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Bluesky’s “Wishes for David Archuleta”
Posted by bebereader on Tuesday, January 19, 2016
credit: Nandito Ako
As I read blogs, comments, and watch videos of DA on AI, one thought keeps running through my mind: Be Careful What You Wish For!
I remember the topics:
- The difficulties and struggles of the school-age participants
- The discussions on last minute song changes or refusal of song choices
- The judges comments/support or lack thereof
- The overwhelming response of the musicians, audience and public
- The worry over contracts and what they might mean
- The struggle and pressure to produce an album, with music videos
- The pressure and joy of the AI traveling concerts (I was โ and still am, I expect โ completely in love with the AI concerts that DA did!!)
- The blogs, the โownersโ, the tours under contract
- The discussions about pros and cons of different publicists, labels, genres, bands
- The wonder of experiencing DAโs constant change-ups, licks, interpretations, and heart-delivery: love, vulnerability, and strength
And on, and on. And with every challenge: More DA. More exposure. More learning about it all. And about him, as well.
credit: Lily
There are also many aspects of DA that I could not fully know at the time, because I learned about him through the medium of AI. And many, many times: the medium is the message.
I remember how there were discussions on how wonderful it would be when DA was free of the AI contract(s), and could do things more his own way.
I thought to myself how for me at least, it was like a dichotomy: I did not want AI to โownโ him. Yet I felt a certain ownership myself. And it was because AI โownedโ him that the whole dynamic of โownershipโ came up in the first place. I felt like I had a window into DA. Their ownership gave me the illusion of ownership as well. (Like really identifying with a character in a movie or story โ I value the experience, I value my own experience with the character โ I learn, and it becomes part of my life.) I think that is part of the attraction of โrealityโ television shows.
Of course, I never wanted to โownโ DA. I just wanted the closeness to continue more or less the same. But I didnโt realize. How could I? I had never been on a reality show. I did not become a โpublic figureโ at the age of 16. And โDear DAโ never wanted to be a public figure in the first place. He just wanted to follow the direction of the spirit and sing. It brought him publicity. It brought him to AI. It brought him to me. I am grateful.
So now, like before, I find myself โwishing for DAโ. Wishing for him to be happy, for him to find the music he loves and a way to share it โฆ especially, I wish for the continuation of itโs impact on my life. I admit that!
It is January 2016 and yes, why not? I am โwishing for DAโ. And as I already have got most of my other wishes, that he be free, that he can do the music he, himself chooses, that he can do things โhis own wayโโฆ. Is it too selfish of me to hope that my other wishes will be met as well? Hey! It could happen!!
So I will make an unapologetic wish list:
- that DA tours this fall (or latest, next spring) all across the USA (and other countries), so that other fans can see him live
- that DA records a CD with Spanish music
- and one in English as well
- that the powers that raise him up will sustain him and successfully enlist his kind and honest heart in a new โcontractโ a new โownershipโ that carries him onward and upward andโฆ. Closer to so many who have come to love him. No matter how they came to โknowโ him.
Dear DA: We wish for you only the very best and brightest of futures. Fans justโฆwellโฆ.want to be enfolded in the sounds of all the music that that future holds. You see, we love that sound and I believe that this is just the way it was meant to be.
The Voice David Archuleta 
bebereader said
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tawna21 said
Bluesky,
I’ll put a second to your wish list! ๐
Your thoughts on ‘owning’ David? I found myself there in times gone by. No, I didn’t own him and I knew it … but wait, I really did …didn’t I?! I found it a very confusing place to be. To become so involved in the life and music and heart of one that was not related to me, or even a neighbor (hey, we both live in Utah!), became something that I had to deal with. It meant stepping away for several months (cold turkey no less) and then gradually allowing myself to pick up where I’d been and placing him where he was supposed to be. I could, I found, love and admire this person (this really young person) for his talents and his humility and his desire for good and still be who I am and live my life in my own way. However, I also learned that this really young person could teach me how to be a better person. So, I’m letting myself learn from him things like….. ” Let’s be those ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay.” ๐
And thanks for the Nathan Pacheco video…. I love it!
