Voice guru trains 'Idol' contestant
G'town vocal coach has connections to Fox show
When Bob Westbrook watches "American Idol" tonight, only one voice will matter to him -- the voice that he has carefully groomed to win a recording contract.
As vocal coaches go, Westbrook is something of a guru in the Mid-South. The singers who seek him out are looking for a music career or, at least, are ambitious enough to pay $60 to $115 an hour for lessons.
Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal
Vocal coach Bob Westbrook has worked with hundreds of students at his Germantown studio.
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Jasmine Murray, 17, a native of Columbus, Miss., is one of them.
Nearly five years ago, Murray's mother began prepping her for beauty pageants by taking her to Westbrook's studio in Germantown for voice training. What was usually once-a-month sessions is almost daily now.
She is Westbrook's third singer in the "Idol" spotlight. Trenyce, who came in fifth during the show's second season, has since performed on Broadway and toured with Ruben Studdard. And Lucy Hale, a winner on the Idol spin-off "American Juniors" in 2003, is now on the television show "Privileged."
Westbrook has coached music superstars, too, including Britney Spears during her stint on the "Mickey Mouse Club" and both Justin Timberlake and Lance Bass before they were members of 'N Sync.
From Miss America hopefuls to Broadway belters, Westbrook has tended to and tweaked nearly every range and style of singer over his 30-year coaching career.
"The techniques for classical music and pop music are all the same," he said. "Everybody can be taught to sing unless they have a ringing in their ear. But the people who are going to pay my price come in with a reasonable amount of talent."
He and Murray have 1,500 miles between them this week as she awaits her turn in Los Angeles. The coaching hasn't stopped.
Telephones have perfect pitch, he notes.
He calls her almost daily. She rehearses the tune that America will hear tonight, a secret until the 7 p.m. broadcast on Fox.
"We've gone through it 75 times already," Westbrook says. "She has every riff and every move down pat."
A good vocal coach knows which notes are attainable and which crack under pressure. Coaches write arrangements and determine the key. Westbrook even advises Murray on what to sing in the competition.
"Given some of the songs that these competitors pick, I wouldn't want to know who their coach is," he said. "Face it, some of these kids are picking songs that are not right for them."
Taylor Daniel, who recently won a spot on the Grammy Jazz Choir, says singers go to Westbrook because he doesn't try to change them.
"He lets you be the singer you want to be, and isn't about altering your style," Daniel said. "I've taken a lot of vocal classes and what I need now is someone who can be versatile."
If Murray's song goes well tonight, viewers could vote her into the top 12, where she'll join Memphis singer Alexis Grace and possibly another local, Lil Rounds, who has her shot next week.
-- Christopher Blank: 529-2305
'American Idol'
Jasmine Murray, a native of Columbus, Miss., competes on "American Idol" at 7 p.m. today on WHBQ-TV Channel 13. Her vocal coach, Bob Westbrook, is hosting a viewing party at Holiday Ham, 7652 Poplar in Germantown, at 7 p.m.
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