Mormon Life - David Archuleta & LDSL tag

David Archuleta: the Eagle, the temple and the music

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:14:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

Mormon Life says: Good things are happening for David: receiving his Eagle Scout, going through the temple, he's on the cover of LDS Living (okay, that last one is a little biased).

It’s been a year since David Archuleta was the featured artist of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert.

Sporting a sweater and scarf, the 20-year-old "American Idol" star was in town last week to promote his Christmas concert CD and DVD, sign autographs, sit for some media interviews and enjoy Thanksgiving with his family before beginning a Christmas tour.

Polishing off a turkey sandwich during an interview, Archuleta described how honored he was to be invited to sing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir he grew up admiring.

{LDSL Blog} My Interview with David Archuleta

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:04:00 -0700

by Jamie Lawson
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Talented. Adorable. Sweet. These are just a few words often used to describe singing sensation David Archuleta. Before I met him, I couldn’t help but wonder how much of his image reflected who he really was. Here’s the story, folks: he’s the real deal. In fact, there’s a lot more to David than meets the eye.

I recently interviewed David Archuleta for a story in LDS Living's November/December issue (click here to read an excerpt). Just as I expected, he was gracious, humble, and delightful to talk to. But beyond his angelic and unassuming nature, David possesses a deep passion for music and a strong conviction to stay true to himself. I have to admit it—this is something I didn’t anticipate.

I knew David is very good at what he does (I was already a fan), but I admire him so much more now that I know he truly sees his talent as a gift from God and takes very seriously his responsibility to use it to uplift and inspire others. I saw nothing but sincerity in his eyes when he told me, “I want to sing about something that has a real message. That’s where my heart is. That’s what I love. I feel like that’s what I need to do.”

It was fascinating to listen to him talk about the pressures he has faced in the spotlight, particularly the pressure placed upon him by people in the music industry to portray a certain image or sing songs that he wasn’t comfortable with. In fact, my favorite moment with David was when he said, “No one can tell me who I am and am not. I’m just going to be true to myself.”

I have no doubt we will see great things from David in the future. One of the projects he hopes to complete soon, although there are no solid plans yet, is a Latin album in honor of his Hispanic roots (his mother, Lupe, is from Honduras). He also has a few surprises in store—whether in his personal life or professional life, he wouldn’t say, but it’s clear to me that David knows his own path, regardless of what anyone else has to say about it.

To view our David Archuleta photo gallery, click here.

To check out some behind-the-scenes video from our photoshoot with David and for his responses to some of our reader questions, click here.

—

 Jamie Lawson is managing editor of LDS Living magazine. She loves traveling internationally, meeting fascinating people, and listening to 80s music. She enjoys tasting new foods but does not like to cook. She has two adorable boys who help her stay up to date on the latest technology, fashion trends, and catch phrases.

Interview with David Archuleta: Staying in Tune

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:08:00 -0700

by Jamie Lawson
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Since appearing on American Idol, David Archuleta has taken the music world by storm. Still, he's managed to stay true to himself and his values. LDS Living recently caught up with the star to talk about life, music, and what the future holds.

David Archuleta was born with music in his blood.

He grew up watching his father, Jeff, play the trumpet with various jazz bands and his mother, Lupe, shine on stage as a salsa singer and dancer. The second of five children, Archuleta would often perform musical numbers with his family for neighbors and friends. But it was at six years of age, when he watched a videotape of the tenth anniversary concert of Les Miserables, that his passion for music was irrevocably forged in his heart.

(David, around age 3. To view our David Archuleta photo gallery, click here.)

“I couldn’t stop watching,” Archuleta recalls. “I didn’t understand the story line, but I loved the way the people sang the songs. The melodies, the emotions—they captivated me.”

The Journey Begins

Inspired by Les Miserables, Archuleta became obsessed with singing despite being naturally shy and uncomfortable with the sound of his own voice. He continued to perform, improving his technique and showmanship with guidance from his parents. Then, when he was 10 years old, his mother entered him in his first competitive talent show—the 2001 Utah Talent Competition.

“I about had a heart attack because I was so nervous,” he recalls. “I’ve always been a worrywart and very self-conscious.” Despite his insecurity and self-doubt, and a full-blown panic attack backstage just minutes before his performance, Archuleta received a standing ovation for his rendition of “I Will Always Love You” and was declared the winner of the child division. Completely taken by surprise at his victory, he was thrilled at the audience’s response and found a deep sense of pride in facing his fears head on.

After the talent competition, Archuleta’s parents continued to search for opportunities for him to perform, including television appearances on the Jenny Jones Show and the Early Show on CBS. Then, in 2003, he competed on the television show Star Search, going on to become the Junior Vocal Champion. It was another confirmation that Archuleta’s life was on the right path. But soon that surety would be replaced with doubt and despair.

“I got invited back to Star Search the following year to do Battle of the Champions, but I started having struggles with my breathing, singing, and talking,” he recalls. “I was wheezing, and I could only sing for a few minutes at a time.” After a visit with the doctor, Archuleta received devastating news—he had partial vocal cord paralysis.

The options for treatment were either a high-risk surgery that could permanently damage his voice, or voice therapy, which would hopefully slowly rehabilitate the paralyzed chord. Archuleta opted for therapy but he wasn’t optimistic, and at 13 years old his dreams of being a singer quickly evaporated.

“When I received the diagnosis, I had already given up,” he says. “I could only sing a song or two before I would get tired. To be a singer, you have to do full shows. I was really down and not sure what I should be doing with my life.”

