27-year-old Ashley Hess sets herself apart from the competition with her noteworthy audition of ‘Don’t Know Why’ from Norah Jones. Despite her obvious talent for music, Ashley got a late start on her dream.
After high school, she thought the wanted to be a dental hygienist but soon found out that that career path was not fulfilling. She always had a heart for music, but her more practical side kept telling her to stick with a safe and stable profession.
“I feel like I’m split down the middle, like a dreamer and a realist. It’s just been this battle of ‘Oh, do I do something that’s riskier or do I do something that makes a little more sense?’
But that side of me that wants to take the risk has never really gone away.”
Today, Ashley decided to step out of her comfort zone and audition for American Idol. She started off quite timid and doubtful of her own skill. But as soon as she sat down at the piano and started to play ‘Don’t Know Why’ from Norah Jones, her remarkable talent emerged.
“I waited 'til I saw the sun
I don't know why I didn't come
I left you by the house of fun
I don't know why I didn't come
I don't know why I didn't come”
Ashley had barely gotten to the chorus when judge Luke Bryan spotted the performance. He instructed his fellow judges to move closer to the piano so that they could all bask in this incredible musician.
After the song finished, Ashley was in complete disbelief. One by one, the judges told this young woman how much talent she has and that she is easily a front-runner in this competition. Katy Perry even remarked that she wanted to scream at Ashley and say, “You could win this competition. Wake up!”
Hopefully, this audition is the spark of confidence that she needs to go all the way. But first, Ashley is on her way to Hollywood for the next round of American Idol.
An 8-year-old girl is belting out Carrie Underwood’s hit song ‘The Champion’ in a very special way.
Savannah Dahan, from Frederick, Maryland, is a huge fan of country superstar Carrie Underwood. One of Savannah’s favorite songs by the beloved performer is the inspirational anthem, ‘The Champion.’
This song is all about finding the strength from within and not letting anything stand in the way of your dreams.
“I am invincible, unbreakable
Unstoppable, unshakeable
They knock me down, I get up again
I am the champion
You're gonna know my name
You can't hurt me now
I can't feel the pain
I was made for this, yeah, I was born to win
I am the champion”
Savannah was born with substantial hearing loss and utilizes hearing aids from time to time. Her parents and two siblings are also deaf, so Savannah grew up using American Sign Language to communicate.
Today, she’s using ASL to perform this uplifting song and the performance has gone viral. Millions of people all over the world have watched Savannah takes these lyrics to heart.
There is so much passion behind this 8-year-old’s performance and I can tell that she believes in every single word. When you have faith in yourself, there is nothing that can knock you down.
This anthem has touched hearts all across the globe and Savannah’s performance is helping to spread that message.
Savannah’s father told Today, “We hope the video will show the importance of early exposure to ASL and for the world to see kids with proper communication access at school and home can express themselves just as rich and beautiful as kids that can hear.”
Bethany talks about her struggles as a teenager to stand up for her faith in school and be a Christian. Like so many young people she felt pulled between her faith in God and her own desire to be seen as “cool and popular”. But once Bethany decided to go all in for Jesus & put following Him above all else, she became excited to tell her friends about God and share her faith. When it comes to your faith, are you all in for Jesus or just trying to look and act like everyone else? “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans’ 12:2
Viral a cappella sensations Pentatonix share a stunning performance of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’
This talented group of five formed in 2011, but they shot to fame after winning the third season of the television competition, ‘The Sing Off.’ Since that time, Pentatonix has earned worldwide attention for their covers of songs such as ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘The Sound Of Silence.’
Today, they are belting out the iconic lyrics to ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and it’s another viral performance.
“Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality
Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see”
The song was written by Freddie Mercury for Queen’s 1975 album, ‘A Night At The Opera.’ Since that time, many famous artists have lent their vocals to the tune. But, this a cappella Pentatonix rendition is unlike anything else.
When you perform a cappella, every sound that you hear comes from a human voice. There are no instruments or background music. It takes so many hours of arrangement and practice in order to perfect a performance like this, but Pentatonix always delivers flawlessly.
