CBC Arts: Juno winners bash ‘Canadian Idol’ star-making machine

It’s time the music industry stopped trying to make a fast buck off Canadian Idol winners, say members of Toronto indie band Broken Social Scene.

In his acceptance speech for the Juno for best alternative album, Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew posed the question: “Is there going to be a change in Canadian music?”

Backstage, after the win, Drew was critical of the Canadian Idol star-making machine when questioned by reporters about the remark.

“I feel really sorry for those kids in Canadian Idol because they’re going absolutely nowhere,” he said, according to Canadian Press.

“It’s a trick…. It’s a Canadian music industry downfall because in three years no one is going to remember them.”

Playing devil’s advocate for a little bit, virtually no one knew who Broken Social Scene was until about a year ago. Same for various other bands (most of which are Canadian), like Stars, BSS member Feist, New Pornographers, and Arcade Fire.

That said, however, these acts I’ve listed have been around for years. For example, BSS put out their first CD–You Forgot It in People–in 2002. Feist has been recording since 1998. Meanwhile, the Canadian Idol alums–Kalan Porter (winner, first season), Jacob Hoggard (runner-up, first season), Theresa Sokyrka (winner, second season), and Rex Goudie (runner-up, second season)–are, for all intents and purposes, newbies. (None of the CI four won any Junos this weekend, by the way.)

The Idol franchise and the record labels toss young artists out into the public too soon just to make a fast buck, Drew said, noting that small independent labels take the time to foster talent.

Not to mention the first priority of indie labels isn’t the Almighty Loonie/Dollar. It’s to give burgeoning artists a way to release their music.

Leslie Feist, a solo artist who plays with Broken Social Scene, says the Idols have not been given the chance to develop.

“Collectively we probably have 200 years worth of gig experience. I feel only empathy … for the kids that are put in that position before they have those road scars,” she said Sunday.

Susanne Boyce, president of programming at CTV, which airs Canadian Idol, seemed bemused by the backstage remarks.

“Whether you have 200 years of [experience] or a day of it — the audiences will connect with you or not,” she said Monday.

While Boyce’s comments may be true, experience still speaks volumes. And experience is something the CI foursome have very little of.

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Meanwhile, I have a big problem with these so-called “talent contests”. And this goes back well before either Canadian or American Idol debuted and got to be so big. The very first talent contest show I watched was a syndicated series called Your Big Break, which aired during the late 1990s or so. On that series, you have people dress up and perform as their favourite singers, doing a cover of one of that singer’s songs. Then they’d all be judged and whatnot. At the end of the season, whoever did the best would win a recording contract. I’d dare say none of the YBB winners were ever heard from again.

The problem I have is that these people are judged solely on one thing: whether or not they can sing well…and it’s usually with other peoples’ songs. I’m not saying that those who only sing aren’t talented in what they do. Some of them are. But I, for one, would like to see how well-rounded some of them are musically. Can they write/compose their own songs? Can they play at least one instrument? How well do they do when (gasp!) they’re forced to drop the microphones and sing “properly”? You know, take them back to voice lessons or school chorus, where the voice coach/choir director told you to “sing from the diaphragm” and to use your “head voice” instead of your “throat voice”. Make them sing something in a foreign language. (Latin would be a good one in that regard.)

I know! Make them do what I and others have had to do for All-State chorus auditions…sight-read! Give them a page of notes, give them only the first one and make them sing the rest a capella.

Seriously, though; these people should be tested on their thorough musical abilities, not just on how well they can sing the latest top 40 song.

Okay, I’m shutting up now. ;)