[Sleestack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrederikS|TPU /img/forum/go_quote.gif Quite a voice even though it is a bit hard to judge over youtube.

There is an HD option on most videos for those with enough bandwidth. I believe the audio on the HD is at 256 rather than 128. Hardly enough for the discerning ears here, but pretty good as far as YouTube goes.

 

[LuckyKarma]

I'm not going to enter since I won a prize in Sleestack's last giveaway, but I am very anxious to hear the winning cover! You guys are a great duo.

Good luck to everyone!

 

[jinp6301]

I listened to the Bob Dylan cover and man can she sing!

She seems to have a very strong voice and she should sing a song that shows off her dynamics and power that she seems to have. A good cover that would work for her would be Eva Cassidy's cover of Fields of Gold. An amazing song that Eva Cassidy sings beautifully that I feel Era can put her own spin on. The song is popular enough that people will recognize it and the range is big enough for her to show off her skills.

 

[Bojamijams]

Well based on the power of her voice I'm going to go against the 'norm' from what others mya suggest and say she should cover Tonic's song If you could only see. But the acoustic version which I always felt sounded better and more intimate and personal then the normal electric version.

I've never heard a woman cover that song. Obviously she can change all the "she's" to "he". But I feel the passion she brings to it could really bring this song justice and allow it to be heard in a way that was never heard before.

Her cover of a bob dylan song is great but its a bit cliche .. I mean everyone covers bob dylan. How many covers of "knocking on heaven's door" have you heard? See where I'm going.

I think what would get you two noticed, and most notably her, is if she covers a song that nobody sees coming and does it even better then original (which for some reason I think WOULD sound better from her then from a guy). Hell I don't care if I win (be nice though), but the more I think about it the more I really WANT to hear her sing that cover.

Covering aretha and other female singers would be good, but thinking outside the box would get more notice and praise.

YouTube - Tonic-If You Could Only See (Acoustic)

 

[stewtheking]

My vote/entry is for Damien Rice's epic "The Blower's daughter".

After listening to all of the b-group songs, the one that I took to most was the "Make you feel my love". I absolutely love the original Dylan, and the Adele cover. The thing that stuck out for me in Era's rendition was the contrast between this track and the more bombastic sounds of some of the others. The song stands up as a magnificent vehicle to showcase vocal talent, and it's the track that (for me) best displayed Era's skills and musicality.

This is where I feel "The Blowers' Daughter" would be a good choice of song. In the Damien Rice version, the haunting beauty of the vocal line is sparsely accompanied in the main, leaving the vocal part as the key element of the song. It's a magnificent vocal line, leaving masses of scope for interpretation and embellishment, but strong enough to stand up to that interpretation without their original feel being lost. The accompanying lines also feel strong enough to stand up to differences of arrangement and interpretation, which is pretty key to providing an imaginative cover version.

In short, it's pretty much perfect.

 

[Steggy]

I hope we are not limited to just one entry, because I couldn't just think of one song that could suit her talents haha.
My impressions from her videos(in addition to group A i listened to the pink and bob dylan song.) she definitely has above the average control of her lows. Of course some people's voices aren't suited for it, but she does well with it. But she does have fantastic control of her mids/high notes. The one thing I would like to see more is her exercising her falsetto tones. It seems she can pull off more difficult uses of falsetto from what I got to catch glimpses of in these videos, and it can really add another dimension to a song and make it a lot more interesting.

The first song I want to suggest is Nobody's home by Avril Lavine. Preferably acoustic, though I have seen acoustic versions where the climax brings on full band, though still toned back from the LP version. This song is stationed mainly mid/high with those notes that I know Era can hit very well. There is also an interesting part nearing the end of the song where It switches to and from falsetto, which will really add that special something to her songs like I said above. Era also puts a lot of emotion into her songs, which would suit this song particularly very well. I think this is overall the best match I can think of. I think she has the chops for it.
link to acoustic version: YouTube - Avril Lavigne - Nobody's home (acoustic)

Another song I would like to hear would be Cassie by Flyleaf. The acoustic version of this has lows to highs. I would suggest rearranging somethings, like 86ing her scream nearing the end of the song. It just has some really great highs during the chorus which Era should like, and the lows are definitely within her range, so theres nothing to worry about. Not as good of a choice as #1, but it's a different genre to venture in a bit to change it up a bit.
link to cassie acoustic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCMvQrp8zoI

The last song I would suggest is my immortal by evanescence. It would just be a nice harmony with your piano and her bright vocals. Has some killer parts to it and favors her range I feel.
link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idd_92ajjwY

I know these are all female vocals, but it's just what came to mind first. She could still venture into different sounds and whatnot, but I think these songs could be easily reached by her and be turned into killer performances.

