ConnectionsWeekly.com Article

This new article appears in today's ConnectionWeekly.com, a sister site of the Atlantic City Weekly.

Heart Aiken
Overnight success takes a long time.
Loretta Jackson | Editor

Clay Aiken, once a diamond in the rough, ain't so jagged anymore. This diamond was honed in a prime-time fire pit fueled by critics' barbs and acid-tongued Hollywood gossips. He's a man who's been forged into a well-polished performer and now, he's golden. And he's traversing the land on a lengthy road trip, a musical journey that will take him to 36 cities including Camden, NJ.

The "Joyful Noise 2005 Tour" starring Clay Aiken stops on Sunday, Dec. 11, in South Jersey at the Tweeter Center on the Waterfront. The Tweeter is one of the foremost attractions on the Camden waterfront, which also is home to Adventure Aquarium, Wiggins Park, The Camden Children's Garden, Campbell's Field and the Battleship New Jersey Museum.

Aiken's newest tour - the latest of six - is comprised of 40 shows, features a conductor and a 30-piece orchestra. It has a Christmas theme with lots of sparkle added by local choirs from various middle schools and high schools. The tour was launched in Canada and has been well received or sold-out in some places. Big crowds are expected at the Tweeter, too, where nearly 8,000 guests can be accommodated indoors during the winter season and 25,000 guests seated amphitheater-style, outdoors during the summer.

Clay Aiken well may draw the max when he comes to the Tweeter. Gone is the gawky semi-nerd with the flyaway hair who staked claim to fame and fortune by enduring the rigors of the American Idol television show. Ruben Studdard slid by Aiken in the final cut, triggering howls of protest from Aiken's fans. Controversy roiled and many criticized the show's voting system, whose apparatus seemed unable to handle the overwhelming number of attempted calls.

Today, Clay Aiken's evolution into a solid performer and somewhat of a dreamboat seems completed. He's made the most of some makeovers that sharpened his fashion sense and added a touch of finesse. He has been at the forefront of charitable causes and is the year's UNICEF Ambassador. Aiken graduated college with a bachelor's degree in special education, an interest fostered while directing YMCA camps in his teens. Later, he was a teacher of kids with autism.

Clay seems to be the kind of guy who inspires others to go for the gold. He's got the try-try-again attitude it takes to keep focused on success in the face of long odds. He knew he had a voice. He knew he could sing. And so did others, as soon as they heard him. Today's successes were won with hard work.

How many of us aspire to a dream as big as his? How many of us do the prep work? Take singing lessons? Take dance lessons? Go for a makeover or adopt a new hairstyle? The first steps can be small ones; we might volunteer to participate in activities that put us in front of a crowd or on stage. We can join organizations that teach skills such as public speaking, acting, dance or whatever strikes our fancy.

If you're one who isn't afraid of the hard work it takes to succeed in the performance arts, there are things you can do to further that dream: go to see live performances at every opportunity. Get involved. Catch the Clay Aiken "Joyful Noise" tour and study how his movements and demeanor encompass all in the hall. Notice the way that he makes eye contact with the audience. Be mindful of how he seems to be vocalizing to those in the most distant seats, as well as to those in the first row. Stage presence, familiarity with the music and words, clothing and accessories - they all do a lot to smooth the edges of any diamond in the rough. Are you, too, a diamond in the rough?

Tickets and more information about Clay Aiken and the "Joyful Noise 2005 Tour" can be had online at the website for the Tweeter Center at The Waterfront: www.tweetercenter.com. Clay Aiken's official website: www.clayaiken.com. Take PATCO's River LINE to the Tweeter; see www.drpa.org.

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Dance or sing, if that's your thing

Do you have star power? If you have a yen to see what it might be like to perform in front of an audience, get a little training. Take some lessons in dance, singing, acting or any combination that offers you your own unique brand of satisfaction. Clay Aiken did it; he followed his dream and it came true. The following are just a few of many resources available to the stars of tomorrow who would like to get started today on their walk toward fame. It's up to you to make your own dream come true.