Music, Advocacy Worlds Merge

A THOUSAND WAYS -- Through song and deed, Clay Aiken is realizing an often-stated major life goal, to make a difference. Graphic by Cindilu2

Mr. Aiken Goes To Washington

Music, Advocacy Worlds Merge

A pop singer with a brand new CD moving full steam ahead toward a much-anticipated 9/19 drop date has this week received an invitation to serve on the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, assuring Clay Aiken the best of both his chosen worlds.

A longtime advocate for children with disabilities, Clay set aside a teaching career in special education when he was awarded an RCA recording contract as runner-up on American Idol 2. Co-founder of the three-year-old Bubel/Aiken Foundation working for the inclusion of children with disabilities, Clay also serves as a UNICEF Ambassador and has continuously expanded his classroom with the platform his celebrity provides.

In the midst of the all-emcompassing media campaign to promote his long-awaited second mainstream album, A Thousand Different Ways, Clay will reportedly be present for the committee's 9/14 swearing in ceremony, but miss the initial meeting on 9/15 due to previous CD-related engagements.

Media Outlets Spread the Story

At last count, 132 media outlets have carried the story about Clay's appointment under a variety of headlines: Idol Singer Clay Aiken May Serve Bush, Mr. Aiken Goes to Washington, NC Singer To Be Appointed to White House Committee, Aiken Named to National Panel on Mental Disabilities, and so on.

Most, however, picked up the AP feed originating in the Raleigh News & Observer, the singer's hometown newspaper which told the world nothing about this man's significant qualifications for the presidential nod. Basically, this is what the press carried as the reason for Clay's appointment:

Aiken is a Raleigh native who rose to fame as a runner-up in the "American Idol" competition. Before his singing career took off, Aiken worked as a counselor at a YMCA.

The final paragraph at many sites, such as the Knoxville News Sentinel, contained a redeeming plug for the new CD: The singer's new album, "A Thousand Different Ways," is due out later this month.

Shoddy Journalism Questioned

When I complained about the shoddy journalism in an email to my first editor from way back yonder with the Wilmington Star-News Newspapers, she replied:

"You can't really blame the N&O when it was an AP oversight. Although, since he's a Raleigh native, someone should have known something about him. But that takes us into the Unknown Territory of the Copy Editor's Domain, what they know and what they don't and what they bother to research for accurate and adequate info. Strange, strange breed."

I shared with my editor-friend a link to the most comprehensive report I have seen about Clay's background: Clay Aiken and Service, a blog by Berkeley at The ConCLAYve: A Meeting of the Minds, that is well worth a bookmark and a read.

PHOTO INTERMISSION: Today's clickable interlude features the creations by four talented graphic artists, including Amazing_CA (1); Claystruck (2); ABeautifulMind (3, 4); and Cindilu2 (5).

Director's Daughter Impressed

Thursday the N&O regained a bit of my respect with the following Under The Dome column by staff writers J. Andrew Curliss and Barbara Barrett:

Fans in High Places

President Bush apparently is a Clay Aiken fan. Bush this week named Aiken, an "American Idol" runner-up and North Carolina native son, to the President's Committee on People With Intellectual Disabilities.

Word from the White House came with little fanfare, part of a release that included nominees for assistant attorney general and transportation secretary. The release listed Aiken as "Clayton Aiken, of North Carolina," with no further explanation.

Aiken's fan club immediately posted the news to its Web site. Aiken was traveling and could not be reached for comment. But in Washington, the committee's executive director's 16-year-old daughter was thrilled.

"Usually she's not interested in public policy. She wants to come to the meetings. She wants his autograph," said Sally Atwater, chief staffer for the committee. Atwater figures Aiken will lend some youthful perspective to the group. Also, she said, "We hope he'll sing."

Aiken has some work experience he can bring to the president's committee. A special education major at UNC-Charlotte, Aiken worked with autistic children as a counselor in Raleigh. He also runs the Bubel-Aiken Foundation, dedicated to research for children with developmental disabilities.

He will join a committee that advises the president and the Department of Health and Human Services on programs and services for the intellectually disabled.

The group's next meeting is this month, just as Aiken has a new album coming out. He won't be at the meeting, Atwater said. "He's going to be on Jay Leno, I'm told," she said. "So we hope he'll plug the committee."

Clay singing 'Without You' on The Insider

Appearances prior to Leno on the 15th include tonight's Insider during which Clay sang "Without You" and his participation as as an adjudicator-performer at the David Foster Star Search Finals and Charity Gala 2006 in Richmond, British Columbia, Saturday and Sunday.

Concert stage or world stage -- Clay Aiken is making a difference. The Clay Nation is enjoying the ride through both worlds of this special singer-teacher-humanitarian!

Caro

RELATED TAGS: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, Without You, President's Committee for People with Disabilities, The Bubel Aiken Foundation, UNICEF, News&Observer, The Insider

Reviews Applaud 'Without You'

A THOUSAND DIFFERENT WAYS -- The title of Clay Aiken's long-awaited CD describes the boundless creations his fans have produced as evidenced by this stunning graphic by Amazing_CA.

