Recent Josh appearances -- and the changes in Josh's voice

A lot of people are buzzing about how Josh Groban sounds recently.  I rate him absolutely terrible on the BBC appearance, ok on America's Got Talent, and ok on Ellen.  Mostly, he seems to be in denial that he can't hit those high notes any more.

He sounded better when I listened on my smart phone than he does on the computer that has better speakers.  Here are the recent appearances:

BBC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT6nVb8chEM&feature=youtu.b

AGT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueca1KjAmxE

Ellen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O47UpX1Uq8U

I was at the AGT performance and thought his voice sounded clear on the high notes at the time.  The video afterwards reveals that he was straining.  The live performance was characterized by strange acoustics, and the second part of his performance was drowned out by the background musicians when we were listening live.

Here are some tweets that I wanted to memorialize.  These should be read top down, since they are expanded twitter conversations, rather than bottom up like one of my previous blogs where I snapshotted my timeline.

Some comparisons showing maturation of Josh's voice

Here's an early performance of "Caruso" 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oukdbu5sw44

Here's a 2011 performance of "Caruso"

http://audioboo.fm/boos/357391-josh-groban-in-houston

These are both excellent performances, but you can hear the change in his voice with age.

Here are some more examples

A very early performance of "Gira Con Me"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS3xp6Kh2C8

Here's a wonderful 2011 performance of the same song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtbspjpCU2o

Again, you can hear the adolescent voice become that of a mature man

But he's still maturing and I conclude that in 2011 he could still hit those high notes, but now he can't.  

David Foster had to talk Josh into singing those high notes way back when, because Josh knew he was a baritone and not a tenor.  I hope that David Foster didn't ruin Josh's voice for the long term for short term profit on those early albums.

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Addendum:

On Bad Grobanites, we've been debating the pros and cons of live performance vs videos of the live performances.  Some of the other posters were saying that they trust the live performance more.  Here is what I just posted there

OK, now I've had this experience.  I heard Josh live at AGT and then listened to the YouTube video, and I definitely thought he sounded better live.  HOWEVER, I'm not sure the live experience is valid.  The amplification adds things to the voice that make it sound better, I think, vibrations of sorts.  I could hear high frequency vibrations even when no one was on stage.  The overtones of the room can mimic the overtones that Josh should have naturally, but didn't in this performance, because he was straining on the high notes.

Also, in the live performance, he was drowned out by the background musicians in the later part of the performance.  When the audio engineers mix the thing, they take out the resonances from the amplification and the room, and they lower the volume of the background musicians.

I heard the country singer (Cami) duet with Gavin McGraw live as well.  It was just a deafening cacophony for at least half the time.  The audio engineers clean that up so it sounds civilized on TV.  

In the case of Cami, the sound got better on the videos.  In the case of Josh, the sound got worse.  

In both cases, I think the videos probably have the more authentic sound of the singer's voice.

In the case of Josh Page, though, I think there were real overtones to his voice, when he sang "To Where You Are" that were clipped in the YouTube video.  He has a very subtle voice.  In this case, I think the clipping of the overtones was not authentic.

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Second addendum:

Since this started out as an exchange of tweets with a Jackie Evancho fan, I should mention that I am concerned also that the use of her voice so young may cause damage. It has sounded to me like her lower notes, which are remarkably full, were forced.  Some people, who are experts in opera, have said that it's bad for kids to try to force their voices to sound like adult opera singers, that it causes vocal damage.

Time will tell, of course.

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Third addendum:

When I go back and listen to the older recording of "Caruso" in Germany, I hear that he was straining then also.  It's just that he was managing to pull it off when he was younger and now he's not.  Now he claims that he's been sick, which he is often sick.  Though, one friend points out that when he was interviewing on Ellen and on the BBC, right at the same time when he sang, he didn't look or sound sick while he was talking.

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fourth addendum

Josh's explanation:

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fifth addendum:

This excerpt from the wikipedia article about Placido Domingo haunts me every time Josh says he is singing when sick.

As a person with sensory integration issues and auditory sensitivities, there is actually very little music I can listen to.  Josh's music has been one of the few things I *can* consistently listen to and enjoy.  I think it's partly because he doesn't use auto tune, which messes up the overtones.  Also, it's partly because he does not have vigorous guitar strumming, which I can't stand.

