David Archuleta Stirs Our Heart

David Archuleta has stirred interest from many fans near and far with his recent primetime TV Series in the Philippines, “Nandito Ako”.  It doesn’t seem to matter what he does or where he goes his fans will always follow him. And why is that, why do we adore him as we do?

Many people have given their best efforts to explain this and we still ask the question.  What is it about David that keeps us coming back and following his every move? He is addictive!  What did we do with our time before David?

The first thing I remember was not using a computer? I thought a cursor was somebody who shouted four letter words! And a browser was someone who wasn’t serious about shopping.  You tube? I won’t even go there.  Needless to say, Twitter and Facebook, and Text Messages are mainstream words in my vocabulary and my cell phone is my best friend now.  Oh yes, about cell phones I must have gone through several until I found the one that is the most user friendly for David’s ringtones. 

He rescued us from our hum drum monotonous family duties! Cooking dinner every night, family and friends have generously supplied many of their favorite takeout menus. Google has supplied several good housecleaning agencies that come in pairs and my office has been accommodating and shortened their workweek.

Following David Archuleta stirs us; he has a way of seeing the world that is slightly different to everyone else’s.  We can feel his gentleness and compassion, we are warmed by his humility, we’ve laughed, smiled, choked with emotion and we sing his praises, and my eyes have been teary thinking about him. 

He’s such a unique character and his honesty and untainted heart is loved by everyone around him. He has impeccable manners and is notably cordial and courteous in his dealings with others.  He is serious about his career, always honing his talent and accepting new challenges. 

He changed my life and gave me hope for tomorrow and this is why I love him.  He believes in himself and strives for perfection.  He doesn’t over promote himself. He loves watching cartoons.

He does more than just sing he creates emotion.  His vocals make you melt.  He believes in what he’s singing and he puts his heart and soul into the lyrics, he feels every word he sings.  God sent us his favorite singing Angel.

David’s music can suit whatever mood you happen to be in.  His beauty shines through.  The beauty he has within shines right through his heart. He is creating sound out of his body using his mind and heart to bring the song to life.

The beauty of David’s voice touches us in a place that’s as personal as the place from which it was issued.

From the song “Apologize” the following lyrics express my feelings about David Archuleta and possibly yours too.

“And I need you like a heart needs a beat, but’s it’s nothing new, yeah yeah.”

David Archuleta - Our Big Star

To David,

We are proud of you!

Twinkle, twinkle, our big star,

We all wonder how you are.

Across the world so far away,

Shining bright on every day

Twinkle, twinkle, our big star,

We all wonder how you are!

Can David Archuleta Expect Success in 2014?

David Archuleta is stepping away from the spotlight and taking a hiatus from the music industry to embark on a two year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  And that has caused some discussion among fans, disappointing news for some, and exciting support from others.

The questions that surface are many.  Can David make a successful comeback after two years?  Will his fans be there when he returns?

In 1996 Michael Jackson had a weak records sales, and end to a marriage and a career threatening scandal.  Frank Sinatra went from prince to pauper in the 50’s and a scandalous love affair helped close more doors in Hollywood.

Elvis Presley the 50’s rock and roll legend starred in some cheesy Hollywood musicals from 1964 to 1966 until he wowed a national TV audience in 1968.

In 1966 Elvis went to RCA studios in Nashville to make a gospel album, “How Great Thou Art’, which proved to be a milestone in Elvis’s career.  It won him a Grammy.  This was during a time of personal and professional struggle.  The broadcast of his television special, Elvis, put him back on top.

Gloria Estefan is paving her way for a comeback in the American music market, with “Miss Little Havana”.  She has been out of the spotlight for almost a decade. And Shania Twain is making a comeback in Vegas which will last until December 2012. A few years back her marriage fell apart and now has reinvented herself at Caesar’s Palace.

We know how these careers flourished and now all have a place in pop-history.  Can David do the same?  My personal opinion is yes, but I wanted to put the question to a couple of experienced people in the music industry who are huge fans of David Archuleta.

