David Archuleta - Save Image As

The word technology refers to the making, modification, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems, and methods of organization, in order to solve a problem, improve a preexisting solution to a problem, achieve a goal, handle an applied input/output relation or perform a specific function. 

The word technology also has a definition that refers to the sum of ways in which social groups provide themselves with the material objects of their civilization. For the purposes of this post we will parallel this definition and apply accordingly.

Five years ago the words ctrl, alt, shift and save could have meant a military weapons exercise movement instead of a common energetic physical action on my computer.  Tumblr, twitter, vlogs were not a language generally practiced in my world.  Screen captures were obviously movies trailers that highlighted a specific scene within the story lines, and how does one bubble tweet? I still haven’t figured out that process. 

It’s not that I don’t appreciate and enjoy these new techno applications as a matter of fact my cell phone never leaves my side.  A jeweled cover with a neck chain now adorns my iPhone so it’s easily accessible for those urgent messages from David Archuleta via Kari.  New tweets, retweets, quote tweets and the ever prominent Direct Message for those personal comments to or from your BFF tweeters have become necessary communication channels.  Trending is the front page of the web checking the pulse of the nation and letting you know what’s happening, but be careful there is also twitter jail.  I imagine my twitter avatar being held hostage until I promise not to mention David Archuleta #2014 for a least five minutes. How unreasonable!  Censorship is not cool! 

Why would they feel we need a break on tweeting about David?  It’s basically the same we talk about, his hair, i.e. fluffy, short, and long, his big smile always present, his eyes, the golden speckles and how beautiful they are.  Of course, his voice is like no other and his clothes take an overall twitter or two to describe. 

Videos and pictures are mainstream David Archuleta conversation topics……..we don’t have enough pictures of David at concerts or Book/CD events so we collage pictures and use instagram to enhance them.  My personal opinion David needs no enhancing and I like the pure shot you can get from your camera without the embellishment. Artistically and creatively I see the desire and the necessity in many posters and ads for effectiveness of merchandising.

Pictures are our life blood as much as his concert videos and I have learned quickly to master the Save Image As button on my computer. Youtube downloading has also been a challenge at times, why do they keep changing the format?  I just figure out where everything is and how it works and then they make it better, or so they say.  Save Image As is always present and keeps David’s pictures readily available and at a right click moment I know I can always view, copy and save them quickly.

Looking back a few years my transistor radio provided me with the enjoyment of all the music I hungered for with a countdown.  The radio, what a relic and the 9 volt battery that needed to be replaced quite often was expensive back then.  Leaving it on all night under my pillow didn’t help……there was no just charging it like we do today with our iPods.  I can tell you that if David was a singer back then he would have been on the radio and his music would have played every day.  I miss having his good music not in the forefront of the radio media industry.

Who would have thought that a sweet 16 year old with an Angel voice and a heart of gold would change the life of so many people?   I love David Archuleta, I know that word is thrown around quite often and perhaps to some it doesn’t always hold the same connotation as it once did.  We love food, places, things, and people but not in the same way.  

Love is expressed as an action and experienced as a feeling. Yet, love has an essence that resists defining in any single way; it encompasses compassion, determination, endurance, support, faith, and much more.  Love cannot be pigeonholed it's never just or only one thing; it happens whenever your heart is open to receiving beauty and wonder of people, things and events around you.

I admire David Archuleta, I am in awe of him for he has a strong sense of values that he refuses to bend or break and maintain his integrity regardless of his celebrity status; and in the midst of setbacks has accomplished his dreams with humility. 

Fans expectations may not be his as there are many who hope he changes when he returns from his mission.  David is excited to learn who he will become when he returns; will he be different, of course, will he loose the qualities we all admire? I think not.  I like David just the way he is and prefer to say I am interested in seeing David pass from one phase to another and develop as any young man would give the same life’s experiences.   My expectations are to allow him to be himself, accept him as he is, not as many may want him to be.

Less than one year away and we will have the opportunity to find out the road David will take and no matter which direction he takes my internal GPS will support and follow. 

David Archuleta - Save Image As

David Archuleta Retrospective Series Part Fifteen: Fields of Gold

By Pamela Pike and Rosanne Simunovic

http://youtu.be/bdhYmYskOuQ

 Pamela Pike’s Recollections

This song is about savoring those precious memories of time well spent with the ones you love in this life.