This talented group has a gift for selecting just the right song to compliment their vocal skills. And the rest of the world seems to agree because this rendition of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ has been viewed over 75 million times online.
With talent like this, it seems that there is no end in sight for Pentatonix and we’ll certainly be hearing from this group for many years to come.
6-year-old Sophie Fatu returns with another darling Frank Sinatra hit as she performs ‘Pennies From Heaven.’
“Oh every time it rains
It rains pennies from heaven
Don't you know each cloud contains
Pennies from heaven
You'll find your fortune
Fallin' all over town
Be sure that your umbrella is upside down”
This little cutie originally won our hearts when she belted out the words to ‘My Way.’
Once her performance was posted online, she quickly became a viral sensation. After that, she appeared on multiple talk shows and morning programs. Sophie even became a contestant on America’s Got Talent, where she won over the heart of legendary judge Simon Cowell.
Today, she’s singing another classic song and I cannot help but to sing along. ‘Pennies From Heaven’ was originally introduced in 1936 by Bing Crosby for the film of the same name.
Decades later, Frank Sinatra recorded his own rendition of the popular song. Now, Sophie is putting her own spin on this beloved tune and it’s absolutely adorable. This little darling has such a distinctive voice and passion she puts so much passion into each and every word.
Her sweet personality and voice can bring a smile to nearly anyone’s face and it’s obvious that Sophie loves to perform. This 6-year-old has come such a long way from her start at a viral video star. Now, Sophie is performing on big stages and winning over the hearts of the world, one song at a time. I’m always looking forward to what she does next.
Talented performer Lauren Engle shares her heartbreaking story of loss before an emotional American Idol audition.
Lauren met her husband, Garrett, seven years ago at a Halloween party. In 2014, the two were married. They shared many happy memories together, but one year ago everything changed.
Lauren and Garrett were on their way home from dinner when a car ran a red light and t-boned the couple. Sadly, Garrett was killed in the accident. Lauren was in disbelief.
“I never thought at 27 years old, I would be a widow.”
Throughout the years, Garrett would always encourage Lauren to sing and share her talent with the world.
Now, she is following her late husband’s wishes and auditioning for American Idol.
Just listen as she performs an original song titled ‘Compass.’ The song follows the couple’s journey together. And to make it even more special, Garrett’s brother is playing the guitar for Lauren as she belts out the emotional words.
Her touching song definitely struck a note with all of the judges. Katy Perry commented on the heartfelt lyrics saying, “I felt the emotion and I felt the pain. And I can’t imagine singing that or writing that or even going through any of what you’ve been through.”
It takes such a strong person to remain standing after what Lauren has been through this past year.
Now, she is taking the next step in her life and it’s sure to be an amazing journey with Garrett in her heart the entire way.
In the year 2010, I found pictures on Google Earth made out of "WATERMARKS". I discovered when you look at all of them together, they tell the same story of Creation, that is found in the Bible!
So many of you are stuck in jobs that you don't like. Making you stressful, creating illness in your body. So many of you are struggling financially because you have been conditioned to believe that you should not be making money for following your heart or doing things that are spiritual. That conditioning is a lie. You should be living in Abundance for following your heart. You should be spending your time pursuing your passions rather than being drained by a job you do not like. This video will help inspire you and show you why you should Quit your Stressful Job and live with purpose!
*Subscribe to Motivation Always Works on YouTubeToday - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRQ0GdBvWJGchWkA4g8z3jA
Seeing Dex, a stray pug, and his incredible transformation from very sick to spunky and healthy will bring a smile to your face!
Dex was found wandering the streets of Austin, TX when somebody called animal control to come and pick him up.
“He was a very sick dog,” says Signe Corbin, a member of the Pug Rescue of Austin. “We guessed he was about 10 to 12 months old when he came in, but he had such severe mange that he had almost no hair on his body. His skin was so infected and itchy that he was rubbing his eyes and he was in danger of losing one of the eyes completely.”
