One has to wonder if gospel artist Tye Tribbett had any idea that the snowball he rolled down the hill would cause one of the biggest avalanches in recent YouTube history!!!  The match was lit when the multi-Stellar and Grammy nominated pioneer extended the opportunity to ANYONE and EVERYONE to audition to participate in his next phase of ministry, (and as most know by now, that “match” has started a virtual WILDFIRE consisting of young adults across the the globe with burning talent and fiery anointing).

Speaking of burning….some renditions that were offered set a fire under the listener’s ear and made them want to shout, while others were more like smoke, (meaning you sought for the nearest exit from the vicinity as fast as your computer’s mouse could guide you)!     Not to say these folks should not be praising and worshiping, it’s just that their particular music ministry might be best received by the Creator Himself during intimate moments inside their prayer closet.  (Preferably a soundproof closet….j/k)!!!  Seriously though, the sound of worship is beautiful in all it’s forms, it just may not be right for Tye’s next project.

That being said, the snowball effect was in force from the time Tye opened up the opportunity to the cutoff date of July 1st.

Each day brought new auditions and the competition was FIERCE!  

GWL is happy to bring you coverage of some of the most notable submissions from the past several weeks.  Due to the sheer number of applicants we will not be able to elaborate as much as in the past, but we will cover as many Stand Out performances as we can!

Once again, Kudos to Tye and his team for opening up a door that most people have to “stand on on foot reciting the star spangled backwards while wearing socks with an even number of polka-dots on” just to GET the chance!!

He made it simple, and the world is certainly grateful!  If you missed this chance, we have a very strong feeling that many gospel artists will likely follow suit and begin to open up future opportunities through all forms of social media.  It’s something that couldn’t have been done even 10 or 15 years ago and we’re just glad to be blessed enough to see it come to pass!

Well then, there’s a TON of auditions to cover, so let’s get right to the disclaimer!

*Disclaimer: Gospelworshipleader.com is in no way “officially” responsible for the contestant’s selection, (or lack thereof), in this contest. That’s completely up to Tye and his team. We simply recognize the awesome significance of this event and want to keep as much coverage on it as possible. All views expressed are the author’s and are meant to provide POSITIVE and CONSTRUCTIVE feedback only!

And now….. grab your popcorn, hot chocolate, and whatever else will make you comfy. Let’s get to it!

Final Round roundup:

Charlesza Neal- 21 from Memphis TN

GWL THOUGHTS: + Charelsza exemplifies “confidence”.   It’s a very solid, moving performance with no discernible vocal flaws. Improvement Suggestion: Nobody said the vocalist had to be “all that AND a bag of Doritos”, but to be very, very honest the competition is so fierce it may take more that  a safe, solid performance to make some one STAND OUT against the others!  This audition process has brought out some of the best, and that’s why we encourage the singers to not only sing but inflect their personality and other talents into the video.  This is not to say his audition isn’t strong, but I pray that Tye sees something in him that sets him apart. (Also…is it just me or does he look a little like Taye Diggs)? Perhaps Tye will think he’s “The Best Man” for the job!! (Smile, we couldn’t resist).

Aaron Luckey, 25 from Cincinnati, OH:

GWL THOUGHTS: + O.K., let’s be “real” here.   Have you ever dated someone that your friends may have thought was “not anything CLOSE to a supermodel”, but it didn’t matter to you because their awesome personality more than made up for it?  Well, that’s kind of an applicable analogy in this case. NO….we are NOT saying Aaron could never be a supermodel, but rather his vocals left us thinking his gift of song may not yet be suited for a national stage. (Not “bad”, just not up to ultra-professional levels). And. Then. He. Danced!  This man of God shows us his true talents by giving one of the best dance auditions since this competition began! Check the comments and you’ll see the positive impressions are generally unanimous!  Improvement Suggestion: Aaron dazzled us so much with his upper-body’s dexterity that we almost didn’t notice his lower half was not as agile….(almost).  In any case there’s plenty of time to enhance the choreography flow, especially if Tye agrees that he is near the head of the pack of the dancers!