Nevertheless, I get bored, when music seems too insipid to me, like some of Justin Bieber's stuff.

I don't really like classical, because it's generally too intellectual, too rational, too unemotional.  I like the emotions in Josh's music.

I don't like roughness in voices at all.  In the past, Josh said he got that about his fans, that we don't like rough singing.  I don't, for instance, like Adele most of the time, and i can't stand Amy Winehouse.

The idea that Josh might keep sounding like this, with rough patches in his voice,which he has done a lot this summer, is especially painful to me, because I don't have a lot of other alternatives.

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sixth addendum:

I got really down last night. Josh seems to think that if he rests for a week he'll be fine for the tour, but he's been having this sort of problem all summer, off and on.  I question whether one week is going to do it.

I made this sad collage last night, and changed my avi to the upper picture.

I guess these pix are Renaissance paintings of the Virgin Mary crying at the crucifixion.  I"m not meaning that I'm her, for me they're just women crying.

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Seventh addendum: 9/24/13


Josh tweets

Well, I'm certainly glad that there is no permanent injury.  That's a relief.  Still, that does not mean that he's going to be consistently able to hit those high notes any more.  

On how different people perceive things

Oh, dear. Two blogs in one day.  Probably more people will be interested in the one that appears below.  It's too bad that I published this one second, so it comes first on the display.

excerpts from my posts on Bad Grobanites:

1. On text communication

Oh, I just wanted to talk a bit about the dangers of pure text communication. 

Psychologists tell us that 90% of communication is non-verbal: facial expressions, gestures, tones of voice, timing, eye contact, etc. 

When we communicate only by text, we are missing 90% of what we would normally get from a face to face conversation. It is really easy to misinterpret what others say, because we can't see them. It's easy to think something is serious when it's intended to be funny. It's easy to think someone is being mean, when really, if they were talking, their tone of voice and their facial expression would convey something much nicer. Some people say really dramatic words in a quiet dead pan, so that they convey much less drama in person, but sound like they're having a regular hissy fit in writing.

One of my friends calls e-mail "evil mail," for this reason. 

I've found that people who are very attractive have particular problems over the phone and in writing. Usually, they are met with acceptance in person, because they look so great. Then, when they're only communicating in writing or over the phone, suddenly they're on a much more equal footing with everyone else and they can't figure out why people don't accept them.

2. On listening to music

With respect to the difference between live sound and recorded sound, i just wanted to chime in here.

I certainly noticed a huge difference when I went to that Times Talk event last February.

That even was held in a small auditorium holding no more than two to three hundred people. 

The amplification was excessive, to say the least. I almost had to put in ear plugs when Josh started singing. Then there was the odd effect that the room was small enough that Josh didn't really need amplification. He has a strong voice. After the amplified sound ceased, one could still hear his unamplified voice reverberating acoustically. 

It was a peculiar effect, to say the least. I wanted to wring the necks of the audio engineers.

Then, though, I went to listen to the recorded video. The recorded sound was totally different. His voice was turned down so that the volume was moderate. He sounded like he was singing reasonably quietly. The reverberations in the room were completely eliminated.

The recorded result was a pleasant sound, but lacking Josh's real power. On the other hand, the live sound was garbled by the conflict between the acoustic sounds and the amplified sounds.

I heard that same type of conflict somewhat when I was listening in the Allen Room, while the recorded sound lacked that conflict and blurring.

Therefore it is certainly true that the recorded sound is going to be very different from the live sound. On the other hand, I don't see how a recorded sound could be off key if the live sound was on key.

I also had the experience July 2 at the Hollywood Bowl that I didn't think Josh sounded very good. His tone wasn't as rich as usual and some of the higher notes sounded very strained indeed. I also thought he looked pale, sweaty, and miserable.

I had several friends in the audience listening at the same concert. I talked to two of them. One of them agreed with me that he didn't sound good. She described her response as "distraught" and she was beside herself with worry about what might be wrong with Josh. The other one said he looked and sounded "wonderful," an impression I found baffling.

People listening to the same concert could easily come back with vastly different impressions of what happened. That shouldn't be a surprise really.