 

[vapman]

I'm not at all an Eagles fan, but I knew a girl who had a voice very similar to Era. I heard her sing Desperado once, and it near killed everyone with how beautifully she covered it. I am POSITIVE Era could make a stunning performance out of it.

YouTube - The Eagles - Desperado (live)

Also, please allow me to use my starving student guilt trip card here.

 

[Baines93]

I also vote for The Blowers Daughter by Damien Rice.


Stew has it nailed above... I couldn't explain why I thought that was a top choice until I scrolled down to his last paragraph... It would fit her vocal abilities well I think, and she could do it beautifully.

Clocks would be very good too actually. Would love to hear that done by her. Both in my top 100 tracks of all time.

Matt

 

[Fallen]

I vote for "God Give Me Strength" by Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach.

Amazing songwriting and a killer composition. The melody is complex, yet inevitable and perfect.

It will give her power moments and very also quiet, vulnerable moments. PERFECT for her voice. And it sounds great with just a piano accompaniment as well, as was seen in the movie it was written for- 'Grace of my Heart.'

The movie was about a 60's songwriter based on Carole King and the famous Brill Building. This song was her under-appreciated masterpiece.

The song is the ultimate break-up song. Sad and surprising. It doesn't go where you think it will.

The final reason I think you should do this song is because although it was written for a female character in the movie, the soundtrack album only had the Elvis Costello version, so there hasn't been a definitive version of this song sung by a girl. Which is an outrage, especially if you listen to the words.

I hope you do record it even if just to spread a song that perhaps didn't get recognized as much as it should have when it first came out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6Co5fDmD7I

 

[intoflatlines]

I think she should go out of her comfort zone a little and sing "Kiss the Bottle" by Jawbreaker. It's a good punky song originally, and I heard a really good cover of it by Sparta that really slowed it down and made it much more mellow. She's really got the potential for this one and I'd love to see a slow quiet female vocal version of this song. Maybe it could be a cover of a cover?

 

[fraseyboy]

I am totally not an expert. But...

I think her voice would be very suited to 'A Lack of Color' by Death cab for Cutie, the final track on Transatlanticism. It's a very beautiful song and has a nice acoustic understated tone that suits her voice. It also gives her a chance to lower things slightly and bring out a more tranquil side. She could also add some dynamics and raise the volume gradually then lower it towards the end, or anything really. It's just a great song.

And it would sound really nice as a piano+voice version.

 

[NeObliviscaris]

I've heard her videos before, and she is a beautiful singer.

I am a big fan of Delta Goodrem, and thing Delta Goodrem's Born To Try would be a beautiful song for her to cover. I think Era's voice would be a beautiful voice to cover the already amazing song that Delta has written.

 

[CDBacklash]

I think A Fine Frenzy - "Near to you" or "Almost Lover" is right for her, I would love to hear.
Near to you live
Near to you studio
It even has simple piano

.
I think it suits her because its piano and vocal and theres a lot of room to paint images/moods with the music, something I think she is good at from the videos I watched. It looks like it might already be in key for her too.
Its nice to see some talent, I hope she gets somewhere some day.
If this becomes a little too much of a similar cover, perhaps something slightly different like Charles and Eddies "Would I lie to you". Theres a lot of room to investigate interpretation with it.

 

[rockin_amigo14]

This girl definitely has "it". Obviously she has the technique down (tone, inflection, head voice, vibratto, etc.), but anyone can learn that; but she's got personality and a beautiful soul in her voice which is something you can't be taught. It's something you have to feel. Even without watching, she clearly has that too. Her voice is great, but the links make me think she's slightly limiting her selection.

In my opinion, she needs to move outside the Pop/Ballad range. As shown in the Dylan cover, she isn't a limited singer and needs to expand the repertoire. I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest some Musical Theater songs.


I honestly think the Musical Theater genre would be a great fit for her (at least vocally). She has the power and emotion, both of which are needed in this particular brand of music. Now being a theater major, I have multiple songs I believe she would sound great on, and even more that I just would love to hear her sing. However what got my attention is the powerful upper register she presents, both in chest as well as head voice. I don't have a definite opinion on a song yet but I'm going to type out my thought process and I should have an answer by the end of this post.