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lynnella said
I love this post. It completely describes what most of us have gone through. David was such a sweet, innocent young man on AI, and in a lot of ways he still is, though I think he’s a little more wise to the ways of the world now. I think for me, he’s the same age as my oldest grandson, I looked at him the same way I look at my grandson. I became invested in his success and wanted it for him so badly. When he didn’t win, I was more disappointed than he seemed to be. I think his going on the Mission was good for him, and even better for the fans. We needed to get things back into perspective, at least I did. He’s not my grandson, I’ve never even been to one of his concerts, and yet I was worrying about him as though we were related. That’s just messed up. Now, I still care what happens to him and his career, but in a more appropriate way.
I’ve seen other singers I liked, the Voice’s Sawyer Fredericks and most recently Jordan Smith, but now I can keep it on a more casual level. I still really like David, but I’m not obsessed. I don’t think I really was that obsessed, but I still like to hear him sing and still have hopes that one day he may come to a venue close enough that I can drive to see him, since I no longer fly.
I still look at a few fan sites occasionally, but not everyday. And, like I’m doing now, I still comment when I feel like I want to. In other words, I just look at it all differently. I think social media causes people to get these fixations. There was so much to see and read before his Mission. Now, not so much. Back in the day when I was a teen and Elvis was popular, you didn’t see that much or hear that much. We still liked him, but it was just different.
I hope some of this makes sense to some of you. It’s after midnight here, and I’m sleepy.
Lynne
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jans11 said
Bluesky, I have all the same wishes for David now as I have since he was on AI. I’ve always wanted him to make it “big”. But I guess he has different ideas of “big”. ๐ I was like Paula and wanted the whole world to hear him because he is so good. Maybe someday the rest of the world will realize what a gem he is and I will get my wish. As for this year, my wish is for an album to materialize soon! ๐
Lynne…I “like” other singers, but to me David is just exceptional. He will always be the best to me. I know if you ever seen him in person, you would never want the concert to end. He is just so good live! I might have ODD, but it’s so much fun! ๐
from previous post…Love Nathan’s new song and what a cute little son he has.
I watched all the Lord of the Ring movies and that is a great quote from David.
Dja…I am able to connect him with David easily too. I know he has had a lot to do with where David is now…David has even said it in interviews.
Mt…I never vote on AI, but I do watch it.
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lynnella said
Jans11 – I didn’t mean to give the impression that I like others more than David. I don’t. I rooted for them on the Voice, but I wasn’t as invested in them as I was in David. It’s just that, when you wait so long for something that hasn’t come yet, new music, you find yourself trying to fill the void. However, that void is never going to be filled until the new music comes. David will always remain my favorite. Not just because of his voice, but his personality and his character. He’s just the best out there. I guess what I was trying to say is, I’ve calmed down a lot. I’m not as OCD as I was.
Lynne
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jans11 said
Lynne, you didn’t give me that impression. I was just giving my own take on the way I feel. I know you love him too or you wouldn’t be on here. The bad thing about printed words is that sometimes it might give a different slant on something someone is trying to say. It’s true that when you see him you won’t want it to end! I have calmed down too just because he isn’t out there as much. It’s not non stop concerts and appearances anymore. But it sure was a good ride when he was. โฅโฅโฅโฅโฅ
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betsy said
Bluesky, honest and beautiful.
You always HAVE had a way with words.
Thanks. ๐
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bebereader said
Bluesky,
What a ride we were on, indeed, when David was on AI!
I remember all those discussions you referred to on your bulleted list.
Thank you for wishing that David tours “this fall (or latest, next spring) all across the USA (and other countries), so that other fans can see him live.” Me! Me! Me! Hands up! I’m one who is waiting for him to come back to the east coast. I will continue to be patient because he is so worth the wait!
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bluesky4home said
Bebereader: I do, I really do! I feel so blessed to have been able to see him perform several times these last two years. And I want SO much for the other fans to have these experiences and more. I am looking forward to it with all my heart.
