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 Katharine McPhee & Elliott Yamin - Real Love (Radio Edit) - Single - Real Love Get "Real Love" radio edit!
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Subject: Because of Katharine, A Deaf Man appreciates hearing again
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Username: yosafbridge
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Katharine Crazy
Katharine Crazy
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Member Since 4/14/2006

06/19/2006 12:20 AM Alert 


     This is a long article about a partially deaf man's attempt to get his hearing back. This is his experience after his hearing was restored. Not all of it is about Katharine but this part is :



     But that wasn't what I was looking for, anymore. I wanted to listen to the songs. I wanted to learn what made a voice great; to understand what a sharp note was, what being "pitchy" was, the difference between singing loud and shouting. I went to my cochlear implant programmers, and together we devised a program specifically for "Idol," trading mechanical sharpness for more warmth and tone. I badgered a friend with TiVo, and she let me tape the show so I could skip through Ryan's bantering and the contestants' video clips, listening to the performances twice over and then to the judges' comments. Who was overpowered by the music? Who forgot to breathe? When I could predict exactly what each judge would say, I realized something: I was hearing. For real. 

     One night, Katharine McPhee, a glowy-skinned good girl, sang last -- the cleanup position -- and knocked it out of the park. Her voice, honeyed and low, filled the studio and lifted it off its foundations to some moonbeamed place. I could hear this. And I could hear the audience collectively hold its breath to listen. Sweet mango salsa, how does one get a voice to do that? Her voice said: Stop, I am in charge; you just be still. It said: I know your dreams. It said: Home. This was song. It didn't matter to me who won or lost, how many albums were sold, whether the bald guy got a raw deal or no. 

      I was hearing.

Here's the link, the article originally appeared in the Washington Post on June 14th 2006:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/14/AR2006061401933_pf.html
Username: KatKrazy
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Katharine Addict
Katharine Addict
Location: Chicago


Member Since 5/17/2006

06/19/2006 1:15 AM Alert 
Thanks much for this.

"Her voice said: Stop, I am in charge; you just be still. It said: I know your dreams. It said: Home."

Very beautifully written, don't you think? I would just add, It said: I will take you with me.

Gary S.

Username: Cammie
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Katharine Crazy
Katharine Crazy
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Member Since 6/11/2006

06/19/2006 1:16 AM Alert 
He should get together with Elliot. Those cocheneal implants can be risky especially if one is older - the sudden sounds are scary for a person with no hearing to finally have it - even a fly buzzing would be an amazing thing. Nice that he appreciates Kat's lovely tones though. Now if we all could but see her again on the tube - and soon please.
Username: Gregoriancant
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Katharine Addict
Katharine Addict
Location: Oregon, USA


Member Since 5/26/2006

06/19/2006 3:05 AM Alert 
That thing with the breasts seems out of place--but he's probably glad he isn't blind. Even so, Andrea Bocelli seems to be in rapture with Kat's beauty when he can't even see it.

Some great descriptions from that guy on hearing Kat's beautiful voice for the first time. I know I'd pick Kat's voice if hearing a human singing voice for the first time after being deaf. Trying to convey the words if you haven't heard it before would be a real challenge, but this guy gave one of the most astute descriptions I've heard. Quite inspiring, since it's akin to describing a whole new world. Kat really does understand the human soul (intuitively) and takes you on that magical journey. It doesn't necessarily come from her own experience, but just imagination and empathy.

I think this creates an interesting comparison between deaf people and those blind. It seems blind people have always been more astute on musical sounds and determining where the true quality lies (for those with musical ability, such as Andrea Bocelli). They also can 'perceive' beauty at a higher level just by feeling something tangible or by scents. It amazes me what blind people are able to detect. They generally seem to have better sensory experiences in enjoying art.

With deaf people, they enjoy the arts on a different level. Sometimes they just go by the vibrations they feel to music (Beethoven did that in order to 'hear' what he was writing) and, of course, can enjoy the visuals at a literal level.

The guy who wrote this article seems to give me a different perspective, though, on deaf people and how they perceive sounds. They actually have a poetic idea of what someone might sound like--that then gets openly expressed once that's confirmed to them. That tells me a lot about being blind and deaf and how much the imagination is utilized so much more than in one already able to hear and see well. And I find that to be a plus in a lot of ways. Those able to enjoy things on such a different level makes us have to think about the things we see and hear in the arts as maybe diluted to what it could be.

Of course, those with a sensitive sense of aesthetics don't have to worry about that (I consider myself to be one of those). But, it almost makes you wish sometimes you were Andrea Bocelli when he's probably experienced more hightened enjoyment of Kat's singing than the all-seeing and hearing person.
Username: SirCritic
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Katharine Addict
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Location: Dayton, OH


Member Since 5/31/2006

06/19/2006 3:06 AM Alert 
Posted By yosafbridge on 06/19/2006 12:20 AM

 

     One night, Katharine McPhee, a glowy-skinned good girl, sang last -- the cleanup position -- and knocked it out of the park. Her voice, honeyed and low, filled the studio and lifted it off its foundations to some moonbeamed place. I could hear this. And I could hear the audience collectively hold its breath to listen. Sweet mango salsa, how does one get a voice to do that? Her voice said: Stop, I am in charge; you just be still. It said: I know your dreams. It said: Home.