Triumphant Return of The Vox

Reviews Applaud 'Without You'

During the past few weeks, this blog has featured many amazing Clayversion stories from fans who have shared the lead single and 14 snippets of A Thousand Different Ways with others. Less than 14 days away, the 9/19 counter on most message boards steadily advancing towards the midnight moment the album will drop, two important online reviewers have added impressive critiques to the mix.

No over-the-top praise or criticism based on preconceived notions. Just straight talk about Clay's outstanding vocals, interpretation skills, and a few details about the album production.

On Sunday, Sept. 3, Bill Lamb of Top 40/Pop posted this review:

Clay Aiken - Without You

It's been a long three-year wait for Clay Aiken's army of dedicated fans since his first non-holiday studio album Measure of a Man. "Without You" is the first taste of the upcoming album A Thousand Different Ways. Is it the rousing return his fans are hoping for? Read the review and then draw your own conclusion.

Guide Rating: 4 STARS OUT OF 5

The Bottom Line

Simply said, Clay Aiken's "Without You" is a triumphant return. While it would be easy to think that Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey had wrung all the possibilities from this pop chestnut, there are some fine elements here and a bravura vocal performance.

Head over to Clay Aiken's official site to hear "Without You."

PSA TIME-OUT: At the Top 40 site, you can rate the song plus leave a comment as many have done. Despite downloads, Clay fans are being urged to STREAM Clay's new single.

Kellykellyk of Clayversity explains: An easy way for everyone to help build buzz for Clay is to stream his new single online, and if a video is made available we should stream that as well. Online streams of songs and videos are gaining importance as a way for radio and retailers to determine which songs and artists are popular and whether they should be added to their playlist or inventory. There has even been talk that Billboard may add number of streams to calculate Hot 100 positions.

Some of the sites currently streaming Without You:

* Clay Aiken's Official Site

* Clay Aiken's MySpace Page

* Fanscape

Streaming sites that will be very important when activated include:

* Yahoo

* AOL

* MSN

* Rhapsody

Back to the Top 40/Pop review, Lamb adds the following:

Pros
* The beauty and clarity of Clay Aiken's voice
* Very nicely propulsive instrumental arrangement
* The emotion is restored to this classic song

Cons
* Please, enunciate - We can do without "Without 'ooo"

Description
* Simple piano-focused intro
* Instantly recognizable vocals
* Impeccable pop arrangement with welcome percussive elements missing in previous arrangementsGuide

Review - Clay Aiken - Without You

If you are unfamiliar with the song "Without You," you have not been listening to pop radio for the past 35 years. The song, written by Badfinger's Pete Ham and Tom Evans, first appeared as a Badfinger album cut on "No Dice," released in 1970. Idiosyncratic pop singer Harry Nilsson released a version of the song in 1971 featuring the signature piano intro that would be the standard for future recordings of "Without You." The song became a #1 hit for Nilsson and the biggest pop hit of his career. Mariah Carey took the song back into the pop charts in 1994 with a surprisingly plastic sounding interpretation.

Clay Aiken has chosen the instantly familiar tune as the lead-in for his first proper studio album in three years. I count myself as one of the skeptics when I first heard this would be the opening single, but "Without You" is a good choice and will tremendously please his many devoted fans while quite possibly gaining a few new converts.

The pure beauty in Aiken's voice is abundantly showcased here, and the arrangement gives a contemporary twist on the song. The mix is pleasantly propulsive and percussive which will sound great on pop radio. Mainstream pop radio should give this track a chance. It's popularity may surprise more than a few radio programmers.

And suddenly it's not just the fans talking about Clay's new CD!

PHOTO INTERMISSION: Today's clickable interlude features the graphic creations of five talented visual artists: Katt45 (1), Claystruck (2), ABeautifulMind (3), Ambassador Of Love (4), and Amazing_CA (5).

Reviewer Labels ATDW a Winner

Appearing this week at Shipwreck Island Studios, a four-year-old web site run by two guys in their 20s who enjoy writing about good music, is this "first reaction" preview:

Clay Aiken - A Thousand Different Ways (Island Preview - First Reaction):

I was privileged to listen to Clay's album today, and I have to say he's got a winner on his hands. I was a bit put off by the idea of another covers album but he's pulled it off nicely. A classic track such as Bryan Adams "Everything I Do" which I felt couldn't be redone properly is completely retooled and sounds amazing.

I'd say the best reinvented track has to be the Celine Dion song "Because You Love Me." I didn't care for the original version but Clay sped up the song and added his own flavor to it making it his own.

Now when I first heard about this disc the one song that stood out to me was the Bad English song "When I See You Smile." I read some pretty harsh comments from some fans that in a nutshell said that Clay couldn't pull off this classic track. While it's not quite was redone as other songs, Clay's vocals fit perfectly and with a violin backing really allows the song to breath a bit more. To me Clay pulled this track off with no issues at all.

