But I’m glad that LLWD is doing well, and Kris’ album opening sales aren’t bad either. Especially not if they build over time instead of falling, like LLWD has. As I’ve always said, it’s longevity that matters, not huge openers.

Oops correction, Kris started playing the viola because a friend did. LOL. Okay, not much different, BUT, this doesn’t disqualify the fact that he’s a born musician.

No, it absolutely does not. I totally agree that he’s an excellent, very talented musician. …. But what it does say, I think, is that he wasn’t seeking the limelight and was content to take the backup instrument, while everybody else was scrambling for the solo instrument.

He is a very good musician. However, he was also a *viola* player, and the conservatory spots offered to viola players do come with an asterisk.

Kind of a big leap to assume that his scholarship was given to him for mediocre playing, don’t you think? Kris is a talented enough musician to play 3 instruments, 2 of them on national television, leading to his winning AI. It’s also an accomplishment to be offered a music scholarship. I don’t think it’s fair to imply that he only got it because he played an unpopular instrument. Do you even know that the scholarship was solely for his viola playing? Do you have access to the scholarship committee’s notes on why he was accepted?

Well, you get accepted to music school on the basis of the instrument you play and, pretty universally, you get accepted on the basis of the *classical* instrument you play. The classical instrument Kris played was the viola. …. Therefore, there was really no other basis for him to be accepted.

They weren’t going to accept him as a singer, because there’s never been any evidence that Kris aspired to be a classical singer, and universities don’t generally admit pop singers, except for some jazz singers, which Kris also doesn’;t seem ever to have pursued. They weren’t going to accept him based on his playing rock guitar, because they probably don’t teach rock guitar, and they definitely don’t *need* rock guitar. They need the instruments that are in orchestral pieces and string-quartet pieces. And one of those — and the one that is in the lowest supply — is the viola.

I *never* said, implied, or thought that he was a “mediocre” musician or that anybody who gets into music school playing the viola is “mediocre.” It’s clear that he’s an excellent musician, which i’ve never denied. What I said was — and you can check this out in *multiple* places, believe me — is that you *can* get into music school and get a scholarship by being a less good viola player than you would have to be to get in as a violin player. That’s just fact. Facts interest me. And I think the fact that Kris chose to be a viola player shows something that *is* very relevant about him — he has never chosen the limelight.

Congrats to Kelly on moving up the chart as well. She was great at the AMAs on Sunday — first time I’ve ever seen her live.

He is a very good musician. However, he was also a *viola* player, and the conservatory spots offered to viola players do come with an asterisk.

Kind of a big leap to assume that his scholarship was given to him for mediocre playing, don’t you think? Kris is a talented enough musician to play 3 instruments, 2 of them on national television, leading to his winning AI. It’s also an accomplishment to be offered a music scholarship. I don’t think it’s fair to imply that he only got it because he played an unpopular instrument. Do you even know that the scholarship was solely for his viola playing? Do you have access to the scholarship committee’s notes on why he was accepted?

Good news about LLWD’s jump on the Hot 100!

Note that Kris has basically said that he didn’t really know what to choose so they kind of thrust the viola on him and he said okay.

Oops correction, Kris started playing the viola because a friend did. LOL. Okay, not much different, BUT, this doesn’t disqualify the fact that he’s a born musician.

BILLBOARD HOT 100

20 16 KELLY CLARKSON ALREADY GONE
21 23 CARRIE UNDERWOOD COWBOY CASANOVA
70 41 KRIS ALLEN LIVE LIKE WE’RE DYING

Hurrah for Kris and Kelly rising on the chart! *Big* jump for Kris — hope that radio play continues.

20 16 KELLY CLARKSON ALREADY GONE
21 23 CARRIE UNDERWOOD COWBOY CASANOVA
70 41 KRIS ALLEN LIVE LIKE WE’RE DYING
— 50 GLEE CAST LEAN ON ME
— 64 GLEE CAST DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME / YOUNG GIRL
— 73 GLEE CAST I’LL STAND BY YOU
31 74 GLEE CAST FEATURING DEFYING GRAVITY
— 78 GLEE CAST ENDLESS LOVE

Kris was offered a music scholarship from University of Arkansas ‘“ I don’t think ‘adequate’ musicality a term we can use on Kris. For him to be confident enough to play the piano on TV live, only after learning the instrument a year before, does not warrant ‘less than adequate’ tag.

He is a very good musician. However, he was also a *viola* player, and the conservatory spots offered to viola players do come with an asterisk.

If you ask any conservatory or music school at all, you’ll find that there are so few viola players out there that there are almost always viola scholarships and viola spots in university (and other) orchestras going begging. For that reason, a pretty good viola player is likely to get offered a couple of scholarships while a violin player, for example, with the same level of skill and ability doesn’t even have a ghost of a chance of getting into a music school at all, because the numbers of violin players — and thus of great violin players — is so high.

I’m not making this up. Your shot at a music-school spot varies *hugely* based on the instrument you play, and viola happens to be one that’s highly sought after by music schools, orchestras, and so forth. Not a lot of people pick the viola as their instrument …. Note that Kris has basically said that he didn’t really know what to choose so they kind of thrust the viola on him and he said okay.

http://www.billboarddirectories.com/billboard/images/pdf/index_song.pdf

Don’t know if this has been posted anywhere and don’t have the patience to page back through all the comments.

Tess
11/25/2009 at 2:10 pm
Kris is Kris’ ¦a journeyman musician with a relatively good voice that will play well to smaller venues. He will never be another John Mayer’ ¦.his guitar playing is adequate and his piano skills less so. Based on what I heard from him on the album I don’t think his songwriting skills are on the same level, by any means, of most of the singer/songwriters of today.

http://www.cosmogirl.com/entertainment/celeb-qa/kris-allen-nov09-2

Kris was offered a music scholarship from University of Arkansas – I don’t think ‘adequate’ musicality a term we can use on Kris. For him to be confident enough to play the piano on TV live, only after learning the instrument a year before, does not warrant ‘less than adequate’ tag.

That guy is mad talented – but he is too subdued in selling skills (yeah, he didn’t enrol Business major under scholarship!)