There's that famous experiment that they've done with college psychology classes where they have someone come to the front of the room before class starts in a gorilla suit and do some things. Afterwards, they ask the class to write down what they saw. The accounts are quite divergent, with all sorts of differences in what people saw, including what different impressions type of animal suit the person had been wearing. Like maybe they thought it was a bear instead of a gorilla, and what not. 

Some people do have more sensitive ears than others. It has been said of David Foster, for instance, that he can hear a butterfly flapping its wings in a hurricane. Other people can't hear what he hears, though certainly they can hear the results, as he's been very successful as a producer.

Visit to America's Got Talent

OK, so apparently Josh didn't fly anywhere near where I was sitting for that last blog.

Well at least the next day he came fairly near where I was sitting, though I didn't get to wave to him.

NightOwl was very good to let me know that she had a pass to go see Josh perform with the Forte Tenor group on America's Got Talent (AGT) and that I could go with her, so I rearranged my schedule and went.

I had seen lots of clips of America's Got Talent on YouTube. Probably the most notable such clip was when Jackie Evancho auditioned.

Also, those of you who are Grobies will surely be following the story of Josh Page, who sang a duet with our Josh at Madison Square Garden in November of 2011.  He is now with a group called Forte, who are finalists in AGT.  Our Josh is to be featured Wednesday.

I really like the way Josh P. emphasizes the diversity of Forte in interviews, and how singing helps bring different people together.  I was also really moved when Sean Panikkar said in one of his interviews that he is biracial between the warring groups in Sri Lanka, so that everyone there is interested in his appearance on US TV.  For those of you who have been reading this blog, you will see that this is related to my quixotic quest for the world anthem.

So this week is the finals. This seems a bit odd to me, because it seems to be the start of a new TV season, but somehow this year's show is just ending, and I know Forte only auditioned in June. Maybe someone can explain this to me. Does the show only run in the summer? I guess that makes sense, because the contestants are all young, so I suppose they're all off on break from school in the summer.

NightOwl got there about noon, wanting to be first in line, even though we didn't have to be there until 3; and she succeeded, except for one very rude woman who just kept walking to the front of the line, even though security told her to back off. Later it appeared that she knew the head lady in charge of managing the line.

I got there about quarter of one.

At about 2:30, they moved us over to the other side of the building to film a red carpet sequence when the six remaining contestants arrived. They promised us that NightOwl would not lose her first place in line, but in fact they shuffled us up, which was very frustrating.

Then they handed some people photos of the contestants with Sharpies, so that they could get autographs. We wanted photos of Forte, but they had already handed them out. I think we might have spent an hour waiting and cheering, while the contestants came in. Forte had to get back in the car and do their entrance again, because something went wrong with their entrance. Of course, by that time, they had already autographed the photos of them.

It was pretty tiring clapping and cheering for all that time. Fortunately, I've had voice lessons, so I was able to pace myself, though I was getting a bit hoarse at one point, so I changed to a more comfortable pitch.  

Really I had only heard of Forte. I didn't know the other acts, which included a country/rock singer, a magician, a dancer, and at least one comedian, all very young. I didn't mind cheering for the people I didn't know, because, after all, they must be good to have gotten this far in the show, and they're certainly under a lot of stress, so they deserve my support, even though I was really there for Forte.

Some of the audience members got into shouting the names of the performers rhythmically, though it seemed to me that they were most enthusiastic about Forte. The other members of the group walked though this without participating, but Josh P. started leading the cheer with great enthusiasm. He was definitely interacting with the crowd more than the other members of his group; though some of the other performers did even more so.

Eventually, around 4, we finally got our tickets. They completely did not observe the original line order, so we ended up something like 10 rows back, even though NightOwl had been first in line.

Then I went off in search of a bathroom. In case you ever need to know, there's a shopping mall under the building just south of Radio City Music Hall. That shopping mall has a nice, large women's room, which is open to the public. I hope I remember that the next time I'm in that area and need one.

Then we went back to the theater. Since we had tickets with assigned seat numbers, it did not matter that we had to stand in a long line to get in.

While we were standing there, I spotted one of Josh Groban's guitarists, not Tariqh, but the other one. Was he the one who switched over from being an audio engineer during the STY tour? I'm not sure.