Honestly, I'm shocked over how good this disc turned out. Seventeen days to go until it's release but I'll have an album review up before it's release. Everyone is in for a real treat with this release. - Tony

Many Try, Few Prevail

With American Idol auditions currently underway in Memphis, a story in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal quotes an American Idol producer about the time he first saw Clay:

"American Idol" Coordinating Producer Patrick Lynn said the team is always judging auditioners.

"It takes us five to 30 seconds (to decide who's going on to the next round)," Lynn said. "It took me two seconds to know (season two runner up) Clay Aiken.

New Photos Slay Fans

Clay inadvertently slayed many of his fans Monday night when Starhorse of Clayversity located some photos in an Associated Press archive database. Shot by Matt Sayles in Santa Monica, CA on Aug. 30, the pictures quickly traversed CA Cyberspace and were not only the talk of the message boards but also immediate inspiration for the many graphic artists among our singer's fans.These three

With American Idol auditions currently underway in Memphis, a story in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal quotes an American Idol producer about the time he first saw Clay:

"American Idol" Coordinating Producer Patrick Lynn said the team is always judging auditioners.

"It takes us five to 30 seconds (to decide who's going on to the next round)," Lynn said. "It took me two seconds to know (season two runner up) Clay Aiken.

New Photos Slay Fans

Clay inadvertently slayed many of his fans Monday night when Starhorse of Clayversity located some photos in an Associated Press archive database. Shot by Matt Sayles in Santa Monica, CA on Aug. 30, the pictures quickly traversed CA Cyberspace and were not only the talk of the message boards but also immediate inspiration for the many graphic artists among our singer's fans.

These three clickable wallpapers were created by Amazing_CA, Katt45, and Cindilu2:

Clay Train Taking Precedence

My music students begin fall lessons all this week, but each dramatic new happening has their teacher riding the Clay Train instead of outlining the year's curriculum, not to mention vacuuming the studio carpet.

Clay fans are anticipating many exciting stops along the promo trail in the near future. What an awesome time for Clay Aiken and his fans!

Caro

RELATED TAGS: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, Without You, Top 40/Pop, Shipwreck Island Studios, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, American Idol

September Magic Finally Here

I WANT TO KNOW -- Cindilu2 featured ATDW's duet, "I Want To Know What Love Is," in this beautiful graphic design.

New Fans Board Clay Train


September Magic Finally Here


Throughout the Clay Nation, there's magic in the air -- it is finally September, the month A Thousand Different Ways drops and our singer hits the road for an array of promotional appearances that will keep fans happily expending frequent flyer miles, VCRs sizzling, and new CLACK wending its way through cyberspace.

LINDA_CARRELLI designed a wallpaper featuring her signature Claytoon, ATDW's cover photo and playlist, as well as some important TV dates already on tap for Clay Aiken. Visit her OFC Blog for a trio of desktop sizes.

Clickable

ATDW Calendar Filling Up

Clay Nation calendars are continually being updated with the singer's appearances and other promo events:

9/5: The Insider
9/9-9/10: David Foster Star Search Finals and Charity Gala 2006. Clay will be a judge and a performer at these events in Richmond, British Columbia.
9/15: The Tonight Show
9/18: CD Release Parties underway somewhere near you!
9/19: ATDW drops at midnight!
9/19: Good Morning America
9/19: AOL Music Feature
9/22: The View (taping on 9/21, tickets already SOLD OUT!)
9/26: Jimmy Kimmel Live!
10/1: Live at Yahoo Music -- Performances and an interview
Coming Soon: ATDW on Wal-Mart's Soundcheck and Spotlight

WY Ringtone Selling CDs

Fans busily sharing "Without You" and the 14 album snippets were this week gifted with another tool by Sony Musicbox -- a WY ringtone for their cell phones. A teacher who posts at Clayversity outlined her strategy like this:

Jade222: I downloaded "Without You" as my ringtone this morning, and I played it all the way to school. Just love hearing Clay come out of my phone.

Having first period off, I walked around school with my cell phone looking for other teachers who were free. I found three. For each one we chatted a bit and then I brought up Clay. First I showed them the wallpaper on my phone - the CD cover - and then let them listen to "Without You."

The ring tone is the best part of the song: "I Can't LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE if living......" All three LOVED WY!!! There faces were all smiles with comments like: "Oh, I know that song!' and "Oh, I love that song!" The fact that they KNEW the song was HUGE! They thought Clay was awesome. Oh, yeah!

Not.Just.Us Stories Shared

If you like Not.Just.Us stories, you are in the right place. Five are from comments shared by readers in a previous entry, and the others originated in posts at Clayversity.

My own addition to the mix occurred Thursday when I asked my high school flute/oboe student what kind of music she and her friends are listening to. With no prompting from me, she replied: "Definitely not the radio. We like music from the 80s." I gave her an assignment to take a listen at the ClayAiken.com web site as soon after Friday night's halftime as possible.

These comments represent readers from such diverse regions as Connecticut, Ohio, Colorado, California, and Washington, DC:

Lisa1068: We have two Vietnamese guys who work here. I was sorting some parts one of them made, and his brother came in to see what the quality problem was. I had Clay's snippets on a loop, and he just sang the words to six of them. He can barely speak English, and he told me they were beautiful old songs. When I told them they were new, he said , "Remakes?" I almost fainted. Then I told him it was Clay; and he said, "Very good!"