Betsy: *waving* So good to “see” you!!! Write to us. ^_^
Jans: I so loved meeting you! I am so grateful to Dayzee for arranging all of that and for being such a great fan. Seeing NP in Nashville….woah! Really makes me wonder about what fun influences DA might have while he is there. I love it that he is having all these experiences meeting up and working with so many wonderful artists.
I always love your posts, Lynnella! “However, that void is never going to be filled until the new music comes.” How true, how true. But then, it is like he just makes room for a bigger space of “missing him”. The guy can’t win! ^_^ I feel certain you will see him live someday. Just has to be. You are one of the best types of fans: you see what is there despite having never had the full treatment. You can see and hear it: you know.
Tawna: “So, Iโm letting myself learn from him things likeโฆ.. โ Letโs be those ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay.โ ” Amen. The hardest and most rewarding work seems to be within the small moments and small spaces of our own hearts. Thank you for sharing your thoughts! ^_^
Although I know I can’t see him and that things are a much different pace right here – with DA, the pace has not really slowed: he is busy, always.
(I he DID have a secret mouse friend who accompanied him wherever he goes, then I could wish for that mouse to own a mouse-sized go-pro. *sigh* aint gonna happen. ^_^ And it is probs good that it is not!. But it is fun to think of sometimes.)
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djafan said
Bluesky, your way with words make my heart dance. Oh the way it all began on AI, every point you made couldn’t be more perfect, it’s like we were in same room experiencing the same things. How could that be?
I’m for the most part calm and patient nowadays when it comes to David though I do have my moments lol. Every wish you made for David is also my wish.
Thank you for sharing with us๐
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jans11 said
Thanks, Bluesky. It was a joy to meet you too. And all the others that I have had the privilege to meet. It has been so much fun doing things that I never ever thought I would do. Traveling to concerts solo, meeting people I’ve never met…having a ball! Probably those days will be far and few between now at least til he gets the ball rolling! ๐ I just know that David has the best fans out there. Everyone that I have met are the nicest people ever…just like David. So I guess we are one big happy family!! ๐ Or, as David puts it…”we’re all cousins aren’t we?” Jeesh, he makes me smile! ๐
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djafan said
Jans, cousins haha I need to remind David of that if ever I get the chance to speak to him again.
Tickets are going fast!
Nice tweet from the venue ๐
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Dayzee said
Got my ticket for the added Queen Creek show. Always an emotional time for me trying to find my way through the get-a-ticket process. I was rerouted and directed to places that did not enable ticket buying. Finally, I pulled up the floor plan of available seats and there was a whole venue of unsold tickets except for 2 on the center front row. I chose the seat next to those two and now can’t wait to meet that person who bought the first two tickets. Wondering if I know them. Wondering if it will be someone new, but obviously one of us because they had been sitting somewhere waiting for that 9 am sale to begin. Like Jan wrote, I will be traveling to a concert solo. Would never have thought of doing for any other artist.
Bluesky and Bebe. I am so wanting to see David travel to destinations far and wide. Pack those bags David! People need to see you. I really don’t like telling David what to do, but sharing him with people around the world is one of life’s great pleasures. So many fans I enjoy thanks to him. And such fun to get together and share our fandom. Tawna, I think it is your turn to get us a lunch plan. We are lucky to have so many nice folks that live close.
Lynella, “David will always remain my favorite. Not just because of his voice, but his personality and his character. Heโs just the best out there.” ๐
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jans11 said
Dayzee, so happy for you to get your ticket right there in front! I know that if you don’t know them, you will in about 2 seconds! ๐ I wanted to go to these concerts, but just can’t this time…will have to settle for the great pics and videos from the good fans. Still hoping for him to come to the Midwest!
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Abrra said
Bluesky, thank you for your thoughts.
