Chords of Strength

by David Archuleta

  A couple of years later I decided to learn her version and perform it on a few occasions including a live performance on TV on ABC 4’s Good Things Utah, after I was asked to perform on the show having been on Star Search. Of all the performers I have listened to, Eva Cassidy best represented the style and level of artistry that I would most aspire to. She had the whole package: She had tone, pitch, range, dynamics, and control, and she could sing any type of style from blues to folk to pop. You could totally feel her spirit when she sang and I hope someday to learn how to sing with as much expression and mastery as she did.

  Here’s another story: When I was younger, our family used to perform in hospitals and retirement homes. With our costumes and sheet music in hand, we would rip right through the dark frost of December with the warmth and cheerfulness of our little homegrown variety show. Some of our audience members were old, some were sick, and many were both—but all of their eyes would sparkle like shiny new Christmas ornaments each time one of us would get up to sing. My little sister, Jazzy, would put on a curly red wig and belt out “Tomorrow” from the popular show Annie. One of the numbers I’d sing was from the movie Yentl, a song called “A Piece of Sky,” which had always been an Archuleta family staple given my grandma Claudia’s admiration for Barbra Streisand. Though I didn’t necessarily know what I was singing about, I knew exactly how that song made me feel—a raw sentiment that I saw reflected in the eyes of an elderly woman whose tears of appreciation slowly trickled down into her lap. She was in a wheelchair, she could barely talk, but here she was very touched by the song, perhaps transported to a happier time in her life when all was well. She later told us that the song instantly rekindled lost memories of her late husband, and gave her an unexpected feeling of happiness that day. Even though we were generations apart in age, it was interesting to see how a song could bridge that gap and allow me to relate to her through the medium of a song. I could feel the melody soothe so many of this poor woman’s pains, and I could see the lyrics fill her heart with peace. Here was that gift again, this time coming from me to her—and in that moment I realized that performing for me would be much more than just being a good singer, and everything to do with being a good person.

  Nothing feels better than knowing that by singing I can make others feel better

  The bottom line is that while you’re performing it’s hard to hide who you really are. It’s all about the interpretation of the song, not just the song itself. Some songs have been performed many times over by many different artists, but some were memorable and others were not. It’s all about the connection between the performer, the song, the message and the audience. People are all so different; we come from all walks of life, in all shapes, colors and sizes. The one thing we all have in common is our ability to feel and emote. When we hear a song, we feel the emotions of that song as it relates to our own personal experience, which I guess is why I see music as a great vehicle for compassion. If we can momentarily feel what others feel, we move farther and farther away from selfishness into a state of empathy and compassion. The bottom line is that music is healing, so I’m honored to be in any way part of that process.

  Interpretation is the key component of being a successful singer. It requires that you capture the emotional language of a song, and then express it your own way for someone else. It is essentially being able to understand and relate to someone else’s emotions, even if you yourself have never felt those emotions before. It’s the reason why, when I was twelve years old on Star Search singing Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’,” I didn’t have a clue in the world as to what I was singing about. (How could I? I was only a kid.) I was trying to get into the energy of that song, the soulfulness of the song, in a way that I hoped people could feel deeply. Because I’ve been singing from a very early age, I have frequently sung about things that I simply hadn’t lived or been through yet. But it never seemed to matter because I could still internalize their feelings, relay them, which allowed other people to feel them too. I already told you that I think emotions are contagious, but when you throw music into the mix it becomes like a breeding ground for sensitivity.

  I can’t stress it enough that for me, being a recording artist has nothing to do with fame and everything to do with feelings. It always thrills me when I notice someone in the audience really feeling it. I can see that they are actually feeling what I’m singing about, which, to me, gives meaning to the whole act. It allows me to forget about the scary aspect of performing, and instead fuels me with motivation to keep going. It’s so powerful that it can turn an intensely shy person (me) into someone who is willing to pour his heart out for arenas full of people. Music just tugs. It draws you in, allowing you to tap into the secret spaces of life that sometimes get lost in the day-to-day.

  This really rang true for me when I turned on the television one day, only to discover the horror of September 11, 2001, being reported on every news station across the country. I was ten years old, so of course I couldn’t (and still can’t) totally comprehend the nightmare that was unfolding in New York and Washington, D.C. Even though it was all happening miles away from my peaceful world in Sandy, Utah, I felt the pain of those people deep in my gut, and I could feel a small piece of my innocence being ripped right out of me. My parents, like everyone else, were solemnly glued to the TV, desperate for more information. I would sit and watch with them, half traumatized, half clueless about what was happening. I was too young (and probably still am) to really understand the scope of that tragedy. I also remember all of us huddled together, watching the celebrity telethon that aired live after the attack. There was a sense of sorrow and anguish about every word spoken, a sadness that seemed to have the power to linger over us indefinitely.