I also saw Josh P's brother, who I think is called Zach. He didn't look very happy. I wonder if he's shy, or whether he worries that the rock band called "The Brothers Page" is going to die permanently as a result of the success of Forte.

I personally suspect Josh P. will get back to his rock band eventually.

Of the six acts that we were filmed cheering for, only two performed during the segment we saw. These were Forte, with Josh Groban, and the female singer (whose name escapes me), with Gavin McGraw.

The information that Night Owl got seemed to indicate that there might be a second taping, later, that also featured Josh. They only took one take of Josh the time when we were watching.  They were prepared to do a second take, but then said that they didn't need to. So it would make sense that they might do another taping, possibly even with different songs.

We’ll have to see what happens.

In the performance I saw, Forte started out singing "To Where You Are."  Josh P. started the singing. I have to say that his voice sounded much more amazing in person than it does in YouTube videos. There was a lot of subtle shimmering to it. Then each of three other singers sang something, followed by what they called "superstar" Josh Groban.

That was interesting to me, because my feeling from the YouTube videos was that Josh Page had the least showy voice of the three of then, but you certainly wouldn't say that based on today.

They didn't sing the whole song. I think this show operates on the concept that the American people do not have sufficient attention span to sit through a three or four minute song.

Then there was some conversation about the appearance of Josh P. at Madison Square Garden during Josh Groban's “Straight To You” tour, and how the YouTube video of that  appearance led to the formation of Forte.

I find curious that they don't mention that that same duet was what led Jackie Evancho to choose Josh P. to go on tour with her. I would think that would be of interest, because she was also an AGT contestant in the past. I was at one of the concerts on that tour, because I'm also a Jackie Evancho fan. Josh P. and Jackie alternated singing songs, and also sang a duet of “The Prayer” together. I was surprised at how much Josh P. sang, because it was billed as a Jackie Evancho concert, yet Josh P. sang nearly as much as she did.

They also put in a pitch for Josh Groban's tour.

Then they sang part of "Brave." Josh Groban started out and Forte sang the oh's as a chorus. Later Forte stepped back, so Josh G. could finish the song, not that he really finished it, of course, since, as I said before, they don't do whole 3 or 4 minute songs on this show.  At the end of what they sang, though, Josh G. had a larger gospel choir accompany Josh G. on the last chorus. The noise of the band and the gospel choir was such that one could not hear Josh G. singing the ending chorus.

I can say that I was pleased that the first time he sang "away" in “Brave” was clear as a bell, with none of the strained or strangled sounds that have plagued that song from the start. If you’ve been reading this blog you will have noticed that I’ve been very concerned about that.  When he got back to the chorus the second time, though, I can't say if he sang "away," clearly, because, as I said, the gospel choir drowned him out.

I suppose that when the thing airs, the audio engineers will remove the racket and we’ll really get to hear what he sounded like.

People have asked me what he wore. At first I said that he wore his usual concert attire. Now, though, when I think back on it, he might have had black leather shoes and a white Oxford shirt on, rather than sneakers and tee, respectively. Truthfully, I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I only really look at the too tight pants; and I noticed that the jacket seemed to be the usual one that he wears, so I just kept my eyes on the pants.  I guess I’m becoming one of those dirty old ladies.

I can say that Josh G's assertions that he is getting fat are utterly daft. He is most certainly not fat. Of course, photos make people look fatter, because they flatten a three dimensional person into a two dimensional image.

When I saw him at the Allen Room in February, I was thinking the whole time that he looked awfully thin. This time, to me, he looked like he was at a healthier weight. I wasn't quite as close as I was in the Allen Room, where I was front row center, but still I was fairly close, much more so than at the Hollywood Bowl, so I definitely feel that I got a good eyeful, and he was most definitely NOT fat.

I worry that he's got body dysmorphia.

Anyway, Josh G. and Forte were on stage for maybe three minutes. For a while, it sounded like they might redo the numbers on a second take, but then the announcer said that they had what they needed and that was the end of that.

One of the things they had us do while we were waiting was to download an app onto our cell phones, “Wham City Lights.” They made a sound and light show using our cell phones as well add the studio lights. They asked us to turn the screens of our phones toward the stage. The app displayed patterns that their cameras presumably could pick up. Also the app turned on our flashes in back. I hope this sound and light show gets on the show at least for a little while. When I looked behind me, it seemed like the whole theater was full of cell phones running this app.