“Fields of Gold” is a 1993 song by Sting from his album “Ten Summoner’s Tales.”  In January 1996 Eva Cassidy recorded “Fields of Gold” at Blues Alley which was well received when it was released in May 1996.  Sting’s recording was brought to life with Eva’s soul stirring cover with pure vocals and her own guitar arrangement. It was six months later that Eva Cassidy succumbed to melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer. 

The world needed to hear Eva Cassidy’s voice so a determined group of people posthumous released a studio album, “Eva By Heart”. A year later a California record company compiled music from all three of her CD’s and named it “Songbird” which was released internationally and became a posthumous success.

It was at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics when David Archuleta was eleven he first heard “Fields of Gold’, sung by Eva Cassidy as Michelle Kwan skated her magnificent performance.

As he listened to Eva sing with emotion and sensitivity, a young David became drawn to an artist that would become a major influence musically and teach him how a song can be sensitive and lyrically expressive.

   

Eva’s spiritual quality poured out in song with a sense that she was given a gift that was meant to be shared, to be passed on to others.  David has embraced her quality through the shear depth and passion that his music evokes with the ability to open our hearts to the majesty of our Maker.

The first time I heard David sing “Fields of Gold” it was his control and phrasing that was spellbinding, and the connection in his vibrato, timing, and a volume of his voice that was beyond tangible earth.

There is something about his voice that’s personal…..his voice is a kind of audible kiss.

He brought sweetness and a delicacy to “Fields of Gold.” His voice encompasses such a deep range of emotions and there’s a great intelligence and wisdom in his singing.

His voice is so pure and full of emotion I cry each time I hear this song.  He brings new depth with his soul stirring vocals and mesmerizes you while he put his incredible heart and soul into every word with such emotion he brings you to tears.

A pure and innocent yearning in his voice cuts through to your soul. There’s richness to his voice and clarity to all of his inflections. 

The measure of a great singer is getting a message across and inspiring us.  David is a master at never leaving you untouched, there is always something in the humanity of his voice.


Rosanne Simunovic's Recollections

In reviewing this beautiful performance by David, I must confess that I never heard this song before. Well, as the saying goes: "There is no time like the present" and what a present this was to my heart and soul.

I am not surprised that the late Eva Cassidy was a source of inspiration for David. She sang from a place so deep, so profound, so spiritual that it was hard for any artist to try and capture the identical emotional impact of this song - or any of her songs - in performance.

Except for David.

Yes, in performing this song, David travels deep inside his soul, selflessly sharing with us his deepest thoughts and emotions.

Vocally, this was David at his best - impeccable phrasing, long, stretched and cohesive phrases and keen vocal focus.

His head voice, whether pure or full, was always front and center. The song rests extremely high in his vocal range, but one never senses that David has to strain or "reach for" the notes.

Rather he sings "over" the upper notes, moving them forward toward his vocal masque and, then, toward his listeners.

As a result, his vocal projection is consistent, always basking in the glow of the forward momentum that is so integral to the ebb and flow of any song, especially a ballad.

My only disappointment was that I could not understand the lyrics and had to search for them online. The video featured above, although most welcome, didn't really capture the full extent of his vocal performance.  As a result, the lyrics were unclear, especially in the first half.

Nonetheless, David performed this song with sensitivity and finesse.  And, although this is not a complex song, it is one that is meant to inspire and move us. It is extremely spiritual in nature and, through David's inherent soulful nature, this song has found a new home, a new messenger in him.


Rosanne Simunovic
http://www.masterclasslady.com
http://www.granniethegeek.com

David Archuleta - Eleven Months & Counting

As the music business struggles to identify financial models, artists are taking their career into their own hands.  It’s all about going with the flow and knowing when it’s time to stand up and claim the life that belongs to you. 

Presently David Archuleta is connected to E1 Music an independent record label in the United States.  It is widely regarded as the top independent US record label, having garnered the most Billboard hits of any independent record label in history.  Its four primary businesses are E1 Television, E1 Films, E1 Music and E1 Entertainment Distribution, which collectively represents film, television, music, and kid’s content.   E1 Music covers all musical genres from adult-contemporary to rock urban to country, children’s to classical.

E1 Music also streams on SoundCloud an online audio distribution platform that allows collaboration, promotion and distribution of audio recordings by users.  Its intention is to allow musicians to share recordings with each other and to distribute their music tracks.  It also allows artist to interact more nimbly with their fans.

Three elements that make music successful are a goal, a plan, and a team.  David seems to be on the right tract.

