Next week on “American Idol” the music of Neil Diamond will be featured, and Neil Diamond will be the mentor and coach of the remaining five contestants.

I looked at the official Neil Diamond website and found a page with all the Neil Diamong Songs listed, along with the lyrics to each one.

So here are MY choices of which songs each contestant should sing:
David Cook - Cherry, Cherry
David Archuletta - I’m a Believer or Play Me
Ayesha Marcada - Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show
Jason Castro - Thank the Lord for the Nighttime
Brooke White - You Don’t Bring Me Flowers or Play Me

So what do you think? I think I picked some great songs for the contestants. I took into consideration their voices and the type of song that they do best with. For Jason, I wanted to give him something a little upbeat and edgy because he keeps doing B-O-R-I-N-G songs. It’ll be fun to wait till next week and see which songs they choose

Click on the Neil Diamond Songslink, and let me know which songs you’d give each contestant.

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So who will be sent home on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 on American Idol? It’s got to be Jason Castro. His song tonight was pi-ti-ful. Such a beautiful song, and he totally slaughtered it. Which is too bad. Jason has a nice voice, but not an outstanding one.

However, his wasn’t the only bad performance. I wouldn’t be surprised if Brooke White or Carly Smithson were sent packing. Brooke forgot the lyrics, and after just a few hours, I’ve already forgotten what she sang. B-O-R-I-N-G.

I remember what Carly sang (Jesus Christ, Superstar), and I really looked forward to hearing her sing it, but she sounded discordant and shrill. Not good at all.

All three performances were mediocre, at best.

The two Davids and Ayesha were very good. They SHOULD be safe to sing another week.

Update: Carly was sent home. The surprising part of the show is that Syesha was in the bottom two. I guess if you look at her overall performance this season, then she deserved to be there. However, if you look at Tuesday night’s performance, she definitely did not belong there.

The problem is that the show appeals to young girls, and millions of teenage girls are voting each week - and, for some reason, they love Jason Castro. He is definitely the least talented of the contestants that are left. However, he could very well stay for another couple weeks simply because the teenage girls are ga-ga over him.

I hate to see Carly go. She has tremendous talent - and I could have seen her as the overall winner. However, I think the overall winner will be one of the Davids.

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Tonight was Andrew Lloyd Webber night on “American Idol.” By far, I thought the best performance was David Cook singing “The Music of the Night.”

The Music of the Night
Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defenses

Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendour
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Turn your face away from the garish light of day
Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light
And listen to the music of the night

Close you eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams
purge your thoughts of the life you knew before
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar
And you’ll live as you’ve never lived before

Softly, deftly, music shall caress you
Hear it, feel it, secretly posess you
Open up your mind,
Let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness which you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night

Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world
Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before
Let your soul take you where you long to be!
Only then can you belong to me

Floating, falling, sweet intoxication
Touch me, trust me, savour each sensation
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
To the power of the music that I write
The power of the music of the night

You alone can make my song take flight
Help me make the music of the night

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Tonight Andrew Lloyd Webber will be the mentor and coach for the remaining American Idol contestants. That means that we’ll hear lots of Andrew Lloyd Webber songs tonight. The episode will also feature special footage of Lloyd Webber and the contestants as they practice on the set of Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular.

There are six contestants left: David Archuleta, David Cook, Carly Smithson, Jason Castro, Brooke White, and Syesha Mercado. My figurative money is on David Cook - although I could see David Archuleta or Carly Smithson winning, too. I don’t think there’s any way Brooke, Jason or Syesha could win.

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Did you watch “American Idol” the other night? Sometimes you get a curve ball and someone unexpected get booted off. This week, though, it was totally expected that Kristy Lee Cook would go home. She’s a great singer, but she was no match for the others who are left.

According to this story, Wednesday night wasn’t a total bust for her. It happened after the show Wednesday night:

Cook announced that she and her boyfriend, Andrew Dobner, are engaged, Us Weekly magazine reported on its Web site. Cook said he’d proposed to her in March but the two kept their engagement “on the down-low” while she concentrated on ” American Idol.” He re-popped the question Wednesday night after she was voted off the show, Cook said.

“He actually got down on his knee this time,” Cook said. He owed it to me

!”

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I enjoyed tonight’s American Idol show.  The theme was inspirational songs, and several of them WERE inspiring.  Here’s one I love:

ANGELS

Lyrics by Robbie Williams

I sit and wait
does an angel contemplate my fate
and do they know
the places where we go
when we’re grey and old
’cause I’ve been told
that salvation lets their wings unfold
so when I’m lying in my bed
thoughts running through my head
and I feel that love is dead
I’m loving angels instead

and through it all she offers me protection
a lot of love and affection
whether I’m right or wrong
and down the waterfall
wherever it may take me
I know that life won’t break me
when I come to call she won’t forsake me
I’m loving angels instead

when I’m feeling weak
and my pain walks down a one way street
I look above
and I know I’ll always be blessed with love
and as the feeling grows
she breathes flesh to my bones
and when love is dead
I’m loving angels instead

and through it all she offers me protection
a lot of love and affection
whether I’m right or wrong
and down the waterfall
wherever it may take me
I know that life won’t break me
when I come to call she won’t forsake me
I’m loving angels instead

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If you like rap music and rap artists then there is a new website just for you.  It’s Rap Artists: Your #1 Rap Resource on the Net, and it has listings of artists, New Releases and a Forum.  It also has a Featured Artist, Rap Artists Top 10, New Releasing, Upcoming Rap Albums, Top Artists, Top Albums, and Top Songs.  In other words, ANYTHING related to rap music can be found at this new site. 

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Early on Monday morning I will join twelve other teachers and reading specialists from my school district to go to New York City for a week of learning all about teaching reading and writing.  I can’t wait.  Of course, the idea of classes from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day is exhilarating and sounds like so much fun.  You believe that, don’t you?  Once classes are over, we’ve got other activities planned for the late afternoons and evenings.  We have tickets to be in the audience of David Letterman one evening, tickets to see “Wicked” on another evening, and tickets to see “Jersey Boys” on yet another evening.  I won’t have much internet access all next week, but when I get back I intend to post some pictures.  Of course I can’t take pictures inside David Letterman or in either of the Broadway shows - but there are lots of others places I can take pictures. Maybe I’ll see the naked cowboy.

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This is a hymn that I heard for the first time just a couple years ago, but now it is among my favorites;

Freely, Freely
Words and Music by Carol Owens

God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name,
I’ve been born again in Jesus’ name,
And in Jesus’ name I come to you,
To share his love as he told me to.
He said, “Freely, freely you have received,
Freely, freely give.
Go in my name, and because you believe,
Others will know that I live.”

All power is given in Jesus’ name,
In earth and heaven in Jesus’ name
And in Jesus’ name I come to you
To share his power as he told me to.
He said, “Freely, freely you have received,
Freely, freely give.
Go in my name, and because you believe,
Others will know that I live.”

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I have written about the topic of piano and piano lessons a good bit lately.  Every since this post in which I re-discovered my interest in playing the piano - which was followed by this post in which I received this

for Christmas.  Then I wrote about my goal of learning to play one new song each week so that soon I will have a repertoire of songs that I can play well. I started looking into Piano lessons & piano chords online to help me reach my goal.  I found an online source for a newsletter which provides a progression of 101 FREE piano lessons.  I signed up immediately.  I’ll keep you updated on how my lessons go.

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