Jackie Evancho
Last Sunday I had a piece in the Times about crossover soprano Jackie Evancho. She’s difficult to write about for several reasons, not the least of which being that she’s a child. On the other hand, her parents have decided it’s ok for her to be in the limelight, so it’s only fair that she plays by the same rules as everyone else.
In any case, the crux of the situation from this vantage point boils down to this:
The task [of quantifying Evancho] is made even more difficult by the fact that Evancho is, in many ways, unremarkable. She has said on several occasions that she doesn’t practice much, and though her website lists 10 full-length concerts between now and September, many of her gigs are one- or two-song appearances.
By way of contrast, the pre-college divisions of major conservatories are full of sixth-graders who can play circles around her. Anglican and Episcopal cathedral choirs have spent 400 years training children from age 7 to sing extremely difficult music in a manner antithetical to Evancho but still highly stylized and not entirely natural. Elite gymnasts with Olympic aspirations or ballet dancers with an eye on a pro career have to get their 10,000 hours of practice in before they even reach middle school. All of these children spend hours shuttling between lessons, competitions and training gyms with many living away from home for large parts of the year.
Read the rest ici
Peter on 
Pierre Random on 
You Pompous Ass. You don’t NEED to write anything at all about this little girl who will be a major star, Just sit back like the rest of us and enjoy the beautiful sounds coming out of that mouth. Give up your poor attempt at journalism and get a real job.
A pretty stupid article. The girl has a lovely voice. Whether she’s better or worse than someone else, or ten thousand others, is beside the point. She’s been launched into orbit by the publicity machine, and she’s giving concerts on the basis of that. Just by way of comparison, in the instrumental world of classical music, are you willing to say that the concert soloists with the best careers are all greater musicians than those with less public success? Luck and circumstance always play a huge role, as we all know. So leave the girl alone, for goodness sake.
the child is gifted the voice is unique the singing is far superior to trained
she is a talented person blessed with beauty.try and take it away from her
she sings by memory no sheet music in fron of her. why do you attack beauty nature
gave her she is a angel given us in times like these.why are you jealous
evidently ones whpo practise for hours are not talented or ment to sing
or perform. why are you trying to train a kid to be what it has no talent to be??
jackie evancho is born talent your is`nt.
leave her alone.
There is born talent and there is forced ,cold, unsincere, phoney performers
actors and singers. Any child who practises for 10,000 hours needs to go into a differnt kind of work.
If you start messing with her it won`t be the beauty it is now.
leave her alone.
Are you saying the Beatles are “cold, unsincere (sic), phoney, performers?” They are often cited as musical geniuses that got their 10,000 hours in.
It isn’t about “messing with her,” it’s about the fact that she might be hurting herself. People practice and train for a reason. She could just as easily ruin her voice and never be able to sing again.
What were you doing at ten years old?
If I met that bastard in a bar I would put him in intensive care unit at the hospital! Obama lover!
A typical hack publication from a run-of-the-mill numbskull hack.
A comment for the sake of comment.
Usual marketing ploy, piggy back off a talent that’s caught the publics attention. Try to benefit from the glow of the great. Its difficult, Hack, to comment on because the only sensationalism attached to Jackie Evancho, is the sincerity to her fans, purity of youth, genius of talent, and your own inability to fully understand this vocal phenomena.
At just eleven years old, Jackie is achieving a greatness only a small percentage have, or will, ever achieve in any walk of life.
Just enjoy – don’t try and complicate the achievements of a youngster thoroughly enjoying pleasing us as she perfects her craft.
Wow did you take a wrong turn at the coffee pot or did you smack a nail through your spine? Jackie is a young’en that I love. She is very talented and she does practise a lot – by any standards. She is growing up and between now (age 12) and age 15 she will go through a lot of changes. During her transition she will find what it is she wants to sing and hopefully a song which will galvanize the world’s attention on her exceptional voice. Currently her career is more like an automoton going through the motions and doing what she is told. When Jackie finally gets to stand up and be herself – you will be amazed, she is the real deal.
