To highlight the two comments I spoke of, I'll start with the announcer introducing her as the "wedding singer." It was a true statement, but it left a story untold that could fill a book, one that must have weighed heavily on every aspect of her auditioning and performing on The Voice. More on that after her final performance. Secondly, her coach's comment, "...at the end you were a world-class singer!" was unknowingly foretelling, but it's the "at the end..." part that deserves mention, because it's a recurrent theme. It seemed every performance ended with her power and range, but then it was over just when you wanted to hear more. I'm not sure if that was her choice or someone else's, but I have to wonder why it was allowed to stay that way throughout the show, knowing that is what gets the votes.
"Been Around the World" is a great song choice for the right audience. It suits her abilities nicely, the judges liked it for its nuances and jazz elements, and Loren liked it for its "bit of sass." But having once been a Media Analyst, I have my thoughts on where, and by whom, this song would've been given its due. I can say, with confidence, that the mass audience that watched The Voice was not going to be blown away by this song, no matter how well she sang it! The typical talent show viewer is not a BDTR (breaking down the rifts) listener or a jazz enthusiast. I also didn't understand the comments about wanting more of that powerful upper register, which was, again, only at the end. A coach is there for each rehearsal and could have altered that pattern anywhere along the way. Moreover, why even mention that in front of a global voting audience? I felt she did all one could ask for with what she was given, and that her appearance on the show had not been handled the way it should have been...something she was no doubt used to by this time.
The Blind Audition is too brief to bother with, but a snippet will appear later in the 4th round clip. So let's backtrack to see her portion of the all-too-brief 2nd round montage. Without getting ahead of ourselves, I'll just mention that I felt Loren's half of this Battle Round duet, "Need You Now," may have highlighted her tone and offered more general audience appeal than either of her other two songs despite how well they were performed. I say that only because the longer flowing notes lets her voice soar and the audience loves that. The upcoming 4th round is live with the viewing audience voting the contestants through to the next round, and soaring notes get votes. It's also worth pointing out that most viewers have already chosen their favorites by the live rounds, so it was a shame the show gave Loren and Cassadee such limited exposure here, as each deserved more. For Loren's part, a couple of comments made during and after her performance were noteworthy. Let's watch those final few seconds and see what stands out for you.
My summer highlight of 2012 was the London Olympics, and, aside from work, training for my year-end race would fill the remaining months. On a late October evening, while cooking dinner, I grabbed the TV remote to channel surf for something interesting and came across the third season of The Voice. It had been airing for more than a month already. I don't remember exactly what I was cooking at the time, but I clearly recall the moment I heard the name and turned to see the artist I had tried to find while in Boston. It was such an unexpected way to happen upon her a second time, and also a bit confusing. She had already been signed by a record label, so why was I seeing her on The Voice? Although it was a 3rd round appearance, I hadn't missed much because only snippets of the Blind Audition and 2nd Round performance had been aired...more on that shortly. For now, it's October 2012, and here's a link to what I turned to see that evening. Why not meet her for yourself!
There was, however, one big disappointment for me in Boston that year. I had regretted my failure to visit the school during my first trip, and had prioritized finding her this. Having learned more about the school and its list of alumni, I was so curious about where she was in her development as a singer. But I could find nothing of the young artist I had hoped to connect with. School officials offered no information, so I returned to the islands without knowing what had become of her. Granted, if I had been more in touch with online sites and social networking, I would've seen she had left school during her second year, having been seen and heard on YouTube, and subsequently signed by a record label. I guess you could say that validated my thoughts regarding what I heard on my small laptop speakers a few years earlier. The irony of my thinking to run the NYC Marathon later that year rather than Honolulu, and her now living in Brooklyn, didn't exist since I had no idea she was there, and wouldn't have tried to connect even if I had. Please don't misunderstand, I'm not saying someone's unapproachable just because they're a recording artist. I had several very famous artists as clients, two male singers who became stage and film stars, and two female artists with their own TV series and shows in Las Vegas, but each had approached me, and that makes it a different scenario. I've always had a knack for noticing talent early, whether it was in athletics or entertainment, and Loren was already penciled in on the the page margin with an asterisk.
That incentive came to mind a few times in the months that followed, but was instantly refreshed in mid-December, when I actually did qualify for Boston. Upon arrival there in April, I had every intention to visit the music school, but was faced with commuting 20 miles from the race hub to my lodging, trying to learn the transit system, and preparing for the race. The run was successful, but afterward it was a struggle to gingerly make my way to the train station, then the bus depot, and finally a warm shower and bed. The next day, it was all I could do to make my early morning flight, so I never managed to visit the music school. I have no idea what I would've said, but as I sat in the airport, I regretted not finding time to go there and share the crazy story about discovering her. I had been impressed by the whole story, not just the song I'd heard, and I'm sure she would've been amused that she had been an added incentive for me to make it to Boston. Sadly, neither did I ever again see the runners back home who had laughed at me.
