Idol thoughts

I think it's a toss-up this year. Trying to guess who's going to be the American Idol at this point seems much harder that it's been in any past year. The talent seems evenly matched, and it would be hard to figure out why America would prefer one contestant over another.

I think Melinda is a stand-out among the singers. I'd love to see her win. There's something deep within this young lady that reminds me a lot of one of my former students who works in Alaska. It seems like she's been an overlooked and under-rated flower bud with so much inner beauty and talent to offer, just waiting to burst open. Once unleashed, she's put on a show like no other. I still think Melinda may fit in the under-dog category, but that may just elevate her to Idol-dum.

I think Blake has the best chance to win. He's multi-talented and seems to adjust well in any musical genre. Besides, he looks a lot like Beckham, that soccer star who's moving to Los Angeles this fall. It would be nice to have a Pacific Northwest American Idol, and Blake could fill the bill since he's from Seattle.

My third choice for winning would be Jordan, the 17-year-old phenom. The poise, the maturity, the voice and the range are unbelievable, and her age could be a factor in the voting. I'm guessing a lot of teen-agers would like to see one of their own as the American Idol.

The other three---Phil, Chris and LaKisha are nice people, good singers and definitely deserving to be in the top six, but for various reasons, I don't think they have the strengths and broad appeal of the other three. It's hard to define the distinctions, but my gut and the amount of time I've put into watching nearly every Idol show tells me I may have arrived at the top three----but there are always surprises.

I thought last night's musical offerings definitely showed that each contestant put his or her best foot forward. I loved every song and loved how each provided an individual stamp to what they sang. I was surprised at the criticism of Blake's version of Lennon's "Imagine," mainly because I thought he sang it better than Lennon. And, that's going somewhere. It was so pure and heartfelt.

What I thought was going to be a "ho-hum" Idol season is turning out to be one of the best ever. Any of the final six could serve as an excellent Idol, so it will be sad to see them go as the weeks eliminate one more from the mix.

Again, I still don't know why I'm so mesmerized by this show. I think a lot might have to do with the parallels I so often saw as a teacher. Watching students come in kinda rough around the etches, watching them bloom, and later seeing them as full-fledged, often polished human beings. Idol presents a great storyline for each contestant who can hang in there for several weeks.