My boss, a male whom I Clayverted last year, has also been playing the snippets in his office. He says he's playing them for me because I'm in there a lot, but I know better.

Kimmstarraiken: I work in very close quarters with three other women who have been nothing short of saints regarding my "interest" in all things Clay. I wanted to give them a taste of what they will be listening to for the next few months, so I played Clay's version of WY for them.

I must have been a bit preoccupied because before I realized it, the other five ladies in the office were standing behind us listening also. They all knew better than to ask who was singing, but did ask when the CD was coming out. I knew they'd come around. A voice like Clay's doesn't come around often in one's lifetime.

German Friend Embraces WY

smz80219: I have a dear email buddy in Germany. I sent her MOAM and MCWL, which she liked; but I know she is not really a pop music fan. I sent her the link to Clay's RCA web site so she could hear WY. I was reluctant to do this because she lost her husband suddenly a year ago and she is still quite heartbroken.

She made no comment, so I thought that she didn't like it and did not want to tell me. Finally, yesterday, she emailed and said that she had lost the link and asked if I would I send it again. Relief!!! Of course, I sent it again, and this morning her email was that she LOVESLOVESLOVES this song! WY was one of "their songs," and she has it playing in the background while she is on the computer.

I'm sure that "their" song was the Nilsson version, but she is now listening to Clay sing to her. This evening, I will be sending her the zip file of the snippets. I'm sure she will recognize and love a lot of those songs, too.

Katt45: I played WY for two of my non-Clay friends last week. They both went wild for this new single. My one friend went so far as to tell me to put that song on her son's wedding video that I'm making. When I reminded her that the couple might not care for it, she responded, "I don't care; I LOVE it. Use it on the video." I'm using it!

ccbon3: A couple of days ago I played WY for my 16-year-old, hip-hop, pop music-loving daughter; and I was floored that she really, really liked it. She said that Clay sings a lot better than most people you hear on the radio and had no idea it was a cover. My daughter sent a link to her friend, who is angsting over a break-up; and she loved it, too.

Then it dawned on me: ATDW is a teen dream come true. Teens experiencing first
love, first heartache, dreaming about first love, etc., will eat this up. And the fact that Clay looks like an anime character come to life doesn't hurt either. I think Clay is going to sell a lot of CDs to a lot of people who love good music -- young, old, and somewhere in between!

PHOTO INTERMISSION: This clickable interlude features the creativity of four talented graphic artists: Clayquebec1 (1); Amazing_CA (2 and 5); ABeautifulMind (3); and Claystruck (4).

CA Haircut: New or Old?

Mercedes: My future daughter-in-law, Emily, was getting a haircut in SOHO (NYC) today. She said a guy in his late 20s walked in and asked for a Clay Aiken haircut. The hairdresser asked, "New or old look?" He said "NEW." She was not able to stay for the results, but she couldn't wait to call me with the news.

suz4omc: Yesterday during a series of all-day meetings, I was sitting next to one of the nurses. Since I was more of a passive participant than anything else, I was working on the picture for our CD release party poster during the meeting. She leaned over and asked what it was. I explained about the CD and the release parties.

During a break, I got my headphones and let her listen to the snippets. A few songs in, she said "I HAVE to get this album!" She was still listening at this point, but I told her I would get her a copy when it is out. She looked at me and said, "I can't hear you, but that's OK; I want to keep listening to THIS!" After she listened to everything, including "Without You," she told me that she didn't like the originals of most of the songs, but she LOVES what Clay has done to them.

Power of the Aiken

Lolacat: My female boss teases me constantly about Clay. I don't let her get to me and just tell her to leave my Clay alone. Today one of the big corporate bosses, a man in his mid 40s, came for a visit.

He stopped in my office to say hello and noticed my Clay pictures on the wall. He said, "Clay Aiken," and the female boss went "Eww!" He said, "What do you mean? He's awesome!"

Apparently, he's somehow associated with Musikfest and he met Clay. I told him I met him at Musikfest too. She does the "Clay Aiken eww" thing again, and he looked at her and said, "He's one heck of a nice guy, and I'll tell you what -- Clay Aiken rocks!" My boss's mouth fell open, and she shut up. I loved it!

A few days later my boss stopped in and said, " I quess you have a new Clay fan buddy!" I told her not to ever underestimate the power of the Aiken. I wish I had a camera; the look on your face was priceless!

The Vox: New Cardiac Cure

Ananka: A funny story happened during my recent hospital stay. The nurse station was outside my room, and night after night I could hear them chattering away about every subject in the world. One night there was a group of young nurses and aids and they were playing some music and talking about the current scene in the pop world. One of them put on Justin Timberlake’s' new offering, "Sexy Back," and was gushing about him and the song, but at the same time complaining about his new look.

