All Amazing Babies

When 10-year-old Jackie Evancho took the stage on ‘America’s Got Talent’ many years ago, she captivated everyone’s heart with her phenomenal voice. No one could believe a little girl was singing with a mature, angelic tone.

10-year-old Jackie sang as smoke billowed out on stage across her feet. She wore a bright pink dress, and the lighting complimented her color. The audience and judges sat in amazement, not believing their ears. After her last note, everyone jumped to their feet for a standing ovation.

Host Nick Cannon was shocked by her voice. Howie said, ‘This is the moment. You’re the star!’ Piers Morgan said it is one of the most extraordinary performances he ever saw on ‘AGT.’ Sharon Osborne couldn’t believe her voice and told her that she’s never seen anything like it.

Jackie tells them she’s so amazed she’s about to burst into tears. Unfortunately, Jackie eventually lost to Michael Grimm and assumed she would go home unnoticed. She quickly received offers to sing everywhere. Jackie recorded platinum and gold albums, and she became the youngest solo singer to go platinum in history.

For ‘AGT Champions,’ she returned to the stage she previously lost on and delivered another powerful performance. The judges were thrilled to see her again. The smoke billows at her feet once again as she sang ‘The Music of the Night’ from ‘The Phantom of the Opera.’ The audience raised candles all over the room to add a remarkable visual effect.

Jackie delivered a flawless performance as her voice landed perfectly on the last high note. Everyone was on their feet, including all the judges. Simon said that she was even better than her previous performance and called her a ‘champion.’

It is an amazing transformation from 10-year-old to 18-year-old, but Jackie still has her incredible voice! Jackie’s dedication and hard work over the past 8 years have rewarded her with fantastic success.

In this clip from ‘Ukraine’s Got Talent,’ we are treated to a fantastic young vocalist, Sofia Shkidchenko. A judge begins by asking Sofia if she is a star. She responds affirmatively, ‘Yes!’ He replies, ‘How modest you are!’ Sofia tells him that she has a unique talent for yodeling, and not everyone can do it.

A video of Sofia’s interview informs us that she has been singing and yodeling since she was 5 years old. Her mother tells the camera that she is Sofia’s videographer, and they both enjoy working together.

Then, there’s a fun clip of one of Sofia’s earlier videos when she performs the hit internet song, ‘What Does The Fox Say?’ Her mother produced the video and uploaded it to Youtube.

Next, we see Sofia back in the theater on stage for the judges and audience. The upbeat song begins, and Sofia smiles and starts moving around with a couple of choreographed dance steps. She is wearing typical yodel attire with a plaid dress and her hair in pig-tails.

The audience immediately claps along, and the judges are smiling. Sofia sings the verse, and she has a quick yodel at the end of the phrase. She executes the riff with precision. Once she gets to the chorus, her yodeling is in high gear, and the audience is amazed. The judges look at one another in astonishment.

As the song progresses, the yodeling gets more intense. The song’s tempo picks up, and Sofia keeps up with it easily. She hits a high note at the end and strikes a pose. The audience jumps to their feet and chants their appreciation.

An energetic judge tells her, ‘I feel like a kid! Well done!’ Another judge says, ‘It’s as if I moved to the Alps!’ Sofia is all smiles, and the audience is still on their feet, applauding her unique talent!

America’s Got Talent spin-off or AGT: All-Stars is a variety show that recently aired on NBC. The fantastic reality show features several finalists & performers from all the previous AGT seasons.

One of the performers, Tom Ball, has gained much attention because of his “Golden Buzzer” performance on the AGT: All-Stars audition round. The talented singer shocks the judges with his vocal range and achieves a spot in the live shows.

A recently-shared video clip shows Tom Ball, a 24-year-old British teacher, performing his best performance onstage. He performs a rendition of the iconic song by Simon and Garfunkel, “The Sounds of Silence.”

He impresses everyone with his moving rendition of the 1964 classic hit. But it was Simon Cowell who had a lot of things to say to the performer. After Tom’s performance, Cowell, Howie Mandel, & Heidi Klum give him a standing ovation.