First song that comes to mind is a song from Les Miserables. The performer in the video is also known for her role in Miss Saigon. I don't particularly like this version; if you look up the Original London Cast version, I prefer that one much more to this one. Either way, this song requires a strong emotion from this girl who sings of a man she loves but knows she will never have. This song does not have insane belting like some more modern shows, but does take the voice to levels that are both impressive and emotional, both I believe our original singer can achieve. Take a look at On My Own from Les Miserables: YouTube - [Les Miserables] 10th anniversary - On My Own

Next up is a song which would be a little bit harder to learn and would actually be a fun little film project in addition to a vocal adventure. From the gothic musical thriller Jekyll & Hyde is a song of two women who represent Good and Evil, much like Jekyll and Hyde, each one appealing to those respective women. It is intended to be a duet, but there is a version of this song where Linda Eder actually records her voice on multiple tracks, singing both parts of this song, and it sounds wonderful. I believe this song is very beautiful because of the sweeping melodies that carry throughout, but it is indeed a very vocally demanding song. If you're up for the challenge, In His Eyes from Jekyll & Hyde: YouTube - Jekyll and Hyde- In His Eyes

next up is one of my favorite songs. The song is simply about a person who cares and is actually gender neutral; I've auditioned with this song on more than one occasion. While it's not a difficult song, it's quite beautiful and has plenty of room for interpretation. There's no real story as the show it's from is simply a compilation of songs rather than a true show. Enjoy the song Anytime (I Am There) from Elegies: YouTube - Alysha Umpress Anytime I am There William Finn

fourth, and finally, is one of the most moving and powerful songs I know of from my personal favorite piece of theater, Ragtime: The Musical. The song is written for a black woman but I am quite sure our singer here is capable of this task. I've had multiple friends sing this at recitals, cabarets, performances, etc. and it never fails to bring down the house and even leave the more emotional ones in the audience with wet eyes. The song is about a mother who attempted to abandon her child as she's single and alone and believes the father has left her forever. There's no more introduction I can think of, so here's Your Daddy's Son from Ragtime: The Musical: YouTube - Your Daddy's Son-By Tracy Silva

anyway, those are 4 songs, i think she should definitely take a look at. If she's feeling adventurous, definitely the last one. If not, the first one. The other two are possibilities but of course this is just all my opinion. Do with it what you will =P

Congrats on having such a fantastic talent and I wish you success in whatever path you choose to take.

 

[chadbang]

I watched all the videos! Not only is she lovely to look and she has an absolutely wonderful voice and poised appearance. Very impressive and I hope she has a wonderful career. I liked "If no one will listen" best from the A-list because it shows off her ability to handle a wide vocal range. And I liked "Lost" because it displayed the power and strength of her voice (the Dylan song also was excellent for this).

As something of an older listener, I would love to hear her sing something familiar to millions and I think "I still believe" from "Miss Saigon" is something of a modern stage classic. It's a song with tremendous passion and pain, and those emotions powerfully affect an audience. That, paired with the song's familiarity to listeners likely to be judging her professionally, will move them on more levels than performing a relative unknown pop song (I didn't know any of the songs she performed). Honestly there are so many "clones" out there who have adopted the popular soul idiom, that I think taking a step back into the classics will make you stand out more than performing another "Idol" number. It's important to show you have a breadth of musical knowledge outside of the pop-soul genre and show judges you have a respect for the great tenants of musical performance. Broadway pieces do just this. I'm betting that if she rises to an upper tier of judging, that those judges will be in my age group (40-50) and they will feel the same sense of tedium of hearing another soul piece. I really believe that her range and power will also shine on a song like "I Still Believe" and leave an audience breathless in its wake. If you're not familiar with the song, watch this video which has both Lea Salonga and another singer performing the piece in tandem. As you can see, it's a number that can be performed by anyone, "Asian" or not (I'm Asian, BTW).

YouTube - i still believe

Again, familiarity can never work against you (and "I Still Believe" isn't exactly overplayed) and having the gravitas of a showstopper behind you will show you're not afraid of tackling a masterpiece. I've worked in entertainment and if I heard a young singer tackle a song from a Broadway show, I'd immediately think, "Ah, she has respect for the business..."

So not only do if feel there's no better showpiece for a "serious" singer, I think it's well fitted to her talents