What? I can comment without joining something? No arguments here either way. Lots and lots of people like and buy her songs. Lots criticize her evolving technique and her choice of music. Still only twelve, with the pitch, pipes, stage presence, and commitment to the music already evident, the sky could be the limit, or everything could change once she becomes a teenager and gets through those years. I think she and her family are level-headed enough to make good choices. If she never sang another note, she has already provided a nice experience for so many.
She is known on European sites as Ivanko. I predict the Ukrainians, not to be outdone by the Russians of St Petersburg, will invite her to a concert series to which she can write her own ticket, in the land of her roots.
I hope she does not try formal opera training, which may make her sound like so many screeching sopranos.
I just love Jackie! She is super personal and super cute and has a very nice singing voice, very unique for her age.
BUT, she is a child and by that definition, she should be entitled to a normal childhood. She is now just 12 and has matured greatly in the last 2.5 years. Her voice now is better than when she was “discovered” but it is a voice that needs a LOT of training. Her voice has not matured.
She has been whisked all over the world including Japan and Russia where she has sung with large and professional orchestras and adult professional singers. I fault her mother, father and uncle Matt for accellerating the career of Jackie when it would have been much better to have her progress from a little girl to a young woman with her own friends around Pittsburgh and under more normal family conditions. I also suspect David Foster for being grossly selfish for his own account by pushing Jackie into places for which she just wasn’t ready. He praises her to the sky which causes a result of folks and family imagining Jackie is better than she really is.
I love to hear her sing but her best friend is a sound technician.
I hope for her success but I wonder if Jackie herself is pleased and satisfied with her current life. And happy! Someone should ask her and then act accordingly. Also, she should have her own team of private accounting experts providing her with statements of her income and expenses and to keep track where her earned money goes and in what direction and to whom. Could a Conservator be court ordered?
I see you lack parental trust. That is a problem you must overcome, not Jackie. I accept as Gospel the opinions of people like David Foster, whom you maline as an abuser. I would walk through walls for David, Jackie and her family. All of whom have worked hard towards Jackie’s young success. You also suggest she should spend the years of 10 through 20 sitting on the family couch and occasionally practise with a singing coach. Singing is much like athletics; young singers must sing; young figure skaters must skate and young gymnasts must work when small. A career as a singer requires discipline, it requires the show must go on mentality, learned early in life these two items alone will make Jackie a success in anything she does. In the meantime while her voice matures and she undergoes difficult and sometimes painful changes, she is making more money per month than I do in a year. I love every bit of her singing and you are right about one thing, its not easy. But she is gifted, beautiful (as are all her family members)and one of the most charming young ladies in the U.S.A..
This is garbage. Her voice needs a lot more training? For what? Any improvement would be lost on 99% of listeners. Remember, she doesn’t want to be an opera singer and opera fans don’t listen to her anyway. Her best friend is a sound technician? I’ve got news for you. All voices recorded or broadcast are processed by sound technicians. Compression, equalization, even pitch correction can’t turn a bad singer into a good one. All the techs do is to take what is there and make it as available as possible to the listener. Vibrato, pronunciation, dynamics, personality can’t be inserted in a studio mixer. Anyone who has worked in the industry would know this. Perhaps you should limit your writing to subjects with which you are better qualified.
Outstanding reply Jack. And you are quite right; a mixer a sound board and a room full of electronic enhancement devices can’t make a great singer out of those who are voice challenged.
I am pleased with Jackie’s development; above all I just want her to be patient, these are tuff transition years but they will pass.
I was rather hoping to see Jackie perform at least one set during the President’s inauguration; but no doubt she had other committments. :(
@Richard Mullen did I miss something? Did you become the all knowing all powerful Oz or something while I was napping? If not then you are not in charge of raising all the children of the world, nor are you in charge of telling their parents how to raise them. Which is a good thing, because judging from your comments here it is clear you do not have the intelligence. You may not be able to understand this, but children are people to, and it helps to actually know them if you hope to provide proper guidance.
Everything about the Evancho family has been under close scrutiny since Jackie appeared on AGT. And they have came through with flying colors, in fact Mr. and Mrs. Evancho should be named Parents of the Decade. They have been doing an excellent job raising all four of their children long before you and all the other idiot”experts” ever heard of them. They did not need your help then, do not need it now, and will never need it.
They have surrounded themselves with a team of highly qualified professionals to provide them with the help they need.