Cowell instantly gives feedback about the performance and asks Tom to come to the front of the stage. He then says, “I’m actually angry about something. I wish this was the first time I’d heard Tom weirdly.” He adds, “You’re like Susan Boyle’s grandson. What you do is not what we expect. This is the best performance I’ve seen in all the series.”

Mandel also has plenty of good things to say about the performance, “You surprise me in many ways. Although, of course, you are only 24, and Simon and Garfunkel are much older than that. But you do it so right. You are really amazing.”

The crowd soon started to chant, “Golden Buzzer.” Terry Crews, the host, asks the judges in sign language if he can join them. Simon shows a thumbs-up sign and asks him to join the 3 judges to press the “Golden Buzzer.” Tom Ball moved to the live rounds directly.

This is Eryk Waszczuk, and I wish I could be like him! He is barely old enough to go anywhere alone, but it’s his stage presence and ability to give it his all that’s so impressive. He just owns it, from the second he’s on stage, wearing a blazer, white shirt, nice jeans and a huge smile.

The music starts and he’s off! From the first strong note, Eryk wails, immediately getting everyone’s attention. The crowd screams and his family looks on from the side stage, very proud. His younger sister even does a cartwheel!

Eryk’s been exercising his vocal chords ever since he was a wee little one. Even as a baby, playtime was singing time! Once he reached the age of five, Eryk expressed the desire to ditch normal elementary school in search of a curriculum that had more of a musical approach. Eryk’s voice and talent might be big, but unfortunately, he’s too young and didn’t meet the requirements of the specialized school. No sweat though. He’s pursued his dreams outside of the classroom.

This kid has been putting in every waking moment not spent in class perfecting his skills to improve his voice. So it’s no surprise that his performance struck a chord with every judge and got a standing ovation from the audition. He sings “When a Man Loves a Woman” by Michael Bolton, and he’s just too cool! He’s singing a song so far ahead of his time. Has he ever been in love? Doesn’t matter, cause this kid has everyone falling in love with his voice! If Eryk keeps up the good work, he’s bound to go far!

Click below to watch the little man put his spin on a very passionate song!

‘The Voice’ Blind Auditions always yield a great crop of performers with many surprises along the way. In this audition, 15-year-old Ryley Tate Wilson stuns the coaches with his vocal skills.

Ryley Tate Wilson The Voice

The stage is lit blue and purple as a piano plays alone on higher keys. The lights slowly swirl around as Ryley starts to sing the first line with a gentle, beautiful voice, performing ‘Dancing on my Own’ by Robyn.

Right after the first line, Coach Kelly and Coach Nial hit her button. The camera cuts to Ryley’s family in shock, cheering the coaches. Coach Kelly smiles and says, “Pretty.”

Ryley Tate Wilson The Voice

Nial laughs in disbelief at the teenager’s abilities. And before the first verse ends, Black hears him sing a higher note, and he spins his chair around while the audience claps in approval.

Chance is the last one left who hasn’t turned, and the other coaches stand and watch the singer. At the very end of the tune, Chance spins his chair to acknowledge the talent of Ryley.

Ryley Tate Wilson The Voice

In the end, Ryley stops and smiles, and he gets a standing ovation as he puts his hands on his knees, overcome with emotion. Coach Kelly asks how old he is, and he says 15.

In disbelief, Nial says,”What?” and Kelly jumps out of her chair. He says he’s from Montgomery, Alabama. Nial says, “Ryley, my head nearly exploded. That was the best audition we’ve seen here by a longshot.” They all fight for the right to coach the young talent.

When the 14-year-old drummer, Jasper Hughes, shared a video clip of his middle school band’s performance of “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” fans of Guns N Roses were blown away. The young musicians did a fantastic job covering the classic 80s track.

They captured the energy and emotion of the song perfectly while putting their spin on it. The lead singer, who was around the same age as Hughes, delivered an impressive performance, hitting all the high notes with confidence and flair.

The guitarists played the guitars like a pro. The keyboard player never missed a note and created a rich, dynamic sound that perfectly complemented the vocals. Their band manager did an excellent job at training these young kids.

The middle school band’s rendition of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” was a remarkable achievement, especially considering how challenging the track is to cover. However, these young musicians put on stellar performances, leaving the audience in awe of their skills and talent.

