ALEXA WILDISH successfully made it through The Voice’s Blind, Battle and Knockout rounds, but sadly she did not make it to through the Playoff round.  Both she and Deejay Young (Broadway’s Hamilton) delivered flawless and amazing performances and fans found it hard to believe they had been eliminated. Which leads to some lessons learned that I share with my voice students.

After Alexa advanced that far, I was hopeful that she might break the mold of TV competitions, that typically go for the short-range profit and a strong high belt.

For me, Alexa’s most thrilling moment was when she transformed Cher’s iconic auto-tuned hit Believe from the defiant “I-don’t-need-you-anymore” feminist to the more truthful  emotion underneath of a vulnerable and broken heart.  It was brilliant.  Many commented that she sang it better than Cher.  I felt that the combination of her pure voice and her more pure and authentic interpretation was a perfect match proving that this is the way the song should have been sung in the first place.   It makes the interpretation that Cher’s producers imposed on her look more like a caricature, whereas Alexis is the real deal.

Sting’s Criticism of Voice Competitions

The irony is that Alexa chose a song written by Sting for her last round. Sting is an outspoken critic of TV voice competitions who said, “They’re appalling…I think it’s very good TV, it’s cheap and exploitative. They discover them, and where do they go?” Kelly Clarkson is cited as the exception.

As a voice teacher, it’s frustrating to watch the luck-of-the-draw factor with team selection and how it can bring on an early retirement from the show, rather than being advanced according to the quality of the voice and overall performance.  It’s a matter of who shows up, but that’s the nature of all competitions, and frankly auditions in the performing arts in general.

In spite of this, I would encourage any student who desires to compete to grab the opportunity if they choose. The TV vocal competition, or any competition, must be viewed as just that: an opportunity.

The advantages are that the singer will be working with superstar celebrity singers, coaches and will network within the industry. The TV exposure skyrockets numbers on the singer’s website and social media.  With all the changes in music distribution, the newcomer or lesser known artists have greater visibility with the long tail effects of social media.  These are all positives.

As with everything in life, the rest depends upon the individual singer. Not everyone is going to go on to achieve superstardom. That is only one tiny facet of this industry.

As for Alexa Wildish, being on The Voice holds everything positive for her.  Even with her final performance,  she continued to receive raves from all four judges for being a STANDOUT and an incredible STORYTELLER and talent.

Now, it’s up to her to decide her next step. This is a business and as with all successful businesses, it takes commitment, passion, grit, perseverance and endurance.

Years ago I published a magazine for singers called SING! Magazine.  I had the opportunity to interview Stephen Covey, auther of The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People.  He is considered one of the all-time greatest business advisors and was a family friend as well.  We focused on how those Seven Habits applied to singers.  I’ll be writing more about that, but for now, to Alexa and all singers:

1. BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND.  What do you want to accomplish in the next year or five years?  What is the news release you want to publish about yourself?  Then work backwards to today, putting those plans into writing.
2. BE PROACTIVE. No one succeeds by waiting around for someone else to do it for them.  No one succeeds without picking up a phone and texting or calling or emailing.  Your degree of success largely depends on the numbers – how many calls are you making daily?  If you hate sales, then go get a 9-5 job.  Being a professional singer or actor is sales and you are the product!

**ALEXA’S 4 ROUNDS ON THE VOICE**

To recap Alexa Wildish’s four performances on The Voice:

Listen to Alexa’s BLIND AUDITION of Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird” that turned all four chairs around, https://cherilynbacon.com/featured-students.

This is Alexa’s stunning and winning performance of Billie Eilish’s “Everything I Want” – from THE BATTLE ROUND.

Here is her third winning round,the KNOCKOUT, where she also knocked out Cher’s interpretation of her own song BELIEVE. Alexa’s voice was called “magical” as she inspired the audience with her uniquely brilliant performance of that song.

You can watch Alexa’s PLAYOFF here:

…as she delivers her beautiful and passionate interpretation of Sting’s “Fields of Gold.”

Alexa was one of my private voice students while teaching at the nationally-ranked Orange County School of the Arts . She deserves the very best, and I am sure we will be hearing more from her soon.  She has a presence and a vulnerability that connects with her audience in a personal way. The Wildish’s are wonderful people and so supportive. Alexa, you are a winner!!! ❤ Cherilyn Bacon