When I came across the reference to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, I immediately searched for it on Google Earth and saw that it was one block off the marathon course. In fact, as you enter the race's finishing straight on Boylston Street, if you turn right instead of left, you'd be right at the school's front door. It was enough to spark an interest in following the show's auditions. I saw nothing of her on TV, but I did see another article from that same area news source, explaining that she had made it through all the rounds to audition for the judges, only to be sent home. That same news site soon posted a recording of her audition. It sounded more than worthy to me; however, the judges apparently didn't like her song choice. I wasn't a singer, but I was an avid music listener with a good ear, and I liked what I heard, well enough that I now had added incentive to make my way to Boston in the spring to check on how this young talent was progressing.
Oahu is the most populous island in the Hawaiian chain, and I had lived on its far west end for about 15 years before moving to Honolulu to avoid the 90-minute commute. Living adjacent to the downtown area, I often opted to bike to the bank or post office, rather than drive. In early 2007, a bike accident left me limping for well over a year. Having already set aside all my physical activities for work, I was now prevented from even walking. Thus, in July of 2008, I chose to gather what I had learned of somatics from my work and apply it via a focused awareness approach to walking, with the hope of restoring my knee. I was surprised to find I limped less when I tried to jog than when I walked, and eventually jogged my way back to a full recovery. Walking with some runners one afternoon, I mentioned, "It would be cool to run Boston someday," and they laughed at me. The Boston Marathon requires qualifying times and remains on many people's bucket list for a lifetime. I had once been a decent runner, and I felt their response burning in me all the way home. I registered that night for December's Honolulu Marathon. The April 2009 Boston Marathon registration window thankfully remained open til February that year. These past events I've described each played a role in how I happened upon our artist, and how our two stories became intertwined.
The following year, at age 11, I was busy poring over every word and picture in a magazine article about John Thomas, a Boston University freshman high jumper, who became the first man to clear seven feet indoors. I lived near a lumber mill and a bamboo forest, so within days, I had a bamboo crossbar placed between two pine trees, a sawdust landing pit, and was mimicking the young athlete I had read about. I was soon using one of the bamboo poles to vault with as well. At age fifteen, my dad asked if I would like to meet Olympian Jim Beatty, the first man to break the four-minute mile barrier indoors, and a cover figure for Sports Illustrated magazine. A week later, I was an aspiring middle-distance runner, which would continue through college. After graduation, sports gave way to work and family matters. Some years later, I exited a career in corporate media, solemnly gathered myself from an ongoing battle I saw as endless, and with two suitcases and meager funds, I moved to a new home far away and started over. I eventually settled into a career in personal care and later added the role of investor.
The first event that I should mention was my parents giving my older sister and me an encyclopedia set. I was ten and she was a teenager already into boys and girlfriends, so the books were mine, and they became my window on the world. My favorite volume was D-E, for dinosaurs and earth, and within weeks, I had created a list of places where I might live someday. Over time, books and maps were replaced by websites with video clips and live cams. Even now, half a world away, I still browse for seasonal or retirement sites, only now it's with Google Earth, which is where the seeds of this story first took root.
The life and career of a performing artist is seldom an easy one. Some find ways to self-sabotage, while others have that done for them. It's a brutally competitive industry known for glamor and bright lights, but sometimes having a dark side as well. Some will find themselves in the right place at the right time, while others struggle to find some measure of success. Many come to accept less just to keep doing what they love, while others decide it's time to move on. So whether the flame diminishes, drops to a flicker, or becomes just an ember somewhere deep within, it only takes the right impetus to reignite and burn bigger and brighter than ever. This is just such a story, one that follows the pursuit of a dream, facing obstacles never imagined, including some that lie within. It begins as my own story, which provides context and explains the connection to what soon becomes someone else's story. It is a chronicled account of aspiration and achievement, followed by disappointment and resignation, only to begin anew and become a realization beyond anything imagined. Despite all those now familiar with the artist in this story, I'm often surprised by how many are not. Thus, I'll not disclose the identity right away, just for the sake of curiosity and guesswork. I hope to offer not just facts and information, but rather insight and inspiration. Pursuits and dreams come in countless forms and can lie hidden within those we least suspect of owning them.
My own journey soon becomes just a backdrop, yet interwoven enough to inspire my efforts to present this story in the befitting manner it deserves. Thus, to better understand that backdrop, please allow me to briefly turn back the clock. Several childhood events lay the foundation for what will later create the first connection between the two stories.