  Just as I was thinking about this dark reality, something amazing caught my attention: Celine Dion began to sing “God Bless America.” Somehow, through the darkness, appeared a glimmer of light; the emotion in the music gave me a sense of hope. I was so impressed by how Celine was able to take a song that was so familiar and make it seem like it was the first time I had ever heard it. It was clear that that particular song had a very special meaning for us all. The events of those days made us all hear it, though with a new purpose and awareness.

  It was another one of those moments when the power of song, combined with the truth about human emotion, came together in a way that felt totally healing. Once again I understood that a certain song could strike enough feeling to inspire the kind of therapeutic force that we need when bad things happen. The experience confirmed that for me, singing would be as much about conveying love as it would be about participating in art. Every time I would hold a microphone in my hand could be a unique opportunity to share from my heart, a chance to connect with an audience without even having to know anyone’s name. For the rest of my life, I have known (consciously or unconsciously) that performing, for me, will never be an act of personal self-indulgence but instead one of total connectivity.

  Here I am looking serious as I belt it out

  A year later, as chance would have it, when I was in New York meeting with record labels, I had the privilege of being invited to sing at the Firefighters’ Station 54 on the first anniversary of 9/11. I knew I was singing to people who had lost wives, husbands, fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, sisters and brothers, and when I sang for those people on that day, I felt their pain. Even though I couldn’t possibly begin to understand what they’d gone through, I knew by the looks on the faces of the crowd that it was a moment loaded with raw emotion, a type of sadness unlike anything I’d ever seen. I wasn’t sure what my place would be there, but the moment I started to sing, I understood. I sang “God Bless America” and “I Will Always Love You” and I left that group of people feeling deeply moved by the energy left in the air after I sang. It was one of those moments when music came in where words could not—when a melody could do for a person’s soul what a string of spoken sentences would never be able to do.

  Here was music
stepping in, not as entertainment, but as genuine emotional help, an insight that would give meaning to the kind of singer I would always aspire to be.

  I regularly find myself thinking about how crazy it is that all of this started for me when I was so young. I really wasn’t able to understand a whole lot of what was going on at the time, but I recently was asked to respond to a clip of myself being interviewed when I was about eleven or twelve. Here’s what I had to say: “I love singing because it makes people feel good and it makes me feel good inside. Everyone loves music.”

  Almost seven years have passed since I said those words, and it’s safe to say that I believe I’m still the same person now that I was then. To this day, I feel exactly the same way about music as I did back then. I sing because it makes people feel good, and that is the truth.

  CHAPTER 10

  STAYING TRUE

  “Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are, to some extent, a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it, piece by piece.”

  —H. J. BROWN

  Sometimes when I have a little bit of downtime (which isn’t as often these days!), I like to think about what’s really going on; what’s really most important. I know it sounds pretty simple, but when I do this—when I actually stop and organize my thoughts and ponder the things that matter most—it helps me feel at peace and keep the proper balance in my life. A lot of times, I like to ask myself, How can I accomplish the most good in my life? What choices can I make right now—ones that can really make a difference? Is there something important I can do today? It doesn’t matter where I am, if I’m on tour, on the road recording, at home with my family, visiting relatives, or at some type of an event, it still all boils down to trying to stay true to what I believe in at all times. Even if I don’t feel like it. Even when it isn’t popular or convenient. If I just worry about trying to do what’s right, everything else seems to turn out fine.

  I think deep down we all know what’s really important in our lives; we just have to be honest enough with ourselves to face that truth.

  Why do I bring this up? Well, a question I get a lot is “So, have you changed much since all this Idol stuff?” I understand why people might think that because of what has happened over the past several years of my life, I might have changed into someone else, someone who is unapproachable or thinks he is “better” than the “old me.” But the truth is that there is no “old me.” There’s just the “me” that’s always been here, and the “me” that I hope to keep bettering and improving as time goes on. When your life (for better or for worse) changes dramatically overnight, it’s easy to lose sight of reality. So I think it’s really important to do everything you possibly can to stay true to yourself.

  One thing that always helps me with this is to remind myself that there are two kinds of success: success in the world’s eyes and success in God’s eyes. For me, success isn’t based on fame or money or popularity. It has nothing to do with being on TV, traveling the world performing, or financial success. Those things are fun, and I enjoy them. But to me, the most important success is knowing that you are trying to do what is right and staying true and constant to your set of values. This is why I feel it is so important to trust your intuition and listen to your conscience.

  The greatest joy and satisfaction I feel is from trying to simply do what is right, by listening to the promptings that come to me through the “Spirit.” I believe everyone has a conscience, which is really the spirit of God that tries to teach us all what is right and wrong. It seems like when we learn how to listen to and follow our “conscience,” which I believe to be the promptings from the Spirit, we feel truly happy. We make better decisions; we are less judgmental, more patient, more understanding, more caring, more loving; we are more sensitive to other people’s feelings, all the attributes that I think make someone a great person. It can help us in all areas of our lives, with our work and school and developing our talents and being trustworthy, honest, and responsible—and all the things that make up a good character.