At other times they had us practicing our standing ovations or listening to the warm-up guy making  jokes.

Eventually, they got to the second act. They had told us that we were only going to get to see two. This was probably just as well, as we were getting pretty cheered out.

I wish I could remember her name. She was some kind of country/rock singer. They had her performing with Gavin McGraw. She was quite pretty and had a nice voice. Unfortunately the instrumentals backing up their duet were a deafening cacophony, so most of the song was just a deafening blur.  They instructed us to stand up when the music got loud as if we were excited. Fortunately, I never go anywhere without earplugs. I needed them for this song . I also needed them for screaming at the acts on the red carpet, which would otherwise have been deafening as well.

I do find that the ear plugs tend to filter out the noise and leave the music, which is good for thus type of thing.

Now this pair did their duet twice, since apparently there was something wrong the first time they did it. That was a bit frustrating. Apparently Josh Groban and Forte, who I came to see, were too good and therefore didn't need a second take, while this group that I wasn't enjoying played twice. GRR 

I suppose, when they broadcast this, the audio engineers will clean it up so that the TV watcher won't hear that horrible racket that we heard and it will sound great.

In any case, we spent over two hours inside Radio City Music Hall to see acts that totaled less than ten minutes.

We did get to see the celebrity judges. We were closest to Howard Stern, who seems to have attended the same fashion school as Josh Groban. His jacket didn't fit quite right, and the bottom of his tie showed awkwardly in the gap below the button, which was closed in a way that made the jacket look too tight, even though Stern is pencil thin.

Finally we get to go out and go to the bathroom again. I hadn't drunk much during the day, so was quite thirsty. 

In the basement there was a red carpet area where people were taking their own pictures. Josh Page was hanging around there and letting people take pictures with him. I didn't see any other contestants doing that. He seemed really happy and very relaxed with fans, an outgoing and poised young man, which is interesting since most performers tend to be shy.  

As usual, I could not find my Josh Groban tee shirt before the show.  This always happens.  I find it at other times.  Not finding it turned out to be a good thing, though, because we weren't allowed to wear logo clothes.  I did wear my shawl neck cardigan that I bought because it looked like one of Josh G's.

Waving from the Hudson

OK, so yesterday Josh Groban said he was going to fly over the Hudson.  He's taking flying lessons.  He asked people to wave at him.

I live near the Hudson, walking distance.  I decided to go down there and look for him.  Of course, I had no clue when he was going to be there, if he even got this far north.

So I sent him a bunch of tweets while I was down there.  This is sort of like when I went to Malibu and tweeted him while he was traveling to Colorado.  If you've been following this blog, you might have read that below, under "Lost Blog."  One of those kind of stupid things.

Anyway, I thought I'd make a record of my little travel log, for those of you who might be curious about the area of the Hudson north of New York City that Josh might or might not have been flying over.  

Anyone who might have known the area just north of the Tappan Zee Bridge before, you should be aware that it is changing a lot -- getting spiffed up.

Also, I note that a couple of those tweets were not actually addressed to him, so he wouldn't have seen them, so I guess if he reads this he will see them.

This is in reverse chronological order, just as if you were reading my twitter time line.  In other words, for the tweets, go to the bottom and read upwards.  The links at the very bottom you can read last.

error in this one, the train station and village hall are east of the park:

 

Here's a video about the Minnesota bridge collapse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C31IlOHNzbM

Idaho bridge collapse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNOKobGybDQ

This is what we've been fearing for the Tappan Zee Bridge.  I've been living near this bridge since 1986 and they've been talking about replacing it that entire time.  I'm glad they're finally working on it, tho it makes small boating hard.

