Idol’s Musical Director Dishes on Mariah Carey’s Mentorship

“This week is going to be harder than anything on the guys and they’ll have to prove themselves,” Michael Orland says

Do the remaining American Idols possess the pipes to properly belt a Mariah Carey song?

Over 20 million viewers will find out April 15 when the singer appears as the guest mentor, coaching the contestants who select tunes from her songbook. Carey – who surpassed Elvis Presley’s record of 17 No. 1 singles when her “Touch My Body” hit #1 on the Billboard charts earlier this month – will also appear on the results show.

On Saturday, Carey met with the top 7 singers in Los Angeles to discuss their choices and offer advice on the competition.

Idol’s associate musical director Michael Orland sat in on the session, and tells Us the male performers are in for a rough week vocally. “This week is tougher musically because Mariah’s songs are so much better suited for a female vocal. This is when the guys are going to get to prove [their worth],” Orland says.

However, with guidance from Carey, Orland is optimistic each of the contestants will shine. “They are all like sponges; they just can’t wait to hear what you have to say. I am excited to see what Mariah has to offer them and they are loaded with questions,” Orland confirms. “They want to know what kind of prep she has to do, what she has to go through.”

Orland says the contestants kept emotions in check if one of their peers selected a song they had been eyeing.

“This [selection] was pretty open to anything Mariah has recorded. So it was pretty wide. A lot of contestants contemplated doing one of the lesser well-known ones, but it’s a risk. If you do it differently and bring something new to it, I don’t think it matters how well known it is for a Mariah Carey song. Originally, when the contestants first hear the songs, the grab the familiar. But as they listen to more, they go, ‘Maybe that is not right for me.’

It’s no secret that judge Randy Jackson is a Carey pal and colleague, but how will Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell react to the top 7’s selections? “I can’t wait see if the judges are going to say ‘I don’t think you should be singing Mariah,’ and for the contestants to say ‘I don’t have a choice!’ Orland jokes.

One of Orland’s picks to wow Cowell & Co. Tuesday night? None other than Idol’s boy wonder, David Archuleta. “It is so natural,” he says of the 17-year-old fan favorite’s vocal talent.

“It’s always hard to sing a Mariah song – she is like the queen of vocals. And I love all the contestants, but David is trying new things, and everything he tries – even just fooling around and playing – works. It’s like ‘Where is that coming from?!’”

Source US Magazine | Mariah Daily

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Hmm, sepertinya akan seru pertunjukan American Idol. Apakah para kontestan akan berani menyanyikan lagu-lagu dari Mariah Carey yang semuanya merupakan lagu-lagu dengan tingkat kesulitan sangat tinggi? Hmm, kita tunggu saja.

Sebelumnya, Mariah Carey bersama Randy Jackson tampil dalam acara Idol Gives Back 2008 dan membawakan lagu dari album The Emancipation of Mimi, Fly Like a Bird. Klik di sini untuk melihat video dari YouTube atau klik di sini untuk mendownloadnya dalam bentuk flv.

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