Adam seemed to hint that there was a bit of holding back, which suggests a confidence issue, and that would make sense given past events. Moreover, I wonder if it was even her decision to be on the show. While still at Berklee College of Music, she had uploaded songs on YouTube that garnered attention, which soon led to her signing with a label. At that young age, it must have seemed a dream come true. However, the music industry can be a harsh environment for aspiring young artists, regardless of their talent. A whirlwind of contracts, broken promises, greed, and demands that can show the darker side of the industry were all there to greet her. Unknown to me at the time, Loren had seen all that and more. Her backstory shows up often in various media during the lengthy course of this story, and they all seem to present that content in a misleading or inaccurate fashion. It's my understanding that producers from "The Voice" approached Loren's label looking for new talent, and Loren was offered up. With no album releases and a lot of unkempt promises, I can't imagine a talent show audition being something she would have had in mind. Not being voted into the second live round had to hurt all the more. She'd had enough! At her own request, the label dropped her. Exhausted and dejected, Loren Allred walked away from the recording industry. She had remained true to herself through it all, relying solely on her talent and determination, and she left with her head held high. When I see someone in these situations rise above it all, it endears them to me right away! I'm well aware of the depression, anxiety, and the emotional scars that can follow. But often there is victory in defeat, and maybe this is where the first seeds of transformation were actually planted, although it would never have seemed so at the time. You might compare those seeds to the smoldering ember I spoke of in the introduction.
We've now arrived at the final performance in the live vote "Playoff Round." I'll save most of the commentary until after, because there's a lot to unpack. But I'd like to express a few thoughts beforehand. First off, I love the song, and I like the way Loren performed it. "Been Around The World" shows off her skill set, and it's definitely in her wheelhouse, but what isn't? However, it brings up that same issue of "at the end", so I'll offer, again, that her 2nd round duet, "I Need You Now" was the only time her voice was allowed to soar a bit during the song, and also let us hear those beautiful flips and transitions in the register. A similar type of song might have fared better in the live-vote round. Also, again, it's unfortunate that the viewers didn't see this lengthy introduction to Loren earlier in the show. The video is a bit blurry and is also "Loud," so adjust your sound volume ahead. Enjoy this live performance of "Been Around the World."
In August of 2008, I was immersed in a familiar habit ... yes, there are unfamiliar ones. I was sitting at my desk staring at Google Earth, transfixed by the images in front of me. Each site of interest was then web-searched for facts and data as I browsed for a potential part-time home location. On this occasion, I had been searching for towns at 7000ft (2133m) or higher, but most were expensive ski resort towns, so I lowered the standard a bit. A few of you will already know where I'm going with this. The sound of those runners' laughter still rang in my ears, but I'm a pragmatist, and I knew that ramping up from a bit of jogging to marathon fitness in only a few months was a foolish plan. Injury aside, just finishing would be a challenge. Although qualifying for Boston was unlikely, I was thinking of the future. Having restored my knee, I had returned to running with two main goals: to become competitive again and to validate the work that I do by serving as an example. Thus, searching for a part-time home at altitude made perfect sense in that regard. I could never have imagined that my attention would suddenly land upon a small-town news article that had absolutely nothing to do with my search. It was about a local teenager with big dreams and a lot of determination, hoping to audition for the upcoming season of American Idol. I had enjoyed the TV show's first season, which provided a much-needed break from a year of post-9/11 news, but I hadn't followed it much after that. I was about to resume my search when I saw that she had driven to the audition site and slept in her vehicle, hoping to be among the first in line for registration. She had risen at 4:00 a.m. and found a line had already formed, but still managed to register early. I clearly recall thinking that I would be proud if that were my kid...showing that kind of determination. Just as I was about to return to Google Earth, I saw the word "Boston" from the corner of my eye. She had been accepted to a prestigious music school in Boston and would attend that year.
Maybe you guessed from the start who I had happened upon that day in 2008, and was finally seeing four years later. If so, then you may already be familiar with much of what's to come in our story. Hopefully, I can offer some additional knowledge and insight, and perhaps you can offer the same. However, please keep in mind that this is not a biography, but rather a chronicled story of transformation, as seen and heard through my eyes and ears. I hope those who've discovered Loren more recently will find the story content insightful and only add to your discovery. Let's return to that October evening and its surrounding events. As mentioned, there was little to miss from the weeks before, because only the last 10 seconds of her Blind Audition aired, and roughly the same amount of time for her 2nd round performance. As for this 3rd round performance of "You Know I'm No Good," I was too surprised to notice much detail. All the searching in 2008 and again during the second visit to Boston, and now she suddenly appears in my living room! When I replayed it, however, two things stood out for me. It's an Amy Winehouse song, so the sultry part was a big ask, yet she handled it pretty well, and she closed powerfully. But what I mostly noticed was the subdued "Thank you directed at Adam's gesture of support, and what I sensed as a look of resignation on her face, as if to say ..."Why bother anymore?" or perhaps "Why am I even here?" Maybe she was just expecting Nicole Nelson to win this Knockout Round, which was certainly possible at that point, given Loren's lack of exposure on the show. I'm sure it was a difficult decision for Adam, and it was obviously a big surprise for Loren. It should've been the start of a run for her, but that was impeded, in my mind, by the final song choice.
2012 was a good year for me. I had returned to Boston and, on the event's second hottest day ever, managed a 2nd place division finish, despite zigzagging the entire course route, to catch the water sprays and shade. I don't do well in extreme heat...the islands are blessed with trade winds. That day, "survival" seemed more important than a top finish! The year would end splendidly with a division win in Honolulu's big international marathon.
