Will 10 Year Old Jackie Evancho Win 'America's Got Talent'? Not Likely and Here's Why

With 10 Year Old Jackie Evancho Getting in the Top 10 of 'America's Got Talent', Will She Win? Likely Not

Cassandra James
Cassandra James, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Sep 5, 2010 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."
On 'America's Got Talent' this week, 10 year-old opera singer Jackie Evancho advanced to the Top 10. But, although fans are sure she'll win the whole competition,and new judge Howie Mandel loved her, it's actually highly unlikely. Although Jackie Evancho is cute, talented, and can definitely grab an audience, she won't win 'America's Got Talent' and there are several reasons why.

Jackie Evancho is Too Young

Although young singers like Jackie Evancho grab the attention and applause of audiences, most record producers know they rarely sell records, so they're not a safe bet when it comes to making money.

Older singers, in the 15-18 range are more of a 'sure thing' for the music industry as, by that age, their music is attractive to not only teenagers like themselves, who are the majority of the music-buying public, but to older adults too. For a 10 year-old girl like Jackie Evancho who sings opera though, teenagers would never buy her CDs and few adults either. Add 10 years to her age and they might.

A good example of this is the very talented Bianca Ryan, the 11 year old who won season one of 'America's Got Talent'. Although she's managed to establish a music career since the show ended, she's never hit 'the big time' simply because, although she has an incredible voice, she's just too young.

Opera isn't Popular

Unfortunately for opera and for Jackie Evancho, most people don't care for it and, even if they might listen to one song on television, would never buy a CD of opera music. Opera only appeals to a tiny segment of society.

To get other people to buy opera or classical music, the artist has to have something else to sell - blindness (Andrea Bocelli), sex (Katherine Jenkins - gorgeous Welsh opera singer) - and without it, there's little chance of a relative unknown like Jackie Evancho hitting the big time. Even if she did win 'America's Got Talent'.

Young Opera Singers' Voices Change

Opera is a musical discipline that's difficult to succeed in even as an adult. For a child, it's doubly so. The problem with opera for a young singer is, over a normal career, an opera singer's voice changes - drastically. Over the normal career of an adult soprano, she could go from a lyric soprano to a spinto or dramatic soprano - changing enormously the roles she can play.

For a child like Jackie Evancho, sure she's technically a soprano now. What will she be by the time she's 20? Or 30? There's absolutely no telling.

While Jackie Evancho is, no argument, an extremely cute child and has a big talent, as Season 14 of 'America's Got Talent' moves closer to its finale, Jackie Evancho will continue to succeed and will probably reach the finals. A win for Evancho though is unlikely, not unless a couple of her competitors fail and fail badly.

Sources:

America's Got Talent, Week 14 Recap - Jackie Evancho Advances to the Top 10 - Yahoo

Published by Cassandra James

I'm a British-American writer currently living in Bangkok, Thailand. I've been writing for Associated Content since 2007 and was named one of AC's Top 100 Writers for 2008, 2009 and 2010. I primarily write a...   View profile

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  • Leslie 12/1/2010

    She's a very lovely and sweet young girl, mature way beyond her age but I am not a fan of her singing voice. She needs to develop her voice and is way too young at 10 but $$$$ talks...

  • Robert J. Rasmussen 12/1/2010

    To continue my thoughts before I was so rudely interrupted by a poor site that limits the number of characters in one's post. ... She seems to be kicking the stuffing out of your presumptions, doesn't she? There are always exceptions and you missed this one.

    Whether she goes on to a opera career only time will tell, but it may play out as two competing demands: the practical earning power of classical crossover artists versus her parents aesthetic, less practical desire and her own to become an opera singer with all the hard, grueling work that entails. If she chooses the latter, she may make opera popular among those who find it an arcane dramatic art, but I'm not counting on it. Still, I pray she ends up with a magnificent career like another child singer, Belle Miriam "Bubbles" Silverman. You know? Beverly Sills! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Sills)

  • Robert J. Rasmussen 12/1/2010

    So what? She didn't win. Anyone who is observant and understands human nature could see she wasn't going to win for better reasons than you gave. For one thing she has her whole life ahead of her and Michael Grimm doesn't. Also, Michael Grimm had a better human interest story and audiences love that. Lastly, who wants to send a sweet little girl to a sleazy place like Las Vegas to perform in front of a bunch of souses.

    We all knew she would be getting a contract with some recording company no matter what happened, which was probably another reason to vote for Michael. She cut one CD, "Prelude to a Dream," and it was withdrawn by her father, probably not for the reasons he gave. The withdrawal may have been due to a new contract with Columbia records. By the way, a copy of this now rare CD went at auction for over $400. So much for children not selling CDs, ey? Now her Christmas album is No. 2 on Billboard's top 200. She seems to be kicking the st

  • Mary 11/19/2010

    '''"sex (Katherine Jenkins - gorgeous Welsh opera singer)..

    A little disrespectful don't you think Cassandra? Have you even heard Katherine Jenkins yet?

  • Patrick 9/18/2010

    Jackie is a classical crossover and not as good as they would like you to think. There have been quite a few articles of experts saying this.They are just trying to sell people her cds to get rich.

  • Cassandra James 9/18/2010

    And, like I said, she didn't win.

  • madeline 9/18/2010

    GOD BLESS HER VOCAL CHORDS..she is not only a beautiful little girl, sweet beyond words, but her ability to sing opera and the tones of her voice give me chills...i would buy her records..and regardless of her young age, she should have won that competition hands down....so what did she get out of it anyhow, a trip??

  • Allen 9/6/2010

    Everyone has opinions, and having them in an article like this doesn't make it fact. I seem to recall Charlotte Church was 13 when she started, did establish a musical career, WAS in many concerts, sell outs, sold many CDs and did so for many years. And I am sure articles similar to this were written about her and they were just as wrong.

    Jackie should be in operas and concert halls all over the world for the simple undeniable fact that 10 year olds with voices of her extreme quality, tonality and range are virtually unheard of. they just flat don't usually mature to that level till the mid to late teens. People with any experience singing, like I have, know this. If people don't put her in shows, and operas, as soon and as often as possible, they're just as amazing a fools as Jackie is a singer. It is like the blind savants playing amazing classical piano after hearing a piece ONE TIME. It just doesn't happen often. Shows with her in them would be very rare and special experiences f

  • Al 9/6/2010

    She is not an opera singer by technical term. She is a classic crossover singer. I doubt she will ever be in a opera house.

  • Maxine Nelson 9/6/2010

    I totally agree!!!

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