Imagine this song playing in the cardiac ward if you will. Within a couple of minutes, the senior "boss" nurse walked in and in no uncertain terms told them to turn off that junk before all the patients went into cardiac arrest.

I had a burned a copy of “Without You” with me, and this seemed the opportune time to try it out on the nurses once the boss left. In my lovely hospital gown, I tiptoed out of my room and told them to give this new song a try. I did not tell them who it was. After making sure the boss was gone, they slipped it in their little CD player and began to listen. Every one of them (about six) was mesmerized; and they continued to play it over and over, each time increasing the volume.

At some point they had turned it up too high and the boss returned and grabbed the CD player. For some reason she could not figure out how to turn it down, so it continued to play. At this point she saw me and literally shoved me back into my room threatening to tie me down if I didn't stop wandering around. She had no idea I was the culprit, guilty on all charges of outright proselytizing. For a minute or so everything was quiet and I could hear the music still playing as she finally figured out how to turn off the CD player.

The nurses and aids told me later that they feared she would report all of them for what had happened. But instead, after telling them in no uncertain terms they were not allowed to play any personal music in the hospital and that this was a warning only, she said to them, “Now whoever that guy is singing in that song could cure some broken hearts with that voice."

A winning prescription as is this humorous scenario envisioned by another CV member:

Txwriter: Picture this. It's Sept. 18 at a Clay Aiken CD Release Party somewhere in the US. A cell phone rings and 60 women reach for their phones 'cause they all have the same WY ringtone!

Have an awesome Labor Day Weekend and a wonderful beginning to this magical month of September!

Caro

You can download a wallpaper version of the opening graphic at Forever Clay.

RELATED TAGS: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, David Foster Star Seach 2006, Tonight Show, CD Release Parties, Good Morning America, AOL Music, The View, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Live at Yahoo Music, Wal-Mart's Soundcheck, Sony Musicbox, Without You, ClayAiken.com

Soap Encounter Cramps Style

THE MUSIC MAN -- ABeautifulMind created a handsome graphic from the cover design of Clay Aiken's new CD, A Thousand Different Ways.

School Fall To Remember

Soap Encounter Cramps Style

Every year when the new school season begins, I remember a fall (LOL, pun intended!) about 10 years ago when I almost missed the annual autumn ritual of teacher workdays, open house, freshmen orientation, all leading to the first day of classes with students.

I have read with interest -- and occasional wistful memories -- teacher reports of preparing classrooms, curriculum, bulletin boards, and even sharing the preview samples from Clay Aiken's upcoming CD, A Thousand Different Ways, over the intercom during the workdays. Standing-O for 4evrgonzo, who interested several staff members in purchasing ATDW in this manner!

An 8/29 story -- Clay Aiken Fans Generating Giant Buzz Online About New Album -- in the Raleigh Chronicle provides an excellent overview of the activity surrounding the 9/19 debut of ATDW, highlighting various fan club sites, the CD release parties, and Clay's current list of TV appearances:

9/15 - Tonight Show with Jay Leno

9/19 - Good Morning America

9/22 - The View

9/26 - Jimmy Kimmel Live

Dangerous Shower Maneuver

Returning to my fall story of 10 years ago, a couple of weeks prior to freshmen orientation I stepped on a piece of soap while showering in the bath tub and, being extremely limber, inadvertently lunged into a full-fledged split that ended abruptly with an indisputable thwack as the tub ran out. For the first time in my life, I had a broken bone, unfortunately in my right leg.

I gingerly crawled out of the tub, carefully hobbled to the telephone, and called my sister, who had broken her ankle the previous spring. She, or course, told me to call my doctor. Later that afternoon, as arranged by my primary physician, my brother-in-law drove me to an orthopedic specialist, Dr. Murphy.

Orthopedist Renders Tough Verdict

The broken femur was x-rayed, set, and firmly encased in a cast. I was told to put no weight whatsoever on my right foot and that most likely I would not be able to drive or climb stairs for six weeks. Impossible! All my middle and high school orchestra classes rehearsed on the second floor of their respective schools.

This was approximately 10 days prior to orientation for a very talented, carefully recruited incoming freshmen class of fiddlers. In the 1950s and 60s, Grimsley High School's orchestra was unrivaled in the state of North Carolina. However, when I arrived on the scene, the program had dwindled from a 96-piece full symphony to approximately 14 string students. For three years, I had worked diligently at the primary feeder, Kiser Middle School, building award-winning ensembles in the 6th - 8th grades. The fall's 35 incoming frosh represented the fruition of that process.

PHOTO INTERMISSION: Today's clickable interlude features the talents of five visual artists -- ABeautifulMind (1); Ambassador Of Love (2); Cindilu2 (3); Amazing_CA (4); and Claystruck (5).

Wheelchair to the Rescue

The first thing I did to keep weight off my leg was use a wheelchair that a fellow teacher located at her church. I sat on the side of the tub for sponge baths and literally never touched the floor with my right foot. Other times, I held my right leg off the floor and hopped on my left foot with the aid of a walker.