I am a fan of many reality shows. I understand what you say about “owning” a favorite contestant. I cheer when they have a good result and feel sad when they are eliminated. Then I pick a 2nd fav …rinse and repeat. With David it played out very differently. With his ability to make it all the way to the finale, we got very invested in him as an artist. We had to find out what he was going to do next in his career. So here we are today, 8 years into his musical journey. My only wish would be that we had been aware of his true feelings about how things were played out. I am sure that fans would have dialed it back, as we do now, had we realized he needed more space to create. Chalk it up to his youth and people pleasing innocence. Everything happens for a reason.
This is my new musical drug of choice. I call it Dancing Eyebrows but you may know it as jazzy White Christmas.
credit mundo archuleta
Abrra
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bluesky4home said
Abrra… and that right hand as he sings/says OOOOOoooh Iiiiiiieeee. He has to “draw” it in the air as he draws it with his voice. I guess his eyebrows are just and extension of his hands!!! ^_^
This song is also one of my favs. I call it “ol blue-eyes” brown eyes. ha, ha,
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bluesky4home said
SOOOOOOOO much talent. *good grief*
Several fairy godmothers must have been visiting the punch bowl early in the party.
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Abrra said
Brooke White did a write up on her AI7 experience during Andrew Lloyd Webber week.
First Person: My โAmerican Idolโ Experience, by Brooke White
To this day when a stranger stops me in Target, or when a flight attendant recognizes the sound of my voice, they almost always say the same thing: โMy favorite moment is when you stopped and started over,โ or โWow, that was so brave of you,โ or even โThat was very professional.โ Makes me laugh.
Iโm grateful for their kind words, but I am not sure I can take any credit for being brave, and I definitely canโt claim it was a mark of my professionalism. It simply just happened. I think they call it a โbrain fart.โ And it was mortifying.
It was Andrew Lloyd Webber Week, and to give you some context, I was coming off the back of Mariah Carey Week, a rougher week in my Idol journey. It was the week I had missed my very own little sisterโs wedding because the lovely Ms. Carey was running a bit behind that day for our mentorship โ about four hours behind, to be exact โ therefore I wasnโt going to be able to catch a flight to Arizona for her big day. It was definitely a golden problem; nonetheless, it was sad. I should say that despite the fact that Mariah was super-late, she was quite nice, and a good mentor.
Anyhoo, I had sung “Hero,โ which was like the token Mariah song. But letโs be honest: My raspy, four-note range was never going to slay a Mariah vocal. So I did the best I could with it, tried to make it my own, just me and a piano โ a battle I had fought for the week prior on โEvery Breath You Takeโ but lost to the producers. They were worried that it would look โself-indulgentโ to play alone, and I was worried that maybe they were right, so we added the band. After the performance, Simon Cowell said something to the effect that it lost him when the band came in and that I should have just played it solo. We were at a party at Rupert Murdochโs house (the fact that I just typed that sentence is crazy, ha ha!) the day after the results show, and Simon was there and took a moment to come over and tell me, โListen, Brooke, you have got to do what you want to do and fight for it, and donโt let anyone tell you no.โ
Read the article here : https://www.yahoo.com/music/first-person-my-american-idol-experience-by-183600468.html
Abrra
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tawna21 said
THAT SONG ^^^^ made it’s way into the playlist of my head and heart the first time I heard it…. my sister couldn’t believe it was David! I’ve channeled him to Elvis in parts of it, and most def to Sinatra! I love how he tosses the mic from left to right hand and twirls his fingers in the air. He was for sure having fun with the song arrangement!! ๐
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Dayzee said
“Song of the Dancing Eyebrows”? Perfect! After reading that title, I watched the entire video while focusing only on the eyebrows. Great! Couldn’t miss those hands coming in there a few times to accentuate the eyebrows Haha. Tawna, your sister couldn’t believe it was David? Even I could not believe it was David. Glad you referred to Sinatra. That is exactly what came to my mind.
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tawna21 said
Dayzee, …”Even I could not believe it was David.” It was a life changing experience…. a David we had never before seen! I hope we see more of it!!!