Here's an article about the bridge construction and how it's making it hard for small boats

http://www.lohud.com/interactive/article/20130914/NEWS02/309090111/Tappan-Zee-Bridge-vessels-lights-tough-navigate

Here's a lovely picture of the bear Mountain Bridge, that I was recommending that Josh fly up to

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.arnabbanerjee.com/data/photos/33_1ny_bear_mtn_bride_copy.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.arnabbanerjee.com/water-and-colors/bear-mountain-bridge-new-york-11_3_33.html&h=1199&w=1800&sz=629&tbnid=bZ9wGQFP4pH_WM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=135&zoom=1&usg=__dCYBSEGj5BdPjdxzlJ13Z4GD3bg=&docid=BYBxprninp5SWM&sa=X&ei=eWo2UtvHPLaj4APM2IHwAw&ved=0CEkQ9QEwCQ&dur=404

Reaction to Hyde Park

Painful, that's what it is, listening to Josh not singing his best in front of a huge crowd, like at Hyde Park, on September 9: high notes strained, some notes off key. What's up?

These high notes sounding strangled seems to be becoming more and more common with him. Yet, every so often, he sounds better. Being off key isn't so common with him.

I have a great imagination. Let's see. Is he sick, which he seems to be way more often than most people?  He complained of laryngitis upon leaving England.  Was that from being sick?  Or from straining?  Has his voice gotten too low for those higher notes, but then why off key on lower ones? He has complained of feeling fat and bingeing.  Has he become bulimic and is he purging before concerts? Has he damaged his voice by singing, particularly when sick, like Placido Domingo’s father?

I'm thinking back on my experience at the Hollywood Bowl in July. July 2, the first time he sang in that series of three concerts, he didn't sound so great -- not as bad as at Hyde Park, but not great. Then, I went back July 4, the third time he sang in the same venue, with the same program and backup musicians, and he sounded totally amazing. 

I can't even begin to tell you what a transporting experience July 4 was:  His voice was so rich and multi-textured, and the synchrony with the orchestra was so subtle. There's a certain magic when things just click, and that was there that night. I was totally mesmerized the entire time.  It was a nearly flawless performance, which certainly banished any suspicion on my part that his voice was permanently damaged.

Yet, the YouTube videos of the Red Rock concert 4 days later had his high notes on “Brave” sounding strangled again.

If he were really overtired or straining, why would he sound better the third time in 3 days in Hollywood?

Back to Hyde Park: he seemed unusually grateful to see fans in the front row.  He spoke with more than usual emotion in his voice about how glad he was that they had taken the trouble to be in the front row with a banner.

Was he nervous? That's such a storied venue, and I guess the crowd there is more random than he might normally expect.  Plus he was on UK TV.

Actually, the most common thing that Josh says about his feelings is that he's nervous.  He's too scared to call Stevie Wonder. He's too scared to be a cohost with Kelly. He's too scared to try stand up comedy.   He has said that earlier in his career he was sometimes so nervous that he could not sing at all.  That seemed to happen on his Live at the Greek DVD, where some of the songs are really so awful that they’re hard to listen to.  I definitely recommend getting the revised CD from that concert, which is better, though still not his best performance.

On the "Straight To You" (STY) tour, I was somewhat discomfited by the change in his sound from when he was younger.  Still, by and large, he did well. The higher notes were somewhat strained, but not this strangled sound we're getting now.  Most people felt he was singing better than he had ever sung.

On the STY tour, he brought his backup musicians with him. I can see where it would be nerve-racking to stand up with a new bunch of musicians, whom one has only practiced with a small number of times, in a new venue, and not be quite sure what is going to happen. I wonder if bringing backup musicians would reduce his stress?

Also, on that tour, he didn’t have large screens, with his image.  Instead he had a sound and light show behind him.  Did he perhaps hope the sound and light show would keep the audience from staring at him? 

Before the Hyde Park concert, he had this whirlwind thing where he filmed with HBO for four days, them rushed off to the UK, where there was jet lag. He said on twitter that he hadn't slept in two days.

I'm wondering if there's a certain amount of denial going on here, where he's allowing himself to be over scheduled, and not sufficiently advocating for his need for more rest and more rehearsal time.

Also, I wonder if he's in denial about being able to pick up local musicians in the venues where he plays.  They're sure to be off, at least in some parts of the music, I would think. They're all going to have their quirks.  He chooses the strings players, by and large, because they’re beautiful young women.  I’m sure they’re great violinists, but, if beauty is the main criterion, is he really getting the best performers?  Moreover, are they distracting while he's singing if they're too beautiful?

Michael Jackson said he liked to rehearse everything about a hundred times and then he would go into a trance, when performing, and sing from reflex. Jackie Evancho has mentioned going into a trance when she sings as well. 