Despite their young age, these musicians showed a level of professionalism and dedication that is truly inspiring. If you are a fan of Guns N Roses, you surely know that “Sweet Child O’ Mine” is one of their classic tracks.

What made the performance even more remarkable was that it took place at a local church, where parents of other students and fellow middle schoolers gathered to enjoy the concert.

It’s clear that the young musicians worked tirelessly to perfect their rendition of “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” and their hard work paid off in a big way. This performance showcases their skill and musical ability. Fans of Guns N Roses and music lovers everywhere can’t wait to see what they do next.

Some people have a more difficult time with the first day of school than others. I remember when I started preschool and kindergarten, I was terrified to be dropped off with complete strangers. However, I tried my best to keep my fears to myself. Then as I got to my middle school and high school years, I would vomit every day as the first day of school would inch closer. I would overthink everything. Would if I had a mean teacher? Would if my classes were too difficult? Would if I didn’t know anybody in any of my classes? The “would ifs” would go on forever.

Little Axel is one student who could probably understand how I feel about the first day of school. But it wasn’t just his first day of school that he was worried about; it was his first, first day of school. Although he was all smiles when he was waiting for the school bus to pick him up, once the bus had arrived, he immediately became anxious.

“He was all smiles when he saw me around the corner. And then I started to slow down. And that’s when you could see his face kind of start to change,” said Bus Driver Isabel Lane.

Although Isabel gave the little boy a welcoming smile, he froze in place instead of walking up the bus’s steps. So, his mother, Amy Johnson, picked him up and placed him on an available seat directly behind the driver.

But as his mother began to walk away, Axel clung onto her. That’s when Isabel decided to step in to comfort the worried boy by holding his hand as his mother walked off the bus.

A photo of the incident was taken by Amy and posted online, which then got reposted by the local police department. It eventually gained traction on the Web, and next thing you know, Bus Driver Isabel was at a loss for words when she started receiving praise from strangers online.

“I didn’t think it was like that big of a deal personally. I guess this is something that I would do,” she said humbly.

The wonderful thing about dance is that it’s so versatile. No matter how old a specific type of dance is, you can partake in it during any decade. Want to modernize a style of dance or put your own twist on it? Go for it! Want to engage in a particular dance but don’t want to wear the traditional attire you’re supposed to or move to the original song? That’s okay, too. Nobody will bat an eye because, well, dance is art, and art isn’t stagnant. It can be altered, combined with different styles, or even made to fit the current era. Or, one can stick to the traditional route.

The Junior Shag Dance Team is one group that aims to preserve an older dance that may otherwise eventually be lost: the Carolina Shag. The non-profit dance group that was born July 2008 teaches youngsters all there is to know about engaging in the quick dance and then having them perform during various dance competitions.

One of their most recent performances was at the 2019 US Open Swing Dance Championships that took place late last year.

At the competition, the dance team composed of 14 individuals aged 12 to 17 appeared on stage in hot pink jumpsuits (the girls) and black suits with black vests (the boys).

In their modest attire, the group did the shag to Rickie Lee Jones’s “Danny’s All-Star Joint.”

They first walk out in boy-girl order, shoulder-to-shoulder, one couple behind the other. Then when it’s their cue, the young dancers do a little London Bridges-inspired move as a group before each individual couple joins hands to synchronically engage in the step dance.

About mid-way through the show, the group lines up facing the audience. They all link together as they kick their legs and step to the beat of the music. When they all drop to the floor at the same time before getting back up with a little zig-zag move of their legs, the crowd roars!

Throughout the remainder of the dance performance, the Junior Shag Dance Team continues to beautifully alternate from partner to group dancing. The team ends their routine with the seven partners individually dancing. After a few spins, all 14 dancers end up on their knees before the audience busts out with claps and cheers. Due to how loved the performance was, the Junior Shag Dance Team were named the champions!

But winning a competition is only part of the fun. Founder Brennar Goree knows just how important it is to keep the Carolina Shag alive.

According to the organization’s website, “[Our dance team] highlights a dance most viewers at home will have never even seen or heard of…Carolina Shag is a dance founded in the 50s on a beach somewhere close to the Carolina Grand Strand…at its core, it is a family-oriented community with dancers ranging from 4 to 94 with an emphasis on supporting the youth, while paying the utmost respect to the Hall of Fame elders that founded our great dance.”

