When you’re auditioning in front of a live audience on a national stage, you’ve got to be prepared to roll with the punches.
Daniel Emmet of Rochester, New York told judges he was there to sing an original song, which already had some people raising their eyebrows in surprise. Daniel describes himself as a classical crossover singer, and within a few moments of hearing his voice, it’s clear that he’s got some talent.
Daniel’s original song is written and performed entirely in Italian, and it sounded so beautiful that many people in the audience were already standing up and cheering for the twenty-five year-old performer. Yet one audience member wasn’t feeling the song, and his opinion matters more than most.
Judge Simon Cowell watched Daniel’s passionate performance with seeming disinterest, and then halfway though the song he did something completely out of the norm. He stopped the performance— but not because he didn’t like Daniel’s voice.
It turns out, Simon just didn’t love the song choice. Yet when he asked for Daniel’s backup song, he was irritated to learn that the singer didn’t prepare one.
“You can’t come out on a show like this and say you haven’t got a second song,” Simon admonished. “That’s what live auditions are all about. You have a very good voice, but normally it’s about connecting with the song. I always want people who have talent to do well, but just singing that song — that’s not enough.”