He will be prepared to bring it back with the same energy, passion and excitement that became his hallmark.  Wowing new and old fans in epic concerts that will show how he can have his artistry into a magnificent music machine.  It’s all David fans need to stoke the fires of their devotion.

His art form connects with fans and the demand for his music is always going to be present. His singing has the power to express love and you can hear this from his heart. 

His voice is so versatile that he can sing just about any genre including gospel, blues, ballads and pop.  Songs can tell the story of the lyricist but they also tell the story from the listener’s imagination.

I don’t have any other information except that it is going to beyond anyone’s imagination.  We will just have to wait a few more months for the unveiling to begin.  It will be time to continue his dream of music; hopefully he will be ready to give his fans what they’ve been missing.

While David takes inspiration from the past (AI) he lives for the future moving forward to greater things.  It just depends on what his life may bring surprises perhaps, the very least it allows fans to dream of what might to come.

The private David seems as he appears to the public; a quiet self-effacing young man who considers his singing abilities as strictly tertiary to his family and his faith.  He is widely respected for both his professional standards and the conduct in his personal life.  Occasionally someone like David comes along and won’t go with the flow and still prevails in spite of all the others who surround him and importune him to yield to their values.

David Archuleta is unique and the core of his significance as an artist is his amazing voice and emotional commitment to his songs.

It will be exciting to see what David has in store for 2014!

The Sounds of David Luncheon and Fan Mixer

If you missed The Sounds of David Luncheon and Fan Mixer on Saturday April 6, 2013 it was an amazing event experienced with many great performers.  Michael Orland and Dorian Holley took to the stage with “Man in the Mirror” and “My Funny Valentine” and Sunny Hilden our MC gave us “Dream Sky High.”

Newport Platinum Dance Academy provided us with three dancers, Stefani, Sarah and Nicole performing to David’s “Zero Gravity” and Aaron from TJ project with a little help from the audience played “Crush” on his Guitar. Mariner’s Elementary School Choir added their talents by singing “Nandito Ako” and their exuberant rendition of “Elevator”, was adorable. Our special guest speaker LDS President Brad Bowen gave us some insight on the sacrifices missionaries, including David make to serve on a two year mission. Videos from Dean Kaelin and Rosanne (MasterClass Lady) were highlights to the afternoon.

 Added to the excitement Kari Sellars dropped by with guest Jon Hunt who co-wrote “Broken” with David.  She mentioned through some tears how David will be back better than ever in 2014. 

But the shining stars were the children being sponsored from ChildFund International and those hospitalized at CMN Hospital (CHOC in Orange).  Guests sponsored many children and “Archubears” for a minimum donation were adopted and named by guests for those kids at CHOC Hospital.  I applaud the volunteers who took time out of their daily lives to man the charity tables.  Christine with Marilyn from ChildFund, and Maggie and Deborah from CMN Hospitals thank you for joining us.

 I received great feedback from Kate Nare Marketing Specialist from ChildFund Int. “Hi Pam, I heard from our volunteers that the David Archuleta event went very well. They sent me photos of the ChildFund table and it looked great.”

From Maggie Irias,  Development Coordinator - CMN Hospital (CHOC). “Hi Pamela, Thanks so much for having us, I truly had a blast and learned so much more on David’s sounds.  The Archubears were a hit! Choc is very grateful for all your efforts and once again, thank you – thank you!”

As the afternoon unfurled it was apparent everyone was having a good time and I was grateful for the opportunity to support David Archuleta and shadow a little of his big heart and give back to those in need. 

There is also a group of young teenagers who spent hours decorating, setting up and show casing the live auction items Carissa, Taylor, Savannah, Tatum and Jen.  The Sounds of David Committee and I thank them for their hard work and their efforts to focus on the charities and honor David Archuleta and his music.  David will need young fans like these when he returns to music in 2014. 

Various others need our Thanks such as Peter Rodriguez our DJ, Saul Dahli our sound engineer, Andre with Los Angeles Film Institute and many vendors and donors who contributed items for auction.  Also I wish to Thank Kelly Herbst our Marriott planner for all her hard work and patience.  

My job would not be finished if I didn’t Thank a group of women who donated personal time from family, work and free time to fulfill a vision.  They timelessly mulled over outlines, drafts, suggestions, pictures, ideas, dates, constant changes, long meetings, texting, phone calls and the 3:00 AM emails.  They are part of the heart that beats within me, special women who love and promote David’s music and honor David the man.  Thank you Cass, Julie, Lily and Madison for all your support and hard work and know you will forever be in my heart!