WOW! Lots of great things are going to be written about Kat, but I don't know if any of them could possibly top this. This is the single best testimonial I've ever seen written about her, with all due respect to the many great ones written here.


One thing I'm wondering ... which performance do you suppose he's referring to? "Someone to Watch Over Me" perhaps? That's the only one I can remember offhnad where she sang last. If so, the writer's description is most accurate; that's my second favorite perf of Kat's right after OTR
 

Great find, yosafbridge! Thanks for posting it!
Username: Vadia
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Katharine Addict
Katharine Addict
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Member Since 2/21/2006

06/19/2006 3:12 AM Alert 
Like KatKrazy, I love, love, love this part: Her voice said: Stop, I am in charge; you just be still.
Username: yosafbridge
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Katharine Crazy
Katharine Crazy
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Member Since 4/14/2006

06/19/2006 5:56 AM Alert 
"Her voice, honeyed and low, filled the studio and lifted it off its foundations to some moonbeamed place."

This is my favorite portion of the article. When I listen to My Destiny, I sometimes close my eyes and I feel transported to a different BETTER place.
Username: KatharineMcPhee/Peepulation101
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Katharine Addict
Katharine Addict
Location: North Hollywood, CA


Member Since 4/28/2006

06/19/2006 6:49 AM Alert 
Well, what can you say? Kat makes the world go round.

=^.^= Kat Pack #1239

Some Persian dude: "My arrows will blot out the sun"
Some cool Spartan: "Then we will fight in the shade"
-300

Things needed to live: Oxygen and Kat...LOL
Username: Trina
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Katharine Addict
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Member Since 5/25/2006

06/19/2006 7:16 AM Alert 
Wow, what an awesome article!! It is deeply touching! Thank you, yosafbridge for finding it! I got up this Monday morning and after reading this, found Monday to be beautiful day!!!!
Username: KatharineMcPhee/Peepulation101
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Katharine Addict
Katharine Addict
Location: North Hollywood, CA


Member Since 4/28/2006

06/19/2006 7:49 AM Alert 
Hahaha yeah. Great way to the start the working week.... although don't work yet. LOL

=^.^= Kat Pack #1239

Some Persian dude: "My arrows will blot out the sun"
Some cool Spartan: "Then we will fight in the shade"
-300

Things needed to live: Oxygen and Kat...LOL
Username: bcollan
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Katharine Addict
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Member Since 2/14/2006

06/19/2006 9:22 AM Alert 
Thanks yosfbridge! Excellent find!


This was song. It didn't matter to me who won or lost, how many albums were sold, whether the bald guy got a raw deal or no. 

      I was hearing.


Kind of puts things in perspective, doesn't it???
To be able to affect one person in this way is better than winning AI.

"She sings so magnificantly, it's just amazing" David Foster
Username: KatKrazy
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Katharine Addict
Katharine Addict
Location: Chicago


Member Since 5/17/2006

06/20/2006 9:42 PM Alert 

Friends,

I went back and read the whole article. This guy can really write:

"Lisa Tucker strode into the audition room and sang a ballad, it was like being dragged back through the history of heartbreak to the original sin."

If you haven't read the piece yet, bother to do so.

Gary S.

Username: I_Heart_Kat
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Katharine Crazy
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Member Since 6/5/2006

06/20/2006 9:58 PM Alert 
thats so sweet
Username: Kat_McPhaith
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Katharine Acquaintance
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Member Since 5/17/2006

06/20/2006 10:29 PM Alert 
Kat's voice is amazing, it provides such emotion and sweet vibrations. I really enjoyed this article.

I also liked the part on Lisa Tucker...she is phenomenal as well.

My favorites of this season.
Username: Bigshady
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Katharine Addict
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Member Since 4/8/2006

06/21/2006 12:01 AM Alert 
Posted By yosafbridge on 06/19/2006 12:20 AM
One night, Katharine McPhee, a glowy-skinned good girl, sang last -- the cleanup position -- and knocked it out of the park. Her voice, honeyed and low, filled the studio and lifted it off its foundations to some moonbeamed place. I could hear this. And I could hear the audience collectively hold its breath to listen. Sweet mango salsa, how does one get a voice to do that?  Her voice said: Stop, I am in charge; you just be still. It said: I know your dreams. It said: Home. This was song.  It didn't matter to me who won or lost, how many albums were sold, whether the bald guy got a raw deal or no.  

      I was hearing.
Did anyone else get chills reading this part?  No?  Just me?  I'm such a dork.
Username: ljarllrajl
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Katharine Obsessed
Katharine Obsessed
Location: Kat Pack Member #484 J_Jammer


Member Since 4/11/2006

06/21/2006 12:34 AM Alert 
That's awesome.

I guess most of us just take our hearing for granted. But when you read about someone who is describing it as if for the first time it makes you appreciate more.

It even made me realize how much I take Kat's voice for granted. What a great article.

___________________________
"I didn't choose Katharine, she chose me." - Jammer
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