Thankfully, Dex was able to heal. And just 3 months after his rescue, he was able to find a new home with Beth, Mark, their son Noah, and their 5 other dogs.
“There were so many people that were rooting for Dex,” explains Beth. “It broke our heart, knowing that for half of his life he had been in that condition.”
“We were moved by his story,” says Mark. “He had demodex mange. One reason he is named Dex is because of the condition he had. But you wouldn’t know it today. He’s just like any other normal dog.”
Once they got the news that they could take Dex home and introduce him to their family, Beth and Mark were ecstatic.
They say that Dex is so happy to be present and just jump into life with their family.
“He brings a lot of joy to this home. I think he’s inspiring. He’s just a grateful dog,” says Beth.
And from the looks of the Instagram that was created for Dex, he brings a lot of joy to others with the cute and silly pictures that are posted of him. If you’d like to follow this inspiring pug, you can find him at @dex_the_pug on Instagram!
Documentary True story about when I was in the navy diving in Soviet territorial waters and tapping a Russian military cable. I was saved in the navy and surrendered my life to serve the Lord when I was in Siberia. For more such stories see TRUE CHRISTIANS SHORT STORIES BY GM MATHENY, https://www.truechristianshortstoriesfreebygmmatheny.com/ See both PART I & Part II Enjoy!
Documentary True story about when I was in the navy diving in Soviet territorial waters and tapping a Russian military cable. I was saved in the navy and surrendered my life to serve the Lord when I was in Siberia. For more such stories see TRUE CHRISTIANS SHORT STORIES BY GM MATHENY, https://www.truechristianshortstoriesfreebygmmatheny.com/ See both PART I & Part II Enjoy!
Inspiring child piano prodigy Lydian Nadhaswaram impresses the judges by playing two pianos simultaneously.
When we first met this 12-year-old pianist, he dazzled the judges by playing the piano with record speed on The World’s Best.
This unique show is a brand new talent competition that features contestants from all over the world in every different genre. The acts audition for a panel of judges and a ‘wall’ of 50 experts in all areas of music and entertainment. If a contestant scores 75 or above, then they will move on to the next round.
Lydian sailed through his first performance and then blew everyone away after he placed a blindfold over his eyes and played"Turkish March" by Mozart.
This teenager’s hilarious personality and incredible talent makes him a delight to watch. Now, Lydian has made it all the way to the finale and he’s not holding anything back.
Just watch as he sits between two pianos and starts to play a medley of Beethoven's "Fur Elise" and Chopin's "Etude." He switches back and forth with rapid speed and never misses a note.
It is hard enough to play these arrangements separately, but it is a whole other situation to play both at the same time. But Lydian makes this entire performance look easy.
He has definitely won over the hearts of the judges and, now, it is time to see if he has what it takes to win the entire competition. Are you rooting for Lydian Nadhaswaram on The World’s Best?
Award-winning singer-songwriter Billy Joel and daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, sing a beautiful duet of ‘New York State Of Mind.’
This iconic song was originally written by Billy Joel in 1976 and featured on his ‘Turnstiles’ album. Even though the tune wasn’t an instant hit, it later became a cultural phenomenon covered by countless artists. This is also a popular song for Billy to perform at his concerts.
Today, he is joined by a very special guest for an amazing duet of this classic. 33-year-old Alexa Ray Joel is also a singer and songwriter, just like her father.
During Billy’s Madison Square Garden Valentine’s Day concert, he brought Alexa on stage and they belted out the lyrics to ‘New York State Of Mind.’
“Some folks like to get away,
Take a holiday from the neighborhood
Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood
But I'm takin' a Greyhound on the Hudson River line
I'm in a New York state of mind”
Billy plays the piano while Alexa’s distinctive voice sings the famous lyrics.
This father-daughter duo obviously have a lot in common and it’s so amazing that their talents overlap. It is always so sweet to see the relationship between parents and their children but this one is extra special.
Alexa is performing this song for a whole new audience so that her father’s songs can truly touch the next generation. And the look of joy and pride in Billy Joel’s eyes is the topping on this incredible performance. Simply tremendous!
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