Poy misses the Star Scholar title

August 03, 2008 2:21 AM

The Scholars impressed this week’s panel of jurors – composer Louie Ocampo, singer Ivy Violan and singer-song writer Jimmy Bondoc – with their remarkable show stopping performances. Even Honorary Scholar Poy made the judges gush over her performance. However, even if the judges deemed her singing ability very versatile, she wasn’t able to achieve Star Scholar status.

Though the head-to-head battle related with tonight’s gala night created intense pressure on the Scholars, this didn’t stop them from giving their best shot. Bunny and Cris successfully enticed the jurors and the audience with their sizzling hot performances. Cris’ rendition of It’s Raining Men received commendations from Judge Jimmy. He judge also gave Bunny’s projection on stage a thumbs up.

Sen and Van’s good looks and stage presence mesmerized Ivy Violan. But the judge pinpointed that although Sen had a good song choice, he wasn’t able to make the most out of it. Van’s performance, on the other hand, could have been better if he played around with the song.

Though resident judge Louie Ocampo enjoyed both Miguel and Iñaki’s numbers, he admitted that he liked the latter’s performance better. He commented that he still sees Miguel as a “work in progress,” and he is improving way faster than the composer expected.

As for Bugoy, his voice quality didn’t fail him tonight, because as usual, the jurors couldn’t help but perceive it as his strength. Though Jimmy Bondoc described his performance similar with a church choir, it still passed as a show stopper. But between the two, he personally preferred Apple’s We are Family rendition because of her energy and full production number.

Laarni, who sang April Boy Regino’s Di Ko Kayang Tanggapin was very well praised for her good voice quality and voice texture. But her powerful voice wasn’t enough to stop Liezel from bagging the Star Scholar title, again, after garnering the highest grade--9.67 with her rendition of Beyonce Knowles’ Listen. Unfortunately for Laarni, even though she got a high score of 8, it meant that she automatically belonged in the Bottom Five.

The four other Scholars who joined Laarni in the Bottom Five were Bunny, Van, Miguel, and Apple. Bunny was lucky enough though to be immediately saved from probation by the Dream Mentors. Who among the remaining four will have the same luck as Bunny’s, but in the hands of their fellow Scholars? Find out on Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2 Primetime edition, this Monday after My Girl!

Scholars rate their opponents

August 02, 2008 1:29 AM

After watching their corresponding opponents rehearse their 7^th Gala Night pieces, all the Scholars were asked to rate their respected partner’s performance based on the said dry run.

Cris went on first to mark her rival’s grade. She gave her a fair 7.99 because she claimed that Bunny’s vocals are now at its best, plus the song compliments her voice. In return, Bunny gave the Singing Interior Designer an 8 for a good presentation.

It seemed that Bugoy and Apple shared some common mistakes. Based on the two’s observation of each other during the band rehearsal, their songs were filled with noticeable flats and sharps. After Bugoy commended his partner for a good delivery, he gave her an 8, while she gave him an 8.2 to give credit to his undeniably remarkable voice quality.

Iñaki was indeed a generous grade-giver, and this was proved after he gave an 8.5 rating to his best buddy Miguel. He justified this grade by saying that Miguel is indeed ready for the Gala Night. In contrast with Iñaki’s generosity, the Romantic Crooner was somehow stingy with grades. He only gave his best bud a 6.83.

8.17 was the rating Sen gave to his best friend in the Academy, Van. According to him, Van’s rendition of Through the Fire can be classified as a good revival of the song. Van admitted that he had a hard time deciding on Sen’s grade since he wasn’t able to see the Cancer Survivor’s all out performance during the rehearsal. But based on what he saw, he selflessly gave him a 7.5.

Coincidentally, Liezel and Laarni gave the same rating to each other. Both got a score of 8.5. The two were humble enough to admit to themselves that there is still a room for quite a lot of improvement on their performances, despite how people continually praise them for their great talent.

Poy’s act during the rehearsal left most of the Scholars with jaws dropped. Will she get the same reaction from the jurors tomorrow night? Who among the Headmaster’s List of Ten will stumble down to fill in the Bottom Five? Find out tomorrow on PinoyDreamAcademy Season 2’s 7^th Gala Performance Night, right after Kapitan Boom!

Cris greets her mom on her birthdayp

August 01, 2008 7:34 PM

Last night, Cris’ tough exterior broke as she expressed her homesickness. Her beloved mother would be celebrating her birthday and she badly wanted to be with her. But since she couldn’t leave the Academy, Mrs. Fe Pastor, Cris’ mom, visited her today on Uberture instead.

As Cris entered the counseling room, she instantly recognized her favorite dish which was cooked by her mother. Soon, her mom spoke up and they both couldn’t help but shed tears. Mrs. Pastor didn’t hesitate in saying that she terribly missed her daughter. Though she was saddened by the fact that this would be the first year they wouldn’t be spending her birthday together, she was proud of her daughter’s accomplishments in the Academy. She advised her to remain focused on her dream and to continue being the strong person she is.

Also on Uberture was the scholars’ rating of their own performance during band rehearsals. Miguel felt that he was a 6.89 since he was unsure yet on how to bring his piece to life as opposed to Iñaki who was confident as he gave himself a 9. Van and Sen’s evaluation of themselves weren’t far from each other as the former felt he was an 8 while the latter believed he was an 8.28. If Bugoy was aware of his diction problems as he considered himself a 7.9, Apple undeniably enjoyed performing which was a basis for her score of 9.5. Bunny noticed that her vocals improved and she rated herself a 9. Her opponent Cris thought otherwise as she believed that she had more edge in reaching the high notes. However, she evaluated herself an 8.10. Laarni on the other hand felt her performance wasn’t fool-proof while Liezel was worried that she consistently failed to hit high notes thus they scored themselves 8.06 and 7 respectively.

The Acadreamians were asked to score their opponents as well. While some were conservative with their feedback, the others pinpointed minor glitches in the other scholar’s performance. How did the scholars evaluate the competition? Don’t miss the primetime edition of Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2!

The Acadreamians make the final touches to their performance

August 01, 2008 3:44 PM

Everyone seemed hyped on the day before the big Face-Off Challenge. The Acadreamians employed different strategies in order to refine their performances. Also, everyone took the no-talk police seriously and only spoke when needed.

Sen woke early this morning and instantly practiced his piece. Soon the others followed suit and waited for their turn in using the player. One by one they gave an all out dance number in their rehearsal. Apple shunned her inhibitions and played with the mock audience, who were her co-scholars, as she performed. However, dance instructor Sherwin advised her to make a stronger and sharper attack of the choreography.

Meanwhile, competition seemed healthy between the best buds in the Academy. Though Sen and Van had to contend tomorrow, they still helped each other polish their pieces. They corrected the other’s mistakes and pointed out flats and sharps which wouldn’t escape the keen ears of the jurors. The Cancer Survivor even laid down his cards and even gave a detailed description of his performance.

Liezel on the other hand worried much on her showdown against Laarni. Lately, her voice had been cracking once she sings high notes. She then consulted recent Star Scholar Bugoy and asked him tips on voice techniques and how to improve her number. Competition is getting stiffer and more intense as the showdown draws near. Who among the scholars would make it to the Top Five? See the scholars’ gimmicks on their performance later on Uberture!