It's OK if practice doesn't always make perfect

For "American Idol" contestants, singing on live TV takes them to a whole new level of performance.

It's not enough to sing a song they may have just learned well, they also have to perform well, portray the right kind of emotion for the camera and a room filled with strangers, remember the lyrics, stand out from the crowd and be different yet remain true to themselves.

Not to mention, of course, they must win over the judges and millions of fans. Sound tough? You have no idea. I'll never forget my first performance in "Idol." I was so worried about being "perfect" that I psyched myself out and performed poorly.

Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, practice doesn't make perfect. Even Utahn David Archuleta, the Murray High School student who had heard nothing but raves from the judges, performed less than perfectly on Tuesday.

That, I'm sure, came as a relief to the other contestants. Archuleta sang (and played the piano) to Phil Collins' "Another Day in Paradise."

"I love that there were a couple of notes that were off, because it proved to me that you're not perfect," judge Paula Abdul said.

Perfection is something Archuleta is very particular about, according to his vocal coach, Dean Kaelin, who also is my voice teacher.

"He's always going to be that intense in singing," Kaelin said last week. "It's subconscious. He's very demanding of himself, yet, on the other hand, very humble. He doesn't show off."

In fact, Kaelin said, very few people at Archuleta's high school even knew he sang before "Idol."

"We almost had to beg him to sing at group lessons," Kaelin said, laughing. "That's what's most endearing. But as soon as he opens his mouth, he's comfortable."

Maybe not so much when host Ryan Seacrest announced that Archuleta was "thirsty and had to pee." But as Kaelin said, as soon as the cameras came on, perfect or not, David's performance still shone.

Ironically, sometimes the not-so-perfect performances are the ones that stand out.

Amanda Overmeyer was a classic example this week. Her voice is always a bit scratchy, like it's going to give out at any time. But it's these imperfections that make her sound awesome.

"I thought it was fantastic," Simon raved about her killer performance of "I Hate Myself for Loving You." "It was one of my favorite girl performances this whole year."