Erin Mclendon, from Cleveland OH

GWL THOUGHTS: “Baggage claim”? LOL!  Erin starts off by telling us that she want’s this so much she’ll even “take over baggage claim” or “hold Tye’s shoes”.  How fitting then that she launches into a brief, yet tightly-controlled medley that pretty much threatens to knock our socks off?? (Will you be holding those too, Erin)?  Nothing overdone, nothing mind shattering, but what she did present was very high quality. Her melodic  riffs were tasteful and demonstrative of vocal creativity.  And, she stayed in key. Bravo! Improvement suggestions: At the risk of sounding like a broken record player, now is the time to really STAND OUT!  I would’ve loved to have seen some versatility in the form of a bit more energy. As we watched the video, it seems like her left arm was saying “let’s go, let’s move”, and her right arm was like: “um, not today….”.   It’s all good, if she’s picked I’m confident the rest of her limbs will follow that left arm’s lead. Don’t quench it!!

Tiffany from MD

GWL THOUGHTS: O.K., on the YouTube comments, more than one of the readers noted that she sounds a lot like Beyonce.  Tiffany, pay attention. There a LOT WORSE THINGS  that could happen besides being vocally compared to one of the most amazing female vocalists of our GENERATION!!! The thing we loved is that your kept B’s influence and style without EMULATING her, but rather building upon that in your own way to produce a very smooth gospel audition.  We’re hoping Tye and company get Crazy in Love with your submission! Improvement Suggestion: One of main things setting Tiffany apart from Ashley, (one of our favorite female contestants), is the fact that Ashley was able to squeeze out so much passion and sincerity into her brief audition time.  Even though she didn’t dance, you really “felt” her words. We’re very confident that Tiffany can do the same, we’d just like to see it!

Michelle, Ontario CA

GWL THOUGHTS: Hot on the heels of Tye’s specific request for other nationalities comes Michelle from CA.  You wanna talk “diverse”?  This sister snaps her fingers on the “one and the three”, and somehow still makes it work!  This was admittedly a risky song choice for the audition, but she pulled it off very well!  Nice richness to her tone and a refreshing uniqueness to her style and delivery.   Improvement suggestions: The song choice was a gamble, yet inviting.  Actually we checked out her OTHER videos and they solidify her vocal consistency.  If anything, don’t miss her gospelized rendition of Alicia’s Keys, (“if I Ain’t Got You, Jesus”), on her YouTube channel. It’s arguably an even better display of her impressive ability. Finally, although she’s somewhat glued to the chair, she still knows how to move!

Da’Quela, Milwaukee, WI

GWL THOUGHTS: Ladies, and gentlemen STOP the presses……this contestant is controlling her voice with some of the most amazing precision we’ve seen thus far!  Maybe it’s the fact that her range is phenomenal, but these vocals are smoking!  And if the final riff at 1:10 doesn’t quicken YOUR spirit, I suggest you check out the country music blogs, (because this is how gospel is supposed to be)!!!  Improvement suggestions: This is a difficult part, from the beginning of her song we noticed what appeared to be questionable pitch selections, but the weird part about it was that they occurred at the same melodic spots in the song, (:32, 1:06).  After listening to the majority of Da’Quela’s OTHER videos, we walk away convinced this girl has NO PITCH PROBLEMS at all. What we heard is more than likely her singing a rendition of the song that has a chord progression slightly different from the original.  She didn’t dance, but with a range like that she doesn’t need to in order to impress!