  Keeping the Spirit close also helps us when we face challenges in life and gently pushes us to keep the proper perspective when things are uncertain or confusing. But most of all, it helps us with our most important relationships which for me, are those with my Heavenly Father, my family, and my friends.

  . . . it’s really important to do everything that you possibly can to stay true to yourself . . .

  It is also interesting to understand how the promptings of the Spirit work through other people as well. Remember what I told you about how I had been a Boy Scout growing up? Well, the greatest achievement you can accomplish as a Boy Scout is the rank of Eagle Scout. As I was so busy with touring and working on my album, I was only home for one or two days every couple of months or so, which made it impossible to even think about finishing the last few steps that I needed for my Eagle. But I had a great neighbor, Cal Madsen (who had gotten me into scouting to begin with), who saw me at church one Sunday and called me into his office. He’s also the bishop of the Young Adult Singles ward. I hadn’t seen him in a while, because I’d been so busy touring, and just hadn’t been home long enough to even go to my own home church or really see any of my old neighbors and friends. I knew he’d ask me about scouting, because he always checks up on me and is the person who made sure I was progressing through the various scout ranks and getting the required merit badges I needed to get. He asked me how long I was home. I said, “I don’t know? Three days or so?” I thought I’d be leaving the next Thursday or Friday to go to New York.

  That was the window of opportunity Cal was looking for, so he suggested I do my Eagle Scout project in those three days. And, you know, although that whole thing had slipped onto the backburner after American Idol, I thought, Why not?

  So things were set in motion. I got motivated. Yes. Me! Motivated. I called the parks and recreation department. I called my friends. I called my bishop, my grandpa, and a bunch of my neighbors. I got a pretty big group of people together and organized a tree planting service project at the Jordan River Parkway. My friends and neighbors and family took time out in the middle of a busy school and work day to shovel dirt and plant well more than one hundred trees to help me finish that one last requirement so I could get my Eagle. You had to finish everything before your eighteenth birthday and I was coming up on it soon, so this really was my last chance if I was going to actually achieve it. That’s one thing I really like about where I live; there are lots of genuinely good people who listen to their conscience and like to do good things just because. They have really meant a lot to me.

  So I got my Eagle Scout and again realized that there is something to be said about perseverance (on Cal’s part probably more than my own), about not giving up, and not letting my music life get in the way of other things that are perhaps not as important to the “world,” but are definitely important to me. Scouting is something that a boy begins at age twelve and goes until eighteen, but you have to finish your Eagle before you reach eighteen. It is one of the greatest programs for developing character and values in youth, the things that are rarely addressed these days it seems. It is a six-year potential journey in scouts, and I felt so proud to be able to accomplish that goal while being so busy with my new music career. I feel so blessed to have a family and community that encourage such activities. I believe a lot of what I learned there has prepared me for more important opportunities that will come later in my life.

  I sincerely appreciate all of the amazing things that have happened to me over the past few years. I absolutely love singing and the opportunity it allows me to meet so many people and to share all those special feelings I’ve talked about earlier on, but I’m totally grateful every single day of my life for all the other less obvious blessings that have come my way. Just because I’ve been able to succeed as a singer doesn’t mean I’ve changed what is most important to me, as I still feel that my true mission and measu
re of success is based on first trying to be a good person. And to be a good person, means you think about others and care about them, usually before you worry about yourself.

  Without this, I don’t think any amount of personal success can make life truly complete. For me, taking time out every day to ponder and pray is the best way to stay connected with our Heavenly Father. By being mindful of my values and keeping my spiritual beliefs close to my heart, I truly believe it helps me stay grounded and always respect the place from where my talents and successes spring. Yes, I’ve worked hard; and yes, I may have achieved a certain level of success—but I’m very clear about the fact that none of it would be worth it without doing the things that keep me close to God.

  I’ve talked a lot about what it takes to stay on course, to stay positive and strong; and I’ve talked about faith as my main tool for being able to do so. But there are a number of other personal values that I’ve tried to stick to as I’ve gone through the ups and downs of my “instacareer” and all the chaos (good and bad) that came with it. They help me stay as true to myself as possible in a world that regularly asks us to compromise our integrity. I knew that I would need to arm myself with tools for staying true, and to this day I try to tap in to them regularly.

  Perspective has played a major part. Although I had my dad with me during most of my musical experience, it was hard to be away from the rest of the family. Being away from my mother and siblings for so long made me miss them terribly, so my returns home are always charged with deep tenderness and so much love. I now see my time at home as a treat, a bubble of total safety where I can be the David I’ve always been, temporarily removed from the demands of my career. I would even go as far as to say that before all of this, I may have taken some members of my family for granted. But today, being home with my family any night or day of the week feels like a total blessing, something I cherish and long for whenever I’m away.