Living on the west coast, I can tell you that I’ve never heard of the dance until I found the video of the team’s routine! It was a pleasure to watch the great group of teens put on a fabulous show.

Make sure to watch the dancers’ routine below for yourself. And if you know anyone aged 8 to 20 in North or South Carolina interested in learning the Carolina Shag, they can try out for the Junior Shag Dance Team on February 22, 2020. Click here for more details.

A baby’s first words are one of those adorable (hopefully!) memories that parents will forever cherish. Babies may begin communicating words such as “mama” and “dada” as early as 7 months old. Of course, that’s not always the case as it’s perfectly normal for babies to not say anything recognizable until about 18 months.

Still, I think parents await the day very keenly when their little one will start having sweet and innocent conversations with them. I know some parents who are way too eager and feel that their child should be speaking at three months. I think they need to be just a little more patient and even enjoy the peace and quiet. The time before your baby starts talking is literally like the calm before the storm. Trust me!

Until the day they do talk though, babies will happily discover their ability to make unintelligible noises. Something to think about though is that babies will take language cues from their surroundings and try to mimic them as they learn how to communicate. So indeed, we can influence the noises our babies make, sometimes with hilariously unexpected results. What do I mean? Tune in below to understand what I’m talking about.

A video has gone viral of a little girl sitting in a car with her dad. The chatty girl may not be able to form actual words yet but that’s not stopping her from trying to have an immersive conversation with Dad. At times, it even sounds like dad may be in some trouble because it sounds like she’s giving him an earful!

Dad listens very intently to what is clearly a very important message but it pretty much sounds like a strange alien language. He tries his very best to keep a straight face but it doesn’t take long before he cracks up into a fit of laughter. But, who can blame him? One has to wonder who influenced this young lady to come up with this hilarious diction!

Do you have any funny stories of your children or grandchildren speaking in gibberish? What did you make of that conversation? We’d love to hear about these encounters in the comments!

In the meantime, watch the hilarious video below. Let us know what you think and brighten someone’s day by sharing this story with your family and friends. I can guarantee that everyone can relate to this, and it’ll put a smile on everyone’s faces!

Here is another example of why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover! You never know someone’s talent and expertise until they open their mouth. That’s all part of the fun, isn’t it? It’s fun to be greeted with a pleasant surprise that exceeds expectations! Just look at the judge’s faces when 16-year-old Michael Rice steps up to the plate to sing!

When Michael walked into the room, the judges looked at him and asked where he worked, to which he replies a fish and chips shop in his hometown of Hartlepool, UK. He and the judges go back and forth discussing how they like their fish and chips until they ask what Michael will be performing. His response raises their eyebrows. The teen reveals he will be singing Whitney Houston’s “I Look To You” and Simon says, “Are you really?” as the other judges look skeptical. Even an audience member’s face expresses doubt and concern!

But nothing phases Michael. He’s not even nervous! That’s how confident he is in his craft and choice of song. He knows what he was brought here to do, and he’s ready to deliver, regardless of what anyone thinks. The judges wish him luck, and they sit back and relax, but appear puzzled and curious as to what Michael has in store. After all, he’s a teen taking on a Whitney ballad. That’s a little ambitious, no?

Michael delivers his performance flawlessly. From the second the instrumental version starts to play, he knows he’s got them from his first note. His voice has a wide range but sounds different than Whitney’s vocals. He’s got his own sound and takes on the song with confidence. This is exactly what you’re supposed to do with a rendition — make it your own, someone has already sung the original, so there’s no point in just copying what’s already been done, right?

He wows the judges from the get-go, too. Simon and Cheryl’s faces give expressions of fascination!

Michael takes them on a musical journey that surprises and delights them all, flexing his vocals in a way that no one saw coming. The teen finishes his song, and is met with very positive feedback about the power of his voice, agreeing that he’s the “fish and chip shop diva with a bit of gravy on top!” Simon ends the clip by saying, “Just when you think you can’t be surprised…” He’s a star in the making!!

Click below to watch this powerful audition gone very well!