Tyra Juliet, NYC

GWL THOUGHTS: From the moment this competition began, we were amazed and thankful that an amazing opportunity was being extended to EVERYONE. Finally, the unknown artists could now be heard when they might not have otherwise had the chance. Praise GOD for that…BUT, Tyra Juliet lets us know in no uncertain terms that even the seasoned professional singers with tons of experience are looking to be included in this next wave of Tye’s ministry. And boy, does she represent them well!!!   If she looks familiar to you, it might be because of her numerous television and stage appearances, including the worldwide mega-hit called American Idol!!!  (And we’re talking Hollywood week, not that laugh-at-us early comedy auditions).  Tyra’s voice is just about as polished and professional as you could get, and her almost-too-short-audition leaves us all wanting more! I think one of the strongest things going for her is the fact that she not only brings the diversity Tye is seeking, (vocally and in her nationality), but she also exhibits, no-”ooozes”, the ultimate level of professionalism to her craft.  Singing is surely what she was born to do and anyone can tell she’s put a ton of time and effort into perfecting her gift. So now that she has the desire and opportunity to take that gift out to glorify God in ministry???   We’d pay to see that!   Improvement suggestions: Yet another audition that didn’t dance, and ironically yet another audition that didn’t need to dance to show the passion of her craft. (You can check out her other videos for further confirmation).  Another observation that we have is that her style, while polished, professional, and expertly delivered…isn’t “gospel”. Or to put it more accurately, it isn’t the “typical gospel sound” that we are used to hearing.  Nevertheless…with Tye looking for a NEW and DIVERSE sound, we think she kind of personifies what he’s looking for…and what we’re looking forward to hear. We’re excited about the possibilities!

Travis Taylor, NJ

GWL THOUGHTS:+ Up until now most of our top picks from a vocal standpoint have been of the female variety, but Travis’ impressive display is turning the tide!  He comes from Tye’s hometown of New Jersey and he’s pretty much convincing the world that when it comes to producing anointed talent, the East Coast is far from a one hit wonder!  Just take a listen…it’s almost as if someone told him “you have two minutes to show us why you should go forward in national ministry”, and he responded: “I only need 1:04″. He surely leaves us wanting more and a quick search on YouTube confirms that he’s already left a positive impression in his hometown and beyond!   IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTIONS: His audition was short, sweet, and to the point!  There was actually time to go into something else that displayed even more versatility, but based on the quality of that rendition, it’s hard to imagine he couldn’t hang with the best.

Nichelle Mungo – from Boston, MA

GWL THOUGHTS:+What’s this? No crazy acrobatic riffs? No “gospelogical backflips”? Not even a “woo-woo”??? In this totally unique performance, Berklee college of Music professor, Nichelle Mungo demonstrates that one can stay far from the expected norm and still transform even a simple song such as “Kum Ba Yah” into an event that can only be adequately be described as angelic.. Nichelle’s audition chooses to emphasize a clear, consistent and cutting tone above all else and she allows it to demonstrate her mastery of the particular technique. Before you start to think that this might be a style unfitting for Tye’s usual offerings, might I remind you of the mega-successful cut “Seated At The Right Hand of God” that was performed by Demaris Tribbett. Both movements offer a similar approach to the vocal delivery and the results fill a subset of the genre all by itself.  IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTION: Unique or not, Kum Ba Yah does not exactly give an artist a chance to showcase their energetic performance style.  Fortunately, Nichelle is no stranger to dynamic performances on an international level. Clips from her critically acclaimed Japan tours are spread throughout YouTube. We have no doubt that she’d be able to provide an exceptionally comfortable level of support and enhancement in Tye’s future projects!

Shiana – 24 from Cleveland, OH

GWL THOUGHTS:+ Have you ever spent so much time in the sun that the world could just look at you and tell where you’ve been? Have you ever spent enough time around a smoker that everywhere you went people could smell the smoke on your clothes? Our point is simply this: Shiana has very likely spent a lot of time worshiping before God because all it takes is one look at her delivery to know she’s spent time in His presence! I’m betting that most of the experienced worshipers reading this will agree that it’s apparent she means business. Her “intended audience” is in surely in heaven, and her passionate delivery seems to beckon all to simply “join in”! Watch carefully as she peers upwards…this girl is clearly in LOVE! IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTIONS: Have you noticed we haven’t said one word about her vocals? That’s surely not because they weren’t solid, (they were fine), but rather because she didn’t choose to make them the primary focal point of her audition. Had she done so then then she might have been lost in the sea of phenomenal submissions from the YouTube vocal giants, but instead she choose to focus on the worship aspect and we believe she did the right thing! THIS is what most people want from a ministry concert experience, singers that are genuine in their message!

