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but her rendition, while perhaps more perfect technically, doesn't carry the same maturity that Susan Boyle gives the song--yes, her appearance contributed a lot to the poignancy of her singing it, and adding life experiences to the emotionality of it made it resonate even more. If you've been groomed from an early age to be a singer or musician, it's one thing, but to single out that extraordinary voice in this case is quite another.
Yes, there are a lot of great, undiscovered talents out there, and there always will be. The truth is, some will never have the courage to act on their dreams, for whatever reason they would like to think is true. But few people, except for maybe Grandma Moses (!), are prepared to defer their goals, wishes and hopes until they are through with caregiving of an aged parent, for example, as in Susan's case. It's not easy doing that amount of labor for many long years, no matter who they are. You have to keep your own needs and wants suppressed, and keep from resenting the person you're caring for.
How each of us relates to the BGT clip is also part of our own life's work. Some of us see a lot of ourselves in Susan, or perhaps someone might have been as cynical as Simon, Piers or Amanda, and found themselves realizing how quick to judge we all are at times, and take home the lesson of how quickly perceptions changed once she began to sing. It doesn't matter in the end, because the reaction to the clip, from the many hundreds of comments on each site showing it, shows that an emotional response is achieved, and isn't that the whole point of music, poetry, or other form of talent, anyhow? In the end, some will still not understand the phenomenon that has happened this past week, and others will have had their lives drastically changed by it. If it means that someone like Susan, who walks through life a little wounded, gets a person to think about how they treat others, than the events of this past week will have made their mark.
One of my favorite points in the video is about a 1/3 in, I think, when Simon is watching Susan simply captivated, and he begins to break into a wide grin. He is actually listening to her, engrossed in the song. That moment alone was and is worth watching. I remember when he reacted similarly two years ago with Paul Potts (another BGT winner who was, himself, unassuming and shy) and it seems like he genuinely enjoys surprises. Being in the music industry as he is, he has likely heard many talents and non-talents over the years, and seeing his initial reaction was priceless. Even cynics like Simon Cowell need to believe in happy endings, too.
Mimicking other vocalists might be a talent in and of itself, but how many can actually get away with it? as you said, they need to find their own voice, but being able to recognize the songs and the range of their own limitations is a talent all its own. How many people can hit both the high notes and the low notes that would be required in certain songs? There are singers who are all flash and no talent, and we know that. To see someone finally gaining recognition, such as Susan in this case, is just such a great feeling to go with. It really doesn't matter, though--we're all different, and how we interpret art is unique. And that is almost always a good thing.
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