Michael Orland, Arranger and Associate Musical Director from American Idol, and Dorian Holley his former coaching partner from Idol who is now the lead singer for the Tonight Show Band took time out of their busy schedules and had the following to say:

                                                      Dorion Holley

                                  Michael Orland

 “David Archuleta has one of the most beautiful voices of any contestants on the show.”  They remember watching Hollywood week on TV, a couple weeks before they were to go in to get to work on the Top 24 David was onstage singing.  One of the background singers was just behind him, weeping uncontrollably at the beauty of his voice.  Dorian said, “I kept rewinding to watch my friend Lynn Fiddmont cry, and to enjoy the pure sound he made.  The best part about David, though, is he has a smile and a spirit to match his great voice. Coaching him was a pleasure.”

As to David’s decision to break away from music for a bit, both Michael and Dorian felt that it is a big one.  They said, “There will always be the question as to whether or not he will be greeted with open arms; will his music be embraced again?  “We say yes. People who love him will still love him when he returns; provided he is making music they want to hear.  In some ways a break will help him. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.  Most importantly, David must do what his heart tells him, and what is more important than traveling and helping others?  We believe music fans will be eager to hear a David Archuleta CD in two or three years, when he is ready, and when he has something deeper and more interesting to say, more power to him.”

To find out more about Michael Orland please go to http://michaelorland.com and Dorian Holley www.dorianholley.com

Passion is the one thing that makes most artists successful and when they come back they give us great music.  Their love and desire to create music is what gives them their success. Most artists already have a good fan base that would support them, and their music is so great they end up with many more new fans.

David Archuleta is an artist that has a great following and can come back again, and his fans will be waiting.

David Archuleta - My Kind of Christmas Tour

The lights have dimmed, the stage cleared and the band has left.  They were a normal bunch of guys, amazing musicians and had a great quality to their playing and engaged the audience. Where ever they continue to perform I wish them well.

David has the ability to surround himself with loving and talented people and that couldn’t be truer than with Sunny Hilden David’s friend and co-writer of Fa La La La La.

We greatly appreciated the special attention that she gave us at several of David’s My Kind of Christmas Tour concerts. The effect you had on us was tremendous. We loved having you at the Meet and Greet accompanying David.  We Dreamed Sky High and received love, friendship and memories which will bless us the rest of our days.

Sunny’s CD, You Are Here, has a song, “Tis the Season” she wrote which I find mirrors many feelings at this time of year.  The bridge of her song –

For each moment of bliss

We grow stronger for our dreams

For each soul we still miss

Life is longer than it seems

And if only we believe

In all our blessings everywhere

The gifts of hearts we open

Will be gifts for all to share

Beautiful words, a beautiful song, such a lovely gift.  You must listen to her entire CD; you will find a spiritual comfort to her songs you won’t want to miss.

David Archuleta’s Holiday concerts were outstanding.  He is an amazing artist who captivates his audience and puts you up in the clouds over the moon.  His vocal range is incredible and he demonstrates his love for the Holiday Season with songs like, “Ave Maria” and “O Holy Night.”

This was real music, the way it is supposed to be.  They were magical evenings.  He is a very special singer blessed with a unique and angelic voice.

The audiences were filled with people of all ages and genders.  These were lovely concerts and definitely put you in the Christmas spirit.  I was still glowing a few days later. 

David’s unbridled adoration he receives from every concert generates an exciting performance.  I noticed at his Ventura concert he enjoyed the intimate venue and thrived on the crowd’s enthusiasm and energy.

They were as near perfect of an evening you could ask for and his charity outreach for Child Fund left you feeling we need to do more.

Hold these concerts close to your heart as we may need to wait awhile for a repeat tour.

Pictures of David at SLC Utah Concert 12/20/11

These are a few of my favorite shots of David on stage at SLC!

David Archuleta - Saying Goodbye

A few days have passed since I said goodbye to David Archuleta and perhaps now I might be able to describe the feelings I had that night.

 Who would have thought it would have been so difficult for me to express my feelings and thoughts as I have been doing that for a few years in my articles and in my recent book about David “Through Our Eyes”.  But it was the most difficult few minutes I have ever experienced.  I have said goodbye to a loved one leaving for the Vietnam War, family and friends moving far away, and other occasions of separation from those I care deeply about.

How do you say goodbye?  The French have several different customs of saying goodbye; the one I like best is Adieu (pronounced ah dee yuh) it translates to “God be with you” and is generally used when you know that you won’t see the person in question for a long time. 

 As adults we experience traumatic emotions when someone we are attached to leaves us for any reason.  You hug them goodbye and all you want to do is hold on forever but you let go, smile and walk away. That is when love hurts the most.