He continues, “I just decided to go to school—I’d been home schooling on and off. Ninth grade was my first full year of school. Then tenth grade I tried to be a normal kid, but I’m not good at extracurricular activities, and I felt like I had lost a piece of myself.”

The Idol Experience
Archuleta continued to attend school. And when he was 16, auditions for the seventh season of American Idol were announced. An avid fan of the show from the beginning, he was finally old enough to audition. But by that point, Archuleta had lost confidence in his abilities.

“I thought it would be a waste of everyone’s time if I auditioned,” he recalls. “I didn’t think I had a shot, and I didn’t know how my voice would handle it.”

Archuleta’s family and friends consistently encouraged him to audition. The idea nagged at him, so he finally decided to make it a matter of prayer. “Something kept saying, ‘Go audition,’” he says. “I kept trying to ignore it. So I was shocked that I felt such a strong impression [to audition] after praying. But I felt there was something I had to learn from that experience, maybe meet someone who I needed to meet.”

(LDS Living photo shoot, 2011. Photo by Michael Schoenfeld.)

With the help of his father, Archuleta began choosing music for the auditions, and in July 2007 the two of them boarded a plane to San Diego to join thousands of other hopefuls for the chance to impress the American Idol judges. Archuleta made it through several rounds, received unanimous approval from the judges to move forward to the semi-finals during Hollywood Week, and was ultimately chosen as one of the 24 contestants to compete on the show.

“The whole Idol experience was pretty crazy,” Archuleta says of his experience on the show. “For the most part it was a positive experience, but it was extremely challenging to believe in myself while dealing with all the pressure. I had so many eyes on me.”

Archuleta describes the American Idol experience as “boot camp for singers.” “For iTunes we had to record songs each week. There were interviews, photo shoots, and music videos for the Ford commercials. There were fan letters and paparazzi. We were competing in front of millions of people every week. I thought, ‘If I can make it through this, I can handle anything.’”

Despite the overwhelming pressure in the spotlight and a grueling schedule, Archuleta managed to set himself apart. After battling with fellow contestants for 13 weeks, he won a coveted spot in the finale, going head-to-head with the other finalist, David Cook. Archuleta gave spellbinding performances, wowing the audience and the judges with all three of his musical numbers. American Idol judge Simon Cowell even predicted that Archuleta would win the competition. But on May 21, 2008, after the show tallied more than 97 million votes, Cook ultimately walked away with the title of “American Idol”—and Archuleta was perfectly happy with the outcome.

“I knew I wasn’t going to win,” he says. “But it was a life-changing experience. I was able to learn so much—all because I followed a prompting to go audition.”

The Image Dilemma
Following American Idol, Archuleta signed a recording contract with Jive Records, and his self-titled album, David Archuleta, was released in November of 2008. It was certainly a dream come true, but behind the scenes, he was constantly clashing with the record label.

“Record label management wanted to make me into a person that was so different from who I had presented myself to be on Idol. People would say, ‘You don’t know who you are. You don’t know what you want to be. This is who you are.’ But I told them, ‘You know what? That’s not who I am. Regardless if that’s what will get more radio play, that’s not what I’m supposed to do. I don’t want double-meaning lyrics. I don’t want things to be taken the wrong way. Music has an impact, and as an artist I can influence the way people think, the way they feel. No one can tell me what I am and am not. I’m just going to be true to myself.’”

Archuleta’s tenacity paid off. His first single, “Crush,” debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and has sold nearly 2 million copies to date. But he readily admits that romance is not his favorite topic to sing about.

“I’ve never been in a relationship, but that’s what everyone wanted me to sing about—I was so frustrated by that. They would say, ‘That’s what people relate to.’ But I didn’t relate to it.”

In fact, Archuleta does not plan on changing his bachelor status any time soon. “Dating isn’t something I’m taking seriously right now,” he explains. “There are definitely more things musically and personally that I need to accomplish before I get into a relationship.”

But when he does start dating, what qualities will his ideal girl have? “I want someone who has good values, who values family, and who thinks about others a lot,” he says. “I want someone I can learn from, who likes exploring and trying new things, who likes to have fun, who likes to eat—I like food, and I hope she will too,” he laughs. “Just someone who has a good heart.”

David even has a song dedicated to that ideal girl on his third album, The Other Side of Down, called “My Kind of Perfect.” “It’s about who that girl is going to be down the road,” he explains. “I want to be myself, so this is my love song—wondering who that person is going to be.”

To read the rest of this article, check out the November/December print issue of LDS Living by purchasing a single issue here or a one-year subscription for the special price of $10 here.

To view our David Archuleta photo gallery, click here.

To check out some behind-the-scenes video from our photoshoot with David and for his responses to some of our reader questions, click here.

Behind the Scenes with David Archuleta

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:07:00 -0700

by LDS Living
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Check out these videos to get behind the scenes at our photo shoot with David and to hear his responses to some of our reader questions.

Behind the scenes at David's photo shoot with LDS Living:

David responds to LDS Living's reader questions:

David Archuleta: Photo Gallery

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:04:00 -0700

by LDS Living
source: MormonLife.com

To check out some behind-the-scenes video from our photoshoot with David, click here.

Photo courtesy of David Archuleta.

David singing with Mormon Tabernacle Choir, December 2010.

David, around 3 years old.

LDS Living photoshoot, August 2011. Photo by Michael Schoenfeld.