Following about 10 days of this, I returned to Dr. Murphy's office for an x-ray progress report. Bewilderment filled the face of the physician's assistant as he scoured my pictures. Finally, he rendered this verdict: "Nothing has changed."

I immediately thought the worst and was silently screaming "Oh, no!" when he clarified that this was good, very good. The bone, meshing and healing quite nicely, had not moved even one tiny bit. I was fitted for a boot, and Dr. M concurred on the step-climbing, but no driving for six weeks.

Bumming Rides Everywhere

Despite having to hustle rides to and from school, not to mention BETWEEN schools twice a day, I was anxious to start the new year. Since I am barely 5' short, another friend located a set of junior crutches that helped immensely.

On orientation day, I greeted my 35 freshmen string students from my rolling desk chair, welcoming them to high school and outlining goals and requirements for the school year. By graduation, I had taught most of these musicians for a total of seven years. In that time, not only does a student become one of your own, but together we helped put the Grimsley Orchestra back on track.

The frosh, combined with the upperclassmen string players, eventually totaled 60-plus with a full orchestra of 85-plus. Together we delved into the school's phenomenal music library, the envy of many surrounding colleges.

I'll never forget one spring when an adjudicator, a college professor whose wife had directed this same orchestra program many years earlier, greeted me afterwards with a bear hug and the excited declaration: "I can't wait to tell my wife that Grimsley is back!"

And we were. Have an awesome school year, all!

Caro

RELATED TAGS: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, Raleigh Chronicle, Tonight Show, Good Morning America, The View, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Grimsley High School Orchestra , Opening of School

Medley Inspires Blog Potpourri

ACRONYM CLASS -- Graphic artists like Cindilu2 have begun "tutoring" the Clay Nation with beautiful designs of the individual tracks from A Thousand Different Ways.

A Little of This 'n That

Medley Inspires Blog Potpourri

Except for the stunning graphics featured, this blog represents a sundry medley of ordinary experiences, truisms, quotes, and information that hopefully qualifies somewhere between a savory soup and an entertaining potpourri.

Many of us whose seasoned chassis has zoomed light years past our 20-30 year-old mindset often find ourselves baffled as previously nimble limbs and efficient organs succumb to the plunders of time. Unfortunately, human body parts are not as easily replaced as those of a waning car or kitchen appliance.

My friend Terri and I discussed this subject Friday night when I delivered an overnight bag for her unexpected hospital stay following a routine procedure to expand her esophagus, a treatment she must undergo periodically. This weekend, however, her body reacted with a full-blown asthma attack; and an overnight stay was immediately prescribed.

An Expensive One-Night Visit

Since the fiscal year is in its infancy with the designated insurance deductible as yet unmet, Terri's bill for being monitored (i.e., awakened every four hours for vital checks) will prove astronomical. In addition, she has been ordered to stay far away from spicy foods -- that in itself would kill me! -- as well as chocolate and iced tea. The latter is truly painful for a southerner!

Most hospitals here have a policy of escorting a discharged patient to the door with a chariot ride via wheelchair. The minute my friend knew I was en route to complete her rescue, she marched to the nurses station with her bag, informed the staff she was leaving, and asked if anyone wished to accompany her downstairs. Sure enough, when I drove up, she -- and her assigned nurse -- were chatting in the breeze on a bench right outside the front door. Before I could stop the car, the patient was opening the passenger door.

I have been quite limber all my life, and my band students always delighted in the teacher's occasional demonstration of her uncanny ability to do a perfect split. Those were the days, as I could hop right back up on the podium and move on to the next rehearsal number in the blink of an eye. Merely a fond memory now.

The lesson or truism from this sequence? If you still have youthful body parts, savor the moment and treat them with extra special care.

Watched Pot Never Boils

Most folks are familiar with this old saying: "a watched pot never boils." When friend Terri called to tell me her dismissal was imminent but dependent upon a doctor's signature, I put my computer at rest, dressed, finished a marketing list, and still had time to spare.

Not one to pace or watch the clock, mainly because I'm usually running late getting ready, I decided to check message boards while I waited. No sooner had I fired up my computer when, of course, the pot boiled in the form of the expected phone call. And, thus, the hospital caper was off and running!

PHOTO INTERMISSION: Today's clickable interlude features five gifted visual artists who are creating graphics for the ATDW album, as well its individual songs. They include Claystruck (1), Cindilu2 (2), Shyeyewitness (3), Katt45 (4), and Amazing_CA (5).

Quote Stash Yields Five Jewels

During the past couple of weeks, Clay Aiken fans have enjoyed non-stop playing and sharing links/downloads for the single Without You, as well as the 30-second snippets from the playlist for this singer's soon-to-be-released A Thousand Different Ways. From my ongoing quote stash, this collection begins with one by the man himself:

Clay Aiken (speaking about his CD's executive producer Jaymes Foster in the album's official press release): Jaymes told me, 'Stay in your lane, but remember it's okay to swerve a little and see where it takes you.' That's exactly what we did."

Roxluvsclay (from Clayversity): Fourteen snippets of Clay is better than any full album out there!