You clearly do not have any knowledge about any of the items you mentioned in your comments.
One of the things that seems to be consistent among critics is that they are jealous, untalented slobs whose job depends upon controversy. The child is a wonderful vocalist who gets better every time I hear her. You and others keep bringing up those vocalists among many of the churches who are pushed much harder than Jackie. What you don’t say is that we know none of them by name. The world would be better off with more Jackie and less critics.
In reply to those who think this article is bogus and love Jackie Evancho, calling her a “natural talent”:
Tell me, where is Charlotte Church and what is she doing now? The truth is, she lost her ability to sing in the classical/operatic style by the time she was 14 because it’s DAMAGING to a child’s voice. It takes 10-20 years to PROPERLY train to sing in this style with the power and stamina that it requires to be a professional classical singer.
Jackie Evancho will lose her ability to sing in this fashion within the next few years. Any classical voice coach will agree, the voice is NOT properly understood by the general public. Just because you can imitate an adult sound doesn’t mean it’s good for the vocal mechanism. The voice is very, very easily damaged.
For those of you who think “real” musicians don’t practice, it’s exactly the OPPOSITE. Professional musicians only get to where they are through discipline and hard work, in ADDITION to talent. There’s a disturbing trend nowdays that everyone wants to see these “child prodigy” stars, who end up having a career that lasts maybe 5 years, instead of 25. People justify it by saying that she’s making “so much money”– so it must be okay?
Yoyo Ma, Itzhak Pearlman, Luciano Pavarotti, Beverly Sills : these people didn’t become legends by winning a cheap talent competition. They built their careers over time, through practice, and by taking the time to mature as a performer.
@ Professional singer you would not know the truth if it hit you in the face, and if you did I doubt you would admit it.
Charlotte Church is an actual professional singer, you know one that is earning her living by performing the art of singing. And doing well at it.
Where are you performing. And I am not talking about the act you are putting on here.
Re: Professional Singer. Actually, I saw Charlotte the other day, still singing, when she wants to but doesn’t have the drive and work ethic of a Sills, or a Pavarotti; few do.
It seems many people have the opinion that Jackie is performing every nite into the wee hours and then dashing off to her next performance. A gulp of gin, a kick in the butt and back on stage. I’ve had the dubious pleasure of managing musical acts; for the main, they were tempermental, stoned and in most cases unprofessional. Jackie is surrounded by people who love her and they have first class advise as what might harm her vocal cords / voice. She is going through the growing stages 12 – 14 this is a tuff time for every young lady. Its also a time when they start to question themselves and critique themselves and become their own worst enemy. Like her parents, Jackie is a trooper, she will pull through, I do not believe she is overworked or overworking her vocal abilities. It is a very difficult proposition to take a young girl of 8 and have her just as thrilled to sing at 14. Its the same problem with young athletes; work, work, work and everybody is having more fun than they are. That is why plenty of home breaks and travel breaks and fun times must be scheduled, along with practise time, vocal exercise time, running etc. It is an enormous challenge for her family and Jackie but I would bet my shoes that with patience, love and a good relationship with God, Jackie will be a great voice of the present and the future.
As a 12-year-old I was playing my violin with professional orchestras and putting together a solo recital that I performed about 8 times over the next year. Look, I’m nothing special, probably exactly because I didn’t practice more than an hour or two a day, and only took lessons for about 3 years. I’ve known a lot of people who achieve a professional level of fluency in music without making that “10,000 hour commitment.” Conversely, I’ve known a lot of players who can’t play two notes back-to-back IN TUNE, despite decades of relentless training and practice.
I am concerned about some of the professional voice teachers who express some concern about just how she achieves her astounding “mature” sonority. And that she may be straining her vocal chords in ways that may not show up until some years from now. It is to be hoped that with the world class producer and vocal coach she has, and the income she’s realizing, that her parents will address that. Some children her age are certainly taking lessons with instructors at schools like Julliard, Curtis, and such.
It would be interesting to know just how much time she spends in rehearsal. It’s probably a confession of sorts that I’ve been viewing her videos so much I can make this comment: I’ve never seen a child her age that is so supernally and effortlessly aware of the subtleties of timing, and maintaining relative pitch in ensemble performance.
