well be familiar with it, in fact, having caught it on YouTube, TikTok or Instagram at some point over the last few weeks. A hard-working carpenter, Ernesto devoted every ounce of himself to his wife and child, skipping meals and working overtime to provide for them and send his son through college. But things changed: said wife and child grew distant and walked out on poor old Ernesto, who lost his house and sense of purpose, eventually ending up on the streets. The one thing Ernesto did have left? His beautiful baritone singing voice, of course. Somehow the 54-year-old found his way on to the America's Got Talent stage, to perform not for fame and fortune but in the hope that his wife and child might hear him and remember that he never stopped loving them. Suddenly misty in here, isn't it? If you're welling up, you aren't alone – Ernesto's sad tale and stirring performance of his song Still Waiting at the Door certainly reduced the America's Got Talent judges to tears: Simon Cowell, Sofía Vergara, Nick Grimshaw and … wait, Nick Grimshaw? Grimmy's apocryphal presence on the AGT judging panel – he's never been on it in reality, given that, with respect, he's a British radio host unknown to most Americans – is the first clue that there might be something fishy going on here, as are the appearances of fellow non-AGT judges David Walliams, Amanda Holden, Cheryl Tweedy, and an Ant-less Dec sobbing side-stage. There's the strange, out-of-sync reactions from gawping audience members. And then there's Ernesto himself with his fuzzy outline, jerky movements, and suspiciously smooth skin texture – all telltale signs of fakery, as anyone who read an earlier Guide on deepfake scams will know. Yep, this heart-rending story of a lonely carpenter is AI fakery. It was created by YouTube account AGTverseai, which specialises in splicing together videos from various UK and US talent shows to react to AI-generated performances of songs that might be AI, or AI-assisted, too. 'Some visuals and audio have been altered or enhanced using AI tools', a disclaimer in the video description reads. 'The scenarios presented are fictional and intended solely for entertainment or illustrative purposes. This is not real footage and should not be interpreted as fact.' If Ernesto's performance not being 'real footage' seemed insultingly obvious to you, you may well be in the minority. The YouTube comments for the video are, in the vast majority, credulous and approving. In fairness, plenty of the accounts posting those comments could be fake themselves: YouTube comment threads, like everywhere else online, are susceptible to bots. Still, there are enough seemingly authentic commenters praising Ernesto's performance, and likening it to their own experiences of loss, to suggest this isn't wholly artificial. The video has been played 24m times over its two 'official' YouTube videos, and a post of it on TikTok has a further 30m views – and that doesn't factor in the many, many other accounts that have reposted and disseminated it on various social media platforms. Search for the song title Still Waiting at the Door on Instagram or TikTok and you will be greeted by a wall of Ernestos warbling away (sorry for ruining your algorithm, by the way). The video has received a debunking from factchecking site Snopes, usually a clear sign that a fabrication has travelled far and wide. What's really interesting though is that there are plenty in the comments and elsewhere online who know the video isn't real – and still love it regardless. ('I never thought AI would bring such emotion,' one bandana'd YouTuber gasped.) We hear plenty about AI's depredations – its replicating, flattening and hollowing out of popular culture, the sea of AI slop – and perhaps assume that an ethical and aesthetic aversion to it is universal. But what if, per a Times piece this week looking at the popularity of AI personal essays, poetry and therapy, some people actually prefer the artificial? Why watch an actual TV talent show, whose contestant's backstories might not match the emotion and drama of their performance, when you could watch an artificially enhanced performance instead? Already there are dozen or so on the AGTverseai channel, full of overly ripe, sob-inducing tales: an ex-con singing about finding God in prison; a woman with 'a cancer' finding solace in song; a 95-year-old second world war veteran paying tribute for his fallen comrade. They're preposterous, gratuitous and pretty obviously fake – but maybe that doesn't matter if they give you the feels. Sign up to The Guide Get our weekly pop culture email, free in your inbox every Friday after newsletter promotion If you want to read the complete version of this newsletter please subscribe to receive The Guide in your inbox every Friday
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
John Legend reveals how his four children with Chrissy Teigen are following in his footsteps and admits daughter Luna, 9, 'really loves to sing'
John Legend says his children are following in his footsteps by learning to play the piano, with his daughter developing an additional passion for singing. The All of Me hitmaker, 46, sat down with co-hosts Craig Doyle and Rochelle Humes on Thursday's instalment of This Morning. He discussed his global tour and opened up about his family life with Chrissy Teigen, 39. The couple share four children together Luna, nine, Miles, seven, Esti, two, and son Wren, 23 months. Craig asked the singer: 'The kids, do they play, do they sing?' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'So Luna and Miles both take piano lessons,' John revealed. 'Luna is definitely more into music than anyone.' He explained how his daughter gets involved in a variety of music-related activities, including a recent performance at school. 'She takes piano lessons, she takes a vocal lesson every Saturday and then she was in the school musical, she played young Nala in The Lion King and she really loves to sing,' John said. Aside from music, John's daughter is creative in other ways and likes to make things too. He added: 'She can dance and she can do all of it and she's also very visually creative so she likes to draw and create these structures. 'She built a dollhouse for my youngest daughter out of cardboard boxes and she just likes to design and build. She's very creative.' The singer gushed how him and his wife Chrissy try to encourage their children to be more artistic. 'Both me and their mother are very creative and we love music so we just try to encourage them to explore and try different things and be as creative as possible,' John said. Earlier in the conversation, John opened up about how Chrissy cried when she first heard his hit song, All Of Me. 'I sang it to her quietly, I was like I want you to hear this song, I just wrote it for you, we were engaged at the time, she cried the first time she heard it,' he gushed. Though he laughed that the reaction isn't always quite as strong now.