Lakelady (describing her friends' reactions to three ATDW songs at CV): They loved them! It seems that when they recognized the songs (i.e., covers), they got excited and said they wanted the CD. Despite all the angsting that has gone on amongst fans, the covers may do really well with the CD buying public. Not to mention that great voice. One friend mentioned, without my prompting, that Clay can sing anything!

AprilJoy (CV): Thursday I met with my cousin-in-law, who is almost 28 and fairly "hip." She's never really been a fan, but appreciates Clay's voice. I just happened to have the clips of his new stuff in my car. Her reactions were priceless -- from "Oh, oh, that song!" to "Wow, perfect song for him to do!" She almost died after hearing EIDIDIFY.

My cousin said she would buy this CD because SHE ALREADY KNOWS MANY OF THE SONGS. I think that will wind up being a huge selling point for many folks who don't venture out and buy CDs because often you only get one good song. And she's coming to our CD release party now, too!

Newbird (CV): I just returned from picking up my 13-year-pld from her Girl Scout meeting. I had my BAF shirt on, and one of the girls asked me what The Bubel/Aiken Foundation was. I told her about the foundation and then she said, "Clay Aiken is hot! I'm sorry, he really is!" She said she never liked the spikes and that the new hair style is great. I told her he has a new CD coming out next month.

Tune Into Clay Blogs for the Latest

With ATDW promo really starting to roll, TV and holiday performance dates are filling calendars while Clay media reports stream across CA message boards. To stay on top of the latest news, tune into Clay's Daily Double. When Clay news happens, this blog updates -- often several times a day.

While you're in the CA community at Blogspot, take a tour of the varied, well-written journals penned by dedicated Clay fans. Depending on the template, there is usually a Blogroll in either the left or right column that allows you to link from one to the other.

To get started, here are a few journals and their current topic:

A Southern Girl's Guide to Almost Anything: "New Date to Mark on Your Clay Aiken Calendar"

Excuse Me While I Take a Moment: "Hide the cats! Ditch the wedding band! Clay's coming over!"

Lyrichord's Music Musings: "The VOX Is a Drug"

Something That Really Happened: "American Idol on the Radio"

There Was a Man: "Sing a Song (Or Fourteen)"

So drop by, take the Blogroll tour, and perhaps leave these folks a comment either with a Blogspot screen name or as "Anonymous" if you have not registered at the site. You will be amazed at how many Clay friends you encounter!

These are exciting times for the Clay Nation; and, appropriately, I located at the last minute the final stitch for this patchwork assortment in some thoughts by Leslie42 in her current OFC blog: Don't let little moments like this sneak away. Grab on ... and hold tight ... with both hands!

Caro

You can download a wallpaper version of the opening graphic at Forever Clay.

RELATED TAGS: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, Without You, Everything I Do, The Bubel/Aiken Foundation

Fans Log ATDW Excitement

THE NEW LOOK -- Claystruck captures three versions of Clay Aiken's new look in her clever cube design for A Thousand Different Ways.

Rave Reviews, Take 2!

Fans Log ATDW Excitement

With RCA orchestrating a well-organized media campaign for Clay Aiken's soon-to-be released CD, A Thousand Different Ways, his fans are generating excitement with an acknowledged marketing ace -- word of mouth.

This is not an album of covers. This is a vocal sculptor whose every musical nuance is an emotional original. I know these songs -- just as we all do -- but I found myself drawing into their nucleus as he sings .. .because he puts something there that is totally unknown. Then he builds on it, going places that singers just don't go. -- Calliek

Very few of us can describe with such exquisite beauty Calliek's word pictures of CA's vocals on this CD. However, armed with links/downloads of the Without You single and the 30-second snippets from the album's playlist at Sony, fans have reported remarkable reactions by friends, relatives, and associates with whom they have shared the previews.

Starting with an 8/18 mailbag comment by Cindilu2, whose graphic designs often decorate this journal, this overview features unexpected responses from a former RCA promo specialist, casual fans, as well as heightened fervor from the younger crowd. This blog's second foray into message board reports represents only a smidgen of the enthusiastic feedback fans have posted at Clayversity, Clayboard, and Clay Freedom.

Perhaps there will be more Not.Just.Us stories in the reader comments. Meanwhile, enjoy!

Clay Owns 'Without You'

Cindilu2: Harry Nilsson's version of Without You has long ranked high among my all-time favorite songs. I don't think I've ever made a mixed CD that didn't include it. It's in the most-played songs list of my not-an-iPod. And after hearing Clay's full version? I deleted Harry's from my player. I don't ever need to hear another singer perform this song. Like Solitaire before it, WY now belongs to Clay Aiken. Perfection!

Karma4Clay: My father worked for RCA Victor in promotion and management, so I wanted to pick his brain about Clay's promo. For the record, he has not been overly enthusiastic about Clay in the past, kind of an eye roller about my "hobby." So I IM'd him and asked about going for adds with a lead single and time frames in regard to drop dates.

He's not a very good typist; so after about two responses, he called me up. First, he says the time frame for promo varies greatly from artist to artist. For someone like Clay who can generate a lot of buzz easily, it's not that unusual to wait closer to drop date. Also, he said RCA would be crazy and stupid not to capitalize on Clay's popularity -- and that they are neither.