Cheneta Jones – 25 from St. Louis, MO

GWL THOUGHTS: + We certainly hope Chenata has insurance because we plan on suing her for the damage to the bottom of our chins. Come to think of it, we might as well start a class action suit because there must be tons of people out there that had their jaws drop to the floor upon seeing this video! In a brief 1:46, Cheneta has produced what is arguably one of the best, most well-rounded submissions we’ve had the privilege of covering yet!! Boom! The word “nervousness” is apparently missing from her vocabulary as she immediately showcases her warm and bubbly personality with a brief but welcoming introduction. She then announces a somewhat familiar song, (Myron Butler’s “Set Me Free”), and blindsides us by rendering the selection it in a soulful “solo style”. No, she didn’t butcher the original artist’s work, (cough*cough* like Mr. Trey Songz*cough*cough* Prince “tribute”*cough), but rather she personalized it with some skillful artistry and interpretation. And just when we really begin to marvel at how very, very well she’s delivering the song, she flips the script again. One word: “Bongos”. Yes, bongos alone! I don’t think I need to mention what a risky choice a sudden bongo-fueled transition could be…but, BAM! She nails it! She dances and sings like a seasoned G.A. member, yet she never isolates herself, instead she makes us want to join in the energetic praise. If at least one of your limbs isn’t moving rhythmically by the end of this video, I’d advise you to check your pulse, real talk. Much like Shiana from OH seemed to be right at home in her worship, it’s amazingly obvious that Cheneta thrives in a performance environment. And the vocals….never…suffered. Wow. IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTIONS: As tempted as I am to use the “improvement” section to keep on complimenting the audition, I will focus on one observation. While many auditions have displayed “raw talent” and “natural anointing”, it’s quite apparent that Cheneta is also a professional and has already taken steps to hone her gifts and craft. (That is surely NOT a bad thing as it will help in almost any national ministry she goes into). Her countless performances cataloged on YouTube will confirm that fact. So then, what separates Cheneta’s level of professionalism from someone like Tyra Juliet from NYC? Tyra’s level of professional experience comes from areas not usually considered “typical gospel” while Cheneta has gained a wealth of knowledge focused primarily in a more common type of “soul gospel”. The million dollar question is whether or not Tye will look for the “professional and familiar”, or the “professional and unconventional”. We have a potential answer to that question….PICK BOTH!!!! Nothing would please us more than to see a very diverse project released that covers the entire spectrum of music ministry!

So then….WHAT’S NEXT???? 

Even though we are now past this contest’s submission deadline, there were many fantastic, amusing, and otherwise notable submissions!  We intend to continue sharing our thoughts on some of the auditions right up until the winners are announced!  Stay tuned for:

• Even more coverage of this monumental opportunity

• A chance for YOU to share your opinions about the contestants in our new and improved *polls (*GWL polls will NOT affect the outcome of this competition)

• A breakdown of our OWN Top Picks and perhaps some prizes?? yeah…..

• Rumor has it that Gospel Great: Donnie McClurkin has followed suit with a contest of his own! We’re investigating…..stay tuned for details

Don’t forget that if you subscribe you’ll be entered into our monthly contests. Also you’ll get our FREE exclusive tips and tools designed to help YOU and your ministry GROW!!  (No junk here,only the really useful stuff)!

Any more pointers? Tips that we’ve missed?  Do you agree or disagree with our constructive critiques?? Please let us know by leaving a comment below!

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