Talent.

Last night, America’s Got Talent (AGT), in its 14th season, had its first live show where voting takes place.

Twelve acts, mostly singers, performed and auditioned for seven spots. Each week, for the next several weeks, seven different performers will move on until the finale.

Overall, the performers didn’t let the audience or the judges down and question why they were chosen for the live show.

But I have to admit that pretty much since their first performances, out of all the acts that have performed, there have only been a couple that have had my undivided attention. Three were on display last night.

My Top Three

First, Voices of Service.

According to their AGT bio,

CAMMO’s Voices of Service consists of veterans and active-duty service members – a dynamic and diverse group of musicians and singers with a modern eclectic sound. Voices of Service has performed in support of numerous veterans’ organizations, government agencies, military bases and corporate functions. The group represents the diversity and excellence that exists within military and veteran communities and is an inspiring example for the nation they serve, have served, and continue to serve – now through music

https://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/credits/credit/season-14/voices-of-service

The group is comprised of three men and one woman have have me floored with their vocals, their harmonies, and their service. They will inspire based on their service, but mostly due to their performances week in and week out.

Here is last night’s performance:

I would love to see them tour the the country and abroad, letting those servicemen and women be reminded that their voices can be heard. There are tons of those in the service who may feel embarrassed to sing, for whatever reason. This group will continue to inspire.

The other two performances that spoke to me were “Golden Buzzer” winners from the taped auditions. These “winners” went straight to the live show, passed go, collected $200, and had even more time to get ready for their next performance.

Sophie Pecora, at age 15, won the “Golden Buzzer” when Brad Paisley was a guest judge during the auditions. She performed an original piece about being bullied that reverberated in the hearts of the judges, the live audience, and the millions watching on television.

This is her bio from the AGT website:

Sophie Pecora wowed the judges this season at age 15 with her performance of her original song, “7th Grade,” for which she received a standing ovation from all four judges. Julianne Hough described her music as “poetry in motion.” When Sophie performed her original song “Misfits,” she was excited to receive the Golden Buzzer from celebrity judge and songwriter Brad Paisley. Sophie’s lyrics are meaningful, relatable and well beyond her years. She is an old soul and has held a strong vision since she was a small child of performing on stages in front of thousands of people. 
Sophie began rapping and singing at seven years old and has been working on her music every day since. She began playing the guitar at nine years old, with piano and drums soon following. She has fun sharing her music on YouTube and social media and enjoys collaborating with other artists. When describing herself and her songwriting process, Sophie says, “I may be quiet, but I have a loud mind. I haven’t experienced many hard things in life yet, so I use my imagination and put myself in other people’s shoes. I hope to touch people’s hearts with my songs and have them relate and feel like they’re not alone.”

https://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/credits/credit/season-14/sophie-pecora

We’ve all been bullied before. If you haven’t, you’re lying to yourself. Sophie put pen to paper (or keys to the screen for 2019), and just wrote what spoke to her. She has taken her skill to a whole new level. She’s writing music at 15. SHE’S WRITING MUSIC AT 15! There are many, many, many, famous musicians who haven’t been able to do what she does and she’s probably half their age. Even if she doesn’t win it all, which she can, she most certainly has a future in writing music.

Let yourself be vulnerable as Sophie has and watch last night’s performance

Now, this next performance is what I just wanted to write about today. This performance deserves nothing but the highest praise and I truly think he has a chance to win it all.

Kodi Lee. Kodi Lee. Kodi Lee.

I want to say his name like Beetlejuice because I’d want him to appear next to me every time I was feeling down. His voice picks me right back up.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to see or hear Kodi’s performances yet, you are missing out.

According to his bio on AGT’s site:

Kodi Lee was born with optic nerve hypoplasia, which rendered him legally blind, and at an early age, he was diagnosed with autism. Kodi also suffers from Addison’s disease, a life-threatening disorder that results from not producing enough cortisol, which could be fatal if not monitored at all times. He is also known as a prodigious musical savant and is one of only approximately 25 in the world today who possesses his abilities.

https://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/credits/credit/season-14/kodi-lee

His first performance caught everyone watching off guard. I mean, just look at the judges’ faces. See below.

His voice was not what anyone expected. Not one.

We found out that music has been his life. It’s what he feels most comfortable doing. We can all imagine the struggle parents go through when not only do they find out their child is blind, but that they also might be on the spectrum.

His mom, Tina, has been nothing but supportive and helping him along the way. Seeing the way those two interact before each performance makes me smile and cry because they have a bond that no one can ever duplicate.

Kodi wow’d us even more last night. Getting permission from Paul Simon, as Simon Cowell pointed out, is an honor in itself. I didn’t realize after watching these shows for all these years that the performers need permission to perform them on the show. I mean, I know shows and networks get copyrighted permission to use an artist’s song during intros, outros, and anywhere in between.

This is last night’s performance:

Nothing has stopped Kodi. He is a true inspiration for anyone watching. Too often we let the little things in our life bother us and we complain about the littlest of things. It’s a #FirstWorldProblems type of thing.

Anyone can do anything with a little determination and persistence.

We’ve Only Just Begun

Watching this week gets me excited for the upcoming weeks of the show. I know there were some other great performances that are sure to make headlines throughout the season.

Magicians, singers, guitarists, comedians, voice actors, dancers, performers, acrobats, and so many others are still waiting to take the stage in front of the live audience and voting.

I’ll be honest and say I really didn’t start watching weekly until Jon Dorenbos was on it a couple seasons ago. The Philadelphia connection got me to tune in every week to see how far he would go.

I’ve been hooked ever since. Darci Lynne [Farmer] was my favorite since her first ventriloquist performance two seasons ago.

Kodi Lee is my current front-runner but I can’t wait to see what everyone else can do.

Talent just needs a stage. AGT is providing that.