Hello for the second time this week! I forgot to mention this on Tuesday, but NBC is currently airing an hour-long “Best of Auditions” special featuring acts we’ve seen so far this season. I’m not going to liveblog it, but will be back later to update with a list of who appeared. Take note of these names, because I have a feeling appearing on this special may indicate who’s most likely making it through the next round and moving on to the live shows.
I also wanted to share these fun videos of YouTube star Colleen Ballinger (aka “Miranda Sings”) and AGT Season 11 winner Grace VanderWaal! (They’ve been out for a few weeks but I never got around to posting them here.) Enjoy!
I'm obssessed with the entertainment industry, especially offbeat and nerdy things as well as those that involve live performance. The only thing I love more than geeking out over the things that entertain me is sharing in my excitement with others who share the same passions. America may have talent, but Canada has an up-and-coming blogger who is ready to take the internet by storm!
For those wanting to follow some of this year’s cast on Twitter (or just looking to find out more about some of them), I’ve compiled this list of links to various social media resources for the judges, hosts, and contestants. I’m going to do my best to update it after each audition, but I can always use some help – if you locate a contestant’s Twitter, Facebook, website, Instagram, etc. (and I haven’t already posted it), please mention it in the comments and I’ll add it to the list. I’m also working on an AGT Season 8 Twitter list at our @pureagt account…stay tuned!!!
Ultrasound specialist by day, entertainment blogger by night - with some amateur dancer, hair & makeup enthusiast, crazy cat lady, recreational chef, and Donnie Wahlberg/Norman Reedus fangirl peppered in to make things interesting ;-) Check out some of my other work over at puredwts.com!
Remember the hip-hop violinist from AGT Season 5? She made it to the quarter-finals where she was ultimately eliminated. However, that wasn’t the end for her.
Before I get into that though, here is her Top 48 performance from Season 5.
This probably wasn’t my favorite performance, but it was pretty cool. However, leaving America’s Got Talent early in the competition ended up being a good thing for her. Devin Graham, a cinemetographer, approached Stirling about making a YouTube video with him, and from there, her career took off. The YouTube channel she started in 2007 took off after that video debuted, and has done very well since then. As of this month, she has over 100 million views, and her music has been on Last FM and Pandora. In addition, it is anticipated that she will release a CD later this year.
In an article written about her in BYU Magazine, where she is currently an undergrad, Stirling made this interesting statement after she posted her first video on 2011 on YouTube:
My music quadrupled in sales overnight. YouTube did more for me than America’s Got Talent. I realized there’s something to this.
This shows just how powerful YouTube is. I think it’s pretty cool that she was able to find a lot of success, even though she didn’t make it to the finals of AGT. It sounds like that was the catalyst for her career, but that YouTube is really what helped her become popular. Has anyone heard of any other former AGT contestants that were YouTube sensations as well?
The article also provided some interesting insight into what she’s been up to, as well as how she almost missed out on learning the violin. Apparently, her older sister wanted to play an instrument, and so Stirling wanted to as well. All her parents had was a trumpet, but she really wanted to play a violin. So they let her, although they could only afford for one 15 minute lesson a week, which some of the teachers scoffed at, believing there was no way she could learn. She obviously proved them wrong!
Her videos feature her in a variety of situations and places, including in Africa and New Zealand. I spent some time watching some of her videos tonight, and I have to say, I’m very impressed. They are so much fun, and this girl has some serious talent. I’ve never seen a violinist like her! I posted a few of her videos below, including the one filmed in Africa. It was the first time many of the people in the video had seen a violin. Whenever her album gets released, I think I will purchase it. She seems to be very successful, and is also on track to graduate from Brigham Young University with a degree in therapeutic recreation in 2013.
Katie Clark is a journalism student at Brigham Young University in her senior year. She is originally from Littleton, Colorado, and hopes to move back there after graduation. Reality television is her favorite to watch, and has enjoyed writing about America's Got Talent and A Chance to Dance. She is a stay-at-home-mom who enjoys writing (especially blogs), cooking and sewing (while spending far too much time on Pinterest finding inspiration) and being outside with her husband and son.
We had 4 different fans of this site that made it to the 40 acts that were part of the America’s Got Talent Youtube Auditions. I’m really hoping that one of these acts wins the YouTube auditions and makes it on the show. I feel bad that I didn’t post about them earlier, but I was traveling and never got around to it.
According to the official AGT Youtube site, we won’t find out who wins until August 10th. They’re calling that episode the Special America’s Got Talent YouTube edition show. Sounds interesting. You can still see the 40 audition videos on the site now.
Here’s the four readers of this site that are in the top 40:
Jackie – She is the one singing Panis Angelicus with a pony tail.
The Kid in Black – YT video – Valor just turned 5.
Mr. Lucky – His video is of me with my monkey puppet performing “lion sleeps tonight”. It’s not the best video in the world as they used demos and not edited versions.
Best of Luck to these 4 acts and I really hope one of you makes it to the show!
The America’s Got Talent YouTube auditions are now open for voting. You can find them here. I’ve also been notified by 2 people that read this site that that are part of the voting. Later tonight or tomorrow I’ll be posting about them so you can support them. If there are any other readers of this site that made it to the YouTube voting, let me know. We need someone from this site to win the competition!!
Well, I’m not exactly sure if this is what the special America’s Got Talent announcement is or not, but today we found a special page for the America’s Got Talent 2010 auditions on YouTube (Thanks Marianya). Looks like you have until June 23rd to submit your audition. Voting will begin on June 28, 2010 and all of it will be done exclusively on YouTube.
As usual, the auditions are open to any age and any talent. 12 acts will be chosen to perform live on a special America’s Got Talent YouTube performance show on NBC. 11 acts will be picked by the judges and 1 will be selected by your votes.
Once they start the voting process, we’ll give readers of Pure America’s Got Talent a chance to highlight their submission to the America’s Got Talent YouTube audition. Yes, that should provide you all a bunch of extra votes from readers of this site.
Here’s Nick Cannon describing the America’s Got Talent YouTube audition process: