As you can see in the picture above, our homeboy John Park is sitting on the ultimate prop for this season of American Idol: the stool.
He’s not the only one that has utilized this wondrous, yet simple piece of furniture to accessorize his vocal performance this week. Alex Lambert, Andrew Garcia, and that one homegirl who sang that really odd version of “Lean on Me” decided to use it as well.
Why is the stool such a powerful weapon? Well, I am glad you asked.
It just provides a certain relaxed, comforting coffee house vibe. It’s like the singer is saying, “Hey, look at me – I am one of you. I am at your level. I can sing and sit on a stool.” It makes it look effortless, natural because they are indeed, sitting and singing.
I remember my days in choir during high school. The men of the prestigious chorale of Judson High School performed a rendition of James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain” at my senior year pop show. All of us were either sitting on stools or posing near a stool. It added a layer of musical civility to the performance. It was organic. It was beautiful. It was magical.
When I think back to that performance, I realize that stools give a wink and a smile to a crooning performance. It keeps it real. It also gives the opportunity for the audience to see your passion in a disarming showcase of your vocal ability.
It also denotes that you are too lazy to stand.
- Excited
- Fascinated
- Amused
- Bored
- Sad
- Angry
