Idol NV's Round 3 Filled With Originality, Youngest Winner to Date

Another weekend, another warbler:  brought in the largest crowd yet for its third round of the biennial  this past Sunday. The night's round was the second to last qualifier for the countywide contest crowning its 2011 "Idol NV" on Feb. 26.

The night's 10 contestants drove it home while performing for the packed theatre — despite more than half of the singers themselves being too young to hold a driver's license.

Round three's performers included: Janelle Borges, Kylie Dreyer, Emily Duncan, Alexis Guiterrez, Madi Lippmann, Tessa Mattfield, Colin Powers, Maija Starr, Mattea Williams and Katelyn Young. 

Annabelle Marie, founder of VOENA, emceed the night, and made it obvious to the audience she was proud of Napa's talent: She bear-hugged each contestant after their performance, and encouraged the audience cheering section to be as loud as possible. Trust me — loud it was: I was sitting directly behind a 30-person group of 13-year-old girls.

The night's judges included Richard Freedman of the Vallejo Times-Herald; Vaida Falconbridge, a voice instructor at Napa Valley College and Matthew Teague Miller, theatre director at

The judges proved to be a good mix of constructive critics and jokesters: Freedman was full of laughs throughout the night, proving that journalists don't lose all their wit in copy.

First up on the stage was Alexis Guiterrez, a sophomore at who sang an acapella rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine." Richard Freeman broke the crowd's silence following Guiterrez's breathy performance, saying, "Well,  everyone else has to live up to your talents now." 

The contestants that followed — including 15-year-old student and Tori Amos soundalike Madi Lippmann, who sang Amos' "The Happy Phantom," in a Hollywood-starlet red ballgown — didn't disappoint. 

Performers Mattea Williams, 14, and Maija Starr, 13, both in middle school, (and , respectively) played original songs they wrote and arranged themselves.

Williams' song, "Clueless," was written for a film she wrote. Williams' originality, both in song and style, sparked a lot of interest from the judging panel. 

"I used to get beat up for wearing two different colors of shoelaces," remarked Freedman, motioning toward Williams' neon teal and orange laces. "And as far as the glittery lips go — I'm starting to wear those to work on Monday." 

Starr's song, "Chameleon," had humble roots: It was inspired by a writing prompt homework assignment. 

Falconbridge told Starr she had an "excellent talent for singing, and songwriting," with Miller praising her for her "charming quirkiness." 

The night flew on with performances ranging from country to contemporary pop. Katelyn Young, 14, sang Taylor Swift's "Teardrops on my guitar," and judge favorite Emily Duncan, a student, rocked the house in her rendition of "Glitter in the Air," by Pink. 

junior Tessa Mattfield opted for singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles' "King of Anything," while Janelle Borges from St. Helena High School did the night's second rendition of a Beatles classic — "Let it Be," by Paul McCartney, and was accompanied by her mom on piano.

The only man of the hour, Colin Powers a 17-year-old student and talented pianist, performed Augustana's "Fire," with the night ending on a high note of 13-year-old first time performer Kylie Dreyer's doing: She sang "The Climb," by Miley Cyrus.

After a brief break for judging (complete with a performance by Idol NV Round One Contestant, ) the judges announced a shocker: 

They couldn't make up their minds.

So, instead of the traditional two moving on to the Final Round on Feb. 26, round three ended with three performers qualifying for a chance at the title.

The two judges favorites were deemed Madi Lippmann and Emily Duncan; Kylie Dreyer was dubbed audience favorite.

Looks like the judges will have an even harder choice to make in two weeks when they crown Idol NV, 2011.