"I've always known David was talented," says Kaelin, whose students include two other "American Idol" finalists (Carmen Rasmusen and John Praetor). "I just told him to go down there and have some fun and see if it can roll into anything else, because he's always wanted to do something with his music. Then he started getting attention, and people are picking him in the top two or three. It caught us all by surprise. He has really been surprised."

Kaelin has been fielding calls from booking agents hoping to sign Archuleta for singing performances. Disney is considering him for a role in "High School Musical 3," and, locally, "Stadium of Fire" and Kingsbury Hall are inviting him for concert performances. "American Idol" will likely retain Archuleta to make records after the contest is finished.

"When Carmen went down there," Kaelin says, "she was not as prepared. She hadn't firmed up her performing skills. But David has been on TV — on 'Jenny Jones' and 'Star Search.' He's more used to it. The best thing about David is his ability to understand the song. That's not something I had to teach him. He has a feel for the music.

"Every time he sings a song, it's a little different than what I heard in rehearsal because he feels the song, and his mood changes."

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E-mail: drob@desnews.com