For the time, it seems she’s not taking on extended operatic roles like Snegurochka, La Traviata, La Boheme, and so on, which for some performers would require weeks of intense individual and group rehearsals to master. She seems to be doing individual songs, which seem to be chosen because of their melodic opportunities, not pyrotechnical challenges. This suggests that she may be able to learn the songs pretty quickly – at least words and tunes. Even with as many performances as she’s giving, she probably isn’t straining her muscles as she might if she were intensely practicing 30 or 40 hours per week.
It sounds like her parents are trying to keep a reasonable limit on the “rock-star” madness, and let her be a kid.
You are correct David. Jackie’s father has said that at home, she’s as normal as thier other kids. Plays, chores, pets, piano, violin, sewing, writing music. She has said her self. She rehearses about an hour a day. Plus her latest album, “Songs from the Silver Screen” is not an operetic CD. So shes not straining her voice. So, She is growing-up beautifully, and Following “HER DREAM” not David Fosters, or her parents dream. She’s doing what she loves with SUPPORT from all the people that surround her. She’s not being forced to do anything,she doesn’t want to do. Watch her performances. Her face shows the real emotions shes feeling in each song she sings. As Howie Mandel stated after her first performance. “Jackie, You’re amazing. Take the path of your dream as far as it goes, and stop often to see the sights, smell the flowers, meet new people and touch as many hearts as your gift is able to.
I had an argument about Ms. Evancho a couple of years ago on a Karaoke forum with a poster who was basically putting this youngster forward pretty much as the next Messiah and decided to have a look and listen.
What I found, when she was 9 years old was a young singer with a beautiful voice but lacking breathing control and stage presence.
Hardly a tragic couple of faults as both would certainly be addressed as she got older and received some training.
However, I did have a couple of fears about her “growth”, namely the adulteration of a naturally sweet voice and the dreaded onset of puberty.
Most people don’e seem to realise that a girls voice “breaks” in exactly the same manner as a boys (otherwise, we wouldn’t have altos as well as sopranos) and there’s no way of telling whether or not she will still be a soprano after the event.
The other thing is her vocal “quality”.
At age nine, while she can hit a high note, she is perfectly understandable but I have noticed that at age 12, while her breathing has improved drastically, she now sings as if she has a plum in her mouth and is barely legible (a problem with virtually all trained vocalists).
During the heated axchanges I had with the other guy on the Karaoke forum, I too mentioned Charlotte Church who, in my humble opinion would have sung Ms. Evancho off the stage at the same age is now a “pop” singer (by her own choice by the way) and while capable of operatic arias, chooses not to sing them very often.
I await with interest Ms. Evancho at age 15, when puberty, boys and other things vie for her attention.
The main article above has obviously annoyed the majority of those replying but I hasten to put forward the view that one’s man’s meat is another man’s poison. Whether or not we agree with the writers opinion doesn’t debar him from having it.
Sandy:
Charlotte Church could have sung Jackie off the stage at the same age???
Horse Hockey! I was “tuned” into them both and though Charlotte could sing very well and was a phenom in her time, Jackie was and remains in my opinion, ‘stunning’! Charlotte is now on a slippery slope; pop music and those at that end of the industry, tend to live a wild existence that is not condusive to careful maintenance of vocal cords. How many have gone in that direction? Marianne Faithful and Whitney Huston come to mind, great voices beaten to death by drugs, alcohol and a rock and roll life style. I pray that Jackie does not follow them but that she has the grace and maturity to chart her own course.
You wonder what the future holds for Jackie as puberty, boys and other things vie for her attention. Well, you’re seeing it. A bit Diva at times, a bit emotional at others, sometimes wishful of staying home and going to the parties but she maintains, on balance, a career focus. In short and in sum, she is a young professional with wisdom, grace and understanding beyond her years. She is wealthy, beautiful, highly talented and an American treasure.
What I expect over the next few years is voice stabilization and greater clarity, the poise becoming a young, very intelligent, lady who recognizes her own success and has the confidence of a seasoned professional (normally occurring around age 40) by the age of 18.