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djafan said
Love the dancing eyebrows. I love watching all his live performances, it’s an experience.
Remember this? I was there!
FOR HIS LATEST RECORD!
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tawna21 said
Grooming!!!!? I could do ‘grooming’….. I just know I could…. just give me a shot at ‘grooming’!!!! #hair #alittlemorefluff #whiskers #ohyeah
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Abrra said
On my screen, just to the left of the picture of David in grey shirt #22, is a picture of him in similar attire holding his laptop at home. He didn’t need 4 people fussing over him to look good that time ๐ He just looks good all the time. No need to fuss ๐
Abrra
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bluesky4home said
Ha, ha, Tawna!! I’ll just bet you could. ^_^
He truly has the face of an angel. Who could resist?
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Dayzee said
But Abrra……we would love the opportunity to fuss
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jans11 said
I was floored the first time I heard him sing this version of “White Christmas”! Love the way David always makes any song he sings his own! Another one of my all time favorites! I think I’m starting to lost count….. ๐
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Abrra said
haha!! Mesmerizing ๐
Abrra
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tawna21 said
Abrra…. Are you surviving back there?!
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Abrra said
Tawna
Nothing really unusual. Just snow. We are used to it. By Monday everything will be plowed out and back to normal. All the heavy snow was farther south.
Abrra
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tawna21 said
Good to hear, Abrra. There are some pretty nasty looking pictures on the news.
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Abrra said
Years of growth, many more to come.
http://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=1422b5fda960
edit by wishal
Abrra
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Dayzee said
Love the puzzle Abrra. I have been watching Unplugged now showing AI and latest concerts. The growth and change in David are very apparent there. I find myself thinking he looks soooo young on AI. Of course he was always awesome. I feel fortunate to have seen David transform from teenager to mature young man. His style and grace are unparalleled. “many more to come” Yayyyy
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jans11 said
Another fabulous puzzle, Abbra, thanks!
Dayzee, last week I spent a few hours watching David in the “old” days too. His growth is very apparent. He has grown and matured so gracefully. I can’t imagine being in the limelight like he was and trying to do his own thing. With him sticking to his guns and staying true to himself he is getting to where he wants to be and very successfully at that! I, too, am so happy that I have witnessed this part of his life and knowing that he is getting better,(how, I don’t know, but he is) makes it even more exciting! ๐ Oh yeah!
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Abrra said
There were dancers???
8throwcenter
Abrra
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tawna21 said
Thank you for the puzzle, Abrra! And yes, there were dancers, but they must not have been as good as David, because I didn’t see much of them! ๐
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jans11 said
I guess so, all I paid attention to was the singer!! ๐ Bravo David!!!!!
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djafan said
What dancers?! Haha. All I see and hear is David.
Looks like maybe David is spending family time before he hits the road again, refueling๐
https://instagram.com/p/BA-8x-opqQ_/
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jans11 said
It’s good to see all the kids together having some fun! ๐ Little Violetta doesn’t seem to want her picture taken…reminds me of my kids! ๐ She’s a cutie!
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Abrra said
Pocoelsy created this edit that is a perfect weekday puzzle.
http://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=3980bcdc1fc2
Abrra
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djafan said
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bluesky4home said
Djafan!! I am SO happy for you. If I had a happy dance emo, I would put it right here: ^_^
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djafan said
Bluesky! I just couldn’t resist!!!!
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lynnella said
That puzzle reminds me of this:
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bluesky4home said
From the article on KSL:
“It’s impressive that little Claire not only has all the words to the songs memorized but is able to implement the small inflections in the spoken moments. When asked if little Claire needed prompting to remember the words and use correct diction, her dad said, “Somehow, she learned to speak and enunciate really well at such a young age, and I think that has made it easier for her to hear and understand the words so that she could memorize them. She has an amazing memory.”
She is three. Remind you of anyone? ^_^
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bluesky4home said
Sorry, DA. She is too young for you.
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pat parham said
I loved.this, I could relate to this. Thank you, he is my idol as well!!
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