I know in my little YouTube channel, my biggest hit (moving in on 3000 views, whoopee!  not major league) is the song that I sang as a lullaby to my younger son. I must have sung that song at least a thousand times.   Somehow, I believe, people can hear that I really internalized that song, and that's why it's most popular.

Similarly, I think Josh may have done so well on the Noel album, because he sang a lot of those sings repeatedly as a child. He has said he was puzzled, why it was so little work, but then he wasn't thinking, perhaps, of his childhood practice.

It's going to be hard to go into that kind of trance and really sing well, if you're singing with different backup musicians every time.

Also, perhaps with "Brave," has he sung it badly so many times that it's becoming a habit to strangle on the high notes?

I saw an article about neurological research into professional athletes. They documented what parts of the brain are used when a highly experienced player is out on the field, as compared with when people perform such tasks with less experience. It's a totally different part of the brain, for the experienced, professional athlete. It's not in the conscious part of the brain at all. While the less experienced person is thinking consciously about what he or she is doing.

The author commented that this was why professional athletes often sound stupid when asked about their plays. They have no idea what they did. It was all in the subconscious, reflexive thought processes. 

Now imagine if a football player were to play with a different team every time. Would he play as well?  Unlikely.  He would have to go back into that conscious thinking mode more, when dealing with new players, and that would throw him off.

Experienced fans do sense that their enthusiasm has a positive effect on Josh's performances. I've even seen that myself. He responds to a crowd. Still, I wonder if even the most enthusiastic fans can overcome the kind of exhaustion that Josh must have been experiencing this week, together with performing with new musicians and his possible fear of the storied venue. 

Also, I think Josh is really conscious of trying not to be a Diva. I read a news story a year ago or so about Lady Gaga keeping people waiting for an hour while she insisted on extra rehearsals. People got very restive with her, but she knew what was necessary to get the kind of performance she wanted to deliver.  She gets the results she wants.

I kind of suspect that, in the same situation, Josh would probably cave in to pressure, and not insist on those extra rehearsals. Fear again. Maybe some more diva-ish behavior is necessary here.

Also, is he maybe afraid to admit that he has to transpose some songs lower?

Ok, now, just assuming that fear is an issue here, I would like to digress into one of my favorite topics: my 12 step programs.  I love 12 step programs.  They’re a huge passion for me.  I always hope to be able to share what I've found there, which is part of why this account is pseudonymous.

So, here goes:

Josh (and I kind of suspect that you might read this blog, and to anyone else who might have gotten this far), I would like to commend to your attention a prayer I learned in my step programs, from page 68 of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.

God, please remove my fear and direct my attention to what you would have me be.

Addicts have to have their fear removed; otherwise they will go back into their self-medicating, addictive behaviors. What 12 steppers, myself included, have discovered is that this kind of prayer has a positive effect on fear. 

Now I know that you're not terribly religious, Josh, but this prayer has definite positive effects on my thinking, I find -- and a lot of people find. It's like a meditation technique.  You don’t have to believe anything in particular for it to work.

I don't know if you saw that YouTube video with that palm reader reading your palm. One need not necessarily believe in palm reading, but he said that doing music was in your palm, that you have to do it for your karma or something like that.

This relates to another aspect of what I've been learning in my 12 step stuff, this idea that God intends us to be exactly where we are right now. If I'm constantly questioning whether I should be where I am, I'm going to make myself miserable with dithering. And, for me, as a food addict, that kind of misery us going to make me want to self medicate with food.

This sort of principle applies to life for anyone, I think. If I'm constantly worrying, I'm going to be miserable, no matter what else is going on.  If you're convinced that God means you to be where you are, then it's less frightening.

Anyway that prayer really helps me, so I recommend it.

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I should add, here, that the reason that I sit here and write four pages on this topic is that I want to keep hearing what I heard on July 4.  Also, I want those many people who saw Josh in a televised concert from Hyde Park to realize that he doesn't always sound that way.

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Oh, one more question I ask myself.  Is he so reluctant to transpose songs downward because he has perfect pitch, so transposing is difficult?

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In case you didn't notice, this blog is about Josh Groban, the singer @joshgroban on twitter.