'Voice' will focus on the best, not the ridiculous

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PASADENA ? NBC's new music competition series "The Voice" is taking a serious approach to finding the next great vocal talent. That's why there'll be no weird, odd or tone deaf contestants like those seen on the early rounds of "American Idol."

"Other shows have made great television of the comedy of inviting people to sing who clearly can't sing," says executive producer Mark Burnett. "We made a conscious choice to not try to do that at all. Not one person steps on that stage who wasn't good. Some very good, and some great."

Contestants will have to impress the show's all-star panel of judges: Blake Shelton, Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera and Adam Levine. They'll each pick eight singers ? based only on hearing their voices ? to mentor.

Burnett's put together the panel.

Aguilera was his first choice.

"I knew Christina very well from the 'MTV Movie Awards' and had worked together. I just felt it was right," Burnett says.

Burnett had known Green for years and was convinced he would be a great judge after seeing him on "Saturday Night Live."

He approached Levine because of his distinct singing voice and background as an arranger.

Shelton was an easy pick. Burnett wanted to cover as many genres as possible, and there are few hotter country artists than Shelton, who was named the CMA Male Vocalist of the Year.

If more than one judge shows an interest in a singer, the contestant decides which judge they think will be the best for them. It's not as easy as Shelton selecting only country singers or Green picking only those with urban sounds.

The judges are looking to select the singers they believe they can help grow.

"Trying to convince somebody to be on your team is a delicate thing. As an artist, I don't want to do anything that might hold somebody back. So I'm not going to beg for somebody or pick somebody that I don't know that I can do that much for them," Shelton says.

"I want to see every one of these people go on and do something because I know what they are up against and what that's like."

Green agreed to be a judge because he sees being able to mentor young talent as "an act of preservation of industry, of entertainment, of expression of art."

In the second round, the celebrities narrow down their teams to four through singing challenges and by adding in image, style and stage presence. Viewer votes will determine the winner from the final 16.

The singers have various levels of experience. Burnett has no problem with some of the contestants having toured before, having music contracts or being on other music competition shows.

"Many people have tried over and over in their careers and just didn't hit that right moment," Burnett says. "So we decided, let's just give people a chance."

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Source: http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/04/25/2363605/voice-will-focus-on-the-best-not.html

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