I will admit that I am not knowledgeable about music and its complications. However, I am tuned in to Jackie. Since I first saw her on AGT, she has brought tears to my eyes when she sang. I have know children all my life who could sing a little, but not like Jackie. If you have to criticize her, I wish you would stand in front of the mirror and do it because not many others are interested in your point of view. If her voice breaks and she sings alto, then she will sing it very well. However, it seems one doctor thinks her success is not in her vocal cords which are not much different than any other child her age, but in her brain which allows her to put all the elements together to be a superb singer.
I suggest her critics just sit back and listen and when she is a woman, then offer your criticism, but remember your own lack of talent as well
Your comments that diminish Jackie are utterly ridiculous. Besides having a beautiful voice, she is also a gracious and mature young girl who has a brilliant future ahead of her. With all the bad things and people there are in the world, why don’t you use your “journalistic talents” towards a useful purpose, like an expose on corruption or guying after bad guys? Creating negative vibes against a wonderful 10 year girl, is that the best you can do? ?, If so, do all us a favor a find a different line of work. Sincerely, Joel Schaefer, Saugus Massacusetts, joelschaefer40@hotmail.com
I would classify what you are doing as bullying. Even though you say you are doing it for her own good I don’t believe you were appointed to do that work. An adult bullying a 12 year old girl is despicable. She probably is protected from this type of trash by her parents but her friends are not. When they surf the web they come across comments like yours and they are not so sophisticated so they think less of Jacki. You should really be feeling good. Might I suggest you do what my mother told me when I was in junior high bitching about a singer….”tune in a different station” (that was before TV)
Sorry I did not know this was a post reserved for jealous, bitter wantta-be, and their moms.
You compare Jackie to children in conservatories practicing for many, many hours and then point to gymnasts who practice in the same fashion. First you will become a great critic upon assumption of the office of Pope. Second, the children you compare Jackie with have NO life outside their parents chosen goals for them whereas Jackie’s childhood has been closely protected by hers. Third, Most of us see her as a beautiful child with a remarkable talent, unlike you who long ago left childhood and still have no talent except the unremarkable achievement of criticizing those who do! Suggest you put aside your word processor and collect trash for a living since you are very capable of generating it!
@Sandy
Church did not ruin her voice singing operatic arias. She ruined it in her late teens smoking and drinking. As to Church “singing Jackie off the stage” as a preteen, I haven’t heard her in that stage of her life but I highly doubt she could.
As to her understandability I agree, she is much worse now than when she was on AGT. It helps if there are lyrics for the songs.
I think I have heard the Jackie / Charlotte comparison many times. Perhaps a matter a of taste but I compared Jackie to Charlotte singing “O Holy Night” when Jackie was one year younger than Charlotte. (I think both versions are still available on You Tube) If you listen to the back half of the song; Jackie de-scales so perfectly with constant volume; it is simply beyond anyone I have ever heard.
I would like to add that Charlotte has an amazing voice in any genre. If she chooses to sing pop then pop improves; if she chooses rock then rock improves. Whatever direction she goes in the music world benefits. She is a great singer, one of the best.
Jackie though is a phenom; phenoms occur about once every 100 years. (male or female) Enrico Caruso is still a standard today that all other male tenors are measured by – he was a phenom; so good, that 75 years later people still talk about him. I believe Jackie has that potential; its not evident in every song and yes, she is undergoing a voice transition where the output is a bit muffled. But, just like any other young superstar in any other field it takes time to grow. In the meantime, the flashes of greatness are simply stunning. Worth the price of admssion times ten.
I see this article was written in Feb 2012. I have nothing to add to the comments except just to say, “Shut up and let the angel sing already!” Concerning her pronunciation of words while singing: yes, it was an issue on the Dream With Me album. But let’s review: she was ELEVEN YEARS OLD for God’s sake. Now, at the ripe old age of TWELVE, her word pronunciation is clear and expressive. So take that, Mr. Cannotbepleased. And as for training, let me just say that I love opera, and if Jackie were to choose to receive training to become an opera singer, that would be fine with me. But voices like hers belong in the crossover genre, where it can be fully utilized to impart the maximum bliss to the most people. You’ve heard Jackie do arias extremely well, but you’ll never hear an opera singer do “What a Wonderful World” or “Imaginer” like Jackie does them. An opera singer would ruin those songs. Apparently too many opera aficionados feel threatened by natural talent.