For kicks while we were on the phone, I gave him the link to Clay's MySpace so he could give WY a listen. At first, he wasn't that interested in hearing it until I told him it was cover of Harry Nilsson's WY. Next thing I know he's sputtering, "That was my record! I promoted that; I worked with Harry!" So NOW he's very interested in hearing Clay's version.

When he finished listening, he said "Wow! That's really good! [Imagine dazed tone of voice] It was a really good treatment of it. Not that different from Harry's arrangement but powerful. Really, really good." [Floored Daughter on other end of phone? Remember, this is the Eye Roller!]

Then he added, "Hey, times have changed since I was working; but I think this could be a HUGE record for Clay. Great production on it and there's a whole generation that's never heard the original."

My father bookmarked Clay's link and before we hung up, he asked when the drop date was again and told me to let him know about any appearances!

Diary of a Clayversion

JerseyGirl: I finally have a NJU story! My sister likes Clay, or at least she lets me go on and on about Clay. Anyway, I talked to her last [Friday] night and told her to go to ClayAiken.com give a listen to the new song. This is what I woke up to this morning:

EMAIL #1 (12:30 am): Well, he's sold two CDs here, maybe three. I loved it, and I'mgetting one for school and one for home, MAYBE a third for someone else, I have to listen to all the songs first. I'm going back for a second listen.

EMAIL #2 (1:30 am): I have got to go to bed!!!! Why did you tell me to listen? That is a great song. I went to the message board and was going to send you a note, but I didn't know if this is the one you post on. I'm going to go and have one, maybe two or three, more listens to this song that I always liked and turn in. I now wish I can take the computer to my room and listen over and over. Thanks a lot.

EMAIL #3 (1:45 am): Can you believe I now have Clay in my favorites???? Is he going to switch songs on this site??? One more listen then I have to go to bed.

suz4omc: I took the mp3 of the snippets over to a coworker's desk Tuesday, put it on her computer, and told her she needed to listen to them with her headphones. A few minutes later she walked into my office and said, "Looks like I will be buying my first Clay Aiken album!"

PHOTO INTERMISSION: Today's clickable interlude features graphics by these talented visual artists: Katt45 (1, 5); Amazing_CA (2); Claystruck (3); and Cindilu2 (4).

Teen Jaw-Dropping Reports

ClayRocksMySocks5230: I have let several people hear WY, and the most common reaction is that of jaws dropping like a ton of bricks to the ground.

One of my favorite comments came from my music teacher. She's a professional; and I value her opinion, musically and otherwise, and wanted to hear what she had to say. When she heard WY, she shook her head, dumbfounded, and said "Now THAT'S how you sing a song! Phenomenal!"

Another came from one of my friends who has always liked Clay and tolerated my 24/7 Clay talk. She responded “There’s just something about his voice that sends shivers down your spine. I can’t really explain it. But rarely have the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, like this. Play it again, please, again and again!”

My sister, who is meticulous with regards to music, says that doing some covers is a good move on Clay's part because he has -- time and time again -- proven that he can take any song, "Aikenize" it, and just sing it to pure perfection!

"Besides," she says, "Tthat's the trouble if you are a mad-talented singer like Clay [and this is me agreeing with him in thinking that they don't make songs like they used to!], it’s hard to get songs that will REALLY do that VOICE justice. If he can't find any new songs that are good enough to showcase that powerful instrument of his, then going to the past for songs that WILL is the thing to do. Why settle for second-best when you've got one of the most excellent set of pipes in music history?"

Hot New Look Makes Impact

thudsforclay: My daughter had several friends from high school over this week. One girl, who had never been to our house before, walked by my computer with the "library pic" as my screen saver. She asked my daughter, "Who is that hot, sexy guy?" When she was told "Clay Aiken," she said she really liked him. Of course, I informed her of the new CD and date of release. I think this CD will garner Clay many new younger fans.

xxclayzpricelessxx: I have the same picture as a magnet in my locker. My friend looked at it and asked, "Who's that?" I replied, "Clay, of course! She gave me this look like 'You gotta be kidding! That's CLAY?!?' HOTNESS + AMAZING VOICE = A HIT

LeenieIZ: I just got home from being a summer camp counselor in New Hampshire. I was in charge of a cabin of 14 girls between the ages of 12 and 14. I overheard a conversation they were having, and it was about Clay. I stepped in and asked if they liked him, and they said they thought his new look was REALLY HOT! They were pretty excited about the new CD!

xMakeMeFeel1tx: I don't know about America; but here in the UK, if you have an Emo-ish haircut, you're sure to go far. Clay's always been cute; it just takes time to realise it sometimes.

Clickable CD by ABeautifulMind

Here's to these exhilaratory celebrations of Clay Aiken's dynamic new look and incomparable vocal sculpting continuing on their global track!

Caro

RELATED TAGS: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, Without You, Clay Aiken's My Space, ClayAiken.com, RCA Records