Some Ancient teachings explain there is no goodbye. There is no separation because we are all one.  I believe that we are all one.  A person can go out of our life for a while, but the truth is we are not separate. This is easy to say but hard to put into practice.

As I struggled against the idea of saying goodbye I knew it was important to be honest with David and let him know I practiced the night before what I was going to say to him so I wouldn’t cry in front of him.  His smile told me what I needed to know, that he understood and that emotions were running high for everyone that evening,

I gave him the encouragement he deserved explaining to him that he would be a marvelous missionary, but in my opinion he already demonstrated that by his continuous support when I showed interest and joined the church.

While it is incredibly easy to get caught up in all the things the word goodbye brings and ends to, it is essential that we remain thankful for the moments we were lucky enough to have.

While it was hard to say goodbye, the hundreds of memories I made, were well worth the price.  While my soul is deeply saddened at the inability to now create memories on demand, I realize I have plenty.  I already have a plethora of amazing moments to revisit in my mind.

Our memories are more powerful than we can imagine.  Revisit them frequently and you will find you have the ability to connect with anyone at any time regardless of location.

(My Adieu)

Looking back these past four years

In my eyes appear some tears

How fast it all came

Those sweet four years

Memories appear of happiness and joy

That can’t be replaced for ever more

For now it’s a journey worth doing

A time to share, a time to dare

Something that’s in your heart

The incredible power of Faith

You can do great things

Make your days count

Goodbye for now

You will always have a place in my heart

So when your journey ends

Just remember, fate will let us meet again

Finding such a strong purpose and dream in his life serves to inspire those around him.  I wish him much blessing in all he does and wherever God may place him.

David Archuleta - Christmas Tour Explodes at Majestic Theater

It was July 1964 and “A Hard Day’s Night”, starring the Beatles just opened at the Majestic Theater in Ventura, California.  The film was a mockumentary describing a couple of days in the lives of the group.

 My sister was eleven and I was fifteen and we lived just a few blocks from the theater.  Being avid fans, I must admit, we went every day for a week.  We never tired watching the Beatles and loved their music. 

As time passed I grew up and moved away and never returned to the Majestic after that fabulous week of Beatlemania watching.  In 1984 the Majestic showed their final movie, “Silkwood” then renovated and turned the old theater into a concert venue. 

Ironically, forty seven years later I find myself returning to see an artist of great talent who sings with heart and soul and covers some of their best songs ever written.  It’s only appropriate that David Archuleta should bring me back to the Majestic Theater during the holidays.  As David says many times, Christmas is the season for friends, family, love, and of course music.

David holds close to his heart the meaning of Christmas and feels the music is used for expressing the feelings and thoughts that help bring people together.

This is the time of year when artists go on tour to share their versions of Christmas classics and some originals that they hope will someday be classics as well.

The minute he walked on stage, the crowd went wild. Starting off the show with “Sleigh Ride”, it was obvious David was going to put on an awesome show.  Once the show got started, there was nothing to do but sit back, listen and enjoy. Listening to his voice makes it clear why millions fell in love with him, but it seems that his voice has only gotten better with time. Something in his timbre and expressive richness behind it wakes up your musical senses.

The crowd at the Majestic appeared to have had the wind knocked out of them by the intensity of Archuleta’s delivery.  Anyone who has experienced David’s concerts knows that there will be moments that take your breath away.  It a moving experience to see this amazing young man perform with such great passion.

The first half of his set included many classic Christmas Carols and some of his pop songs. But as David exploded on stage with “The Other Side of Down” I realized we have an artist in our mist with talent greater than we could have ever imagined. He is a lightning bolt of energy, passion, and has a rare skill to magnetize his audience.  A special moment for me was his rendition of “Climb Every Mountain”.  This was simply a masterful presentation of musicianship on all levels.

He set the night on fire and proved he can sing, dance, engage and inspire all before intermission. 

Upon returning back to the stage after intermission, David had changed into a black jacket and scarf although very handsome my favorite was his vest, black tie and white shirt.  He reminded me of a British rock star of the sixties. 

David shared some traditions on his mother’s side of the family by singing a Spanish/English holiday tune Fa La La La La he co-wrote, and performed with Sunny Hilden. He played maracas and danced some Bachata which was one of the many highlights of the evening. 

Christmas comes once a year and this show made it worth the wait.