Theo Tams: Inside the Music

By Dundurn

After a summer of intense competition, Alberta’s Theo Tams emerged as the 2008 Canadian Idol champion. He had earned the admiration of the public and his fellow contestants with his soaring vocals, emotive piano playing and unmatched ability to mine the emotional core of a song.

Theo Tams: Inside the Music is a candid and photo-rich look at the life experiences that prepared him for the Idol stage. It also provides a behind the scenes peek at the Idol experience itself, with testimonials and anecdotes from his fellow competitors and interviews with the Idol personalities.

Theo Tams: Inside the Music is the first chapter in the career of an exciting new voice from the Canadian music scene. It includes excerpts from Theo’s private journals, adventures from his time in India, anecdotes from his fellow competitors, interviews with Idol personalities such as Ben Mulroney and Zack Werner, hundreds of candid photos and much, much more.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dundurn
• Release date: Jun 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9781459726086

Book preview

2008

Theo…

Theo Tyson Tams was born on July 12th, 1985 in Lethbridge, Alberta, but grew up in Coaldale, Alberta.

For years, it was plain to family and friends that Theo possessed a unique artistic gift but, humble to a fault, Theo himself was late to believe in the power of this gift to transform his life. He arrived at Toronto’s Top 200 audition for 2008 and was blown away by the talent around him. I remember being speechless during the Toronto week, wondering how the judges were going to find a Top 22 from all this talent, he said. I can’t blame them for picking twenty-four competitors, and I am so stoked to be chosen as one of them.

By bringing his unique performance style to the table, not to mention his uncanny ability to mine the emotional core of a song, he soon found himself in the Top 24. Explains Theo, When I perform, I am giving 100% of myself and what I stand for as an artist.

Then, on Wednesday, September 10th, 2008, Theo was declared Canadian Idol champion in front of a rapt nationwide audience. Overwhelmed by emotion, Theo could finally believe in the transformative power of music in his life.

Theo Tams: Inside the Music is an in-depth look at the experiences that brought him from his humble beginnings to the Idol stage.

At the age of twenty-two, Theo spent time overseas, volunteering at an orphanage in India, an experience he considers to be his biggest accomplishment in life. It’s no wonder he considers Mother Teresa a role model. Theo has also been a university student working towards a double major in Psychology and Classical Music.

Theo’s vocal training has been in opera, but his musical tastes cross all genres—from Bob Marley to Lauryn Hill to Damien Rice and beyond. Like his musical tastes, Theo also describes his personal style as a bit of a mash-up. If a preppy guy and a hippie got into a fight, I would be wearing the clothes that got ripped off, he says.

Theo Tams: Inside the Music also provides a behind the scenes peek at the Idol experience itself, with testimonials and anecdotes from his fellow competitors and interviews with the Idol judges and vocal coach.

You make your own way as an artist, according to Theo. You need to discover your own path in the industry.

Ultimately, Canadian Idol has proven to be his path. The competition has made me much more aware of who I am as an artist.

-Craig McConnell, editor

with files from CTV

What is there really to say about the year 2008? You’d think it would be easy for me, considering that it was the year my entire life turned around and became everything I wanted it to be—but somehow laying it out here is not that easy at all.

It was late January the first time I saw the commercial about the Calgary auditions for Season Six of Canadian Idol. I was sitting on the couch with my best friend, Melissa, when it came on. We looked at each other and, barely saying two words, we packed our bags, got some gas, and headed to Cowtown to stand in line at Sunridge Mall to begin a journey that, for one of the first times in my life, I knew I was ready for.

The first two preliminary rounds of auditioning went well, but my goal was to get to Toronto, so I knew I had to impress the judges. I remember being in the holding room with about a hundred other people. We started the day at 6 am, and my audition was at 5 pm. I suppose we all know what happened next—the sweat! I actually considered saying that I did it on purpose just to guarantee my audition would be shown, which some of my friends had actually encouraged me to do to save me from the embarrassment that was to come. But I decided to use this as the opportunity for one of the first times in my life to face forward and be myself, plate-sized pit stains and all.

I remember being told by one of my friends, who had previously auditioned for Idol, that the top 200 Toronto week is the most stress a person could ever experience in three days. I just assumed she was being melodramatic—unfortunately, she wasn’t. However, I must mention that I myself can be pretty melodramatic, so for a more accurate and perhaps less biased perspective on those few days, talk to Mitch or Drew! Needless to say, I was nervous and stressed, but in terms of the entire competition, I think that those few days were where I grew and learned the most. It became very clear that, in order to be successful in this competition, you need to know who you are as an artist. I really had no idea, but I knew who I wanted to be as a person, and sometimes the best way to accomplish your goals is by letting that speak for itself.

Over the course of the competition, I realized that Canadian Idol was going to be so much more than a singing competition for me. I had already met some people who I knew were going to be friends for life, some of whom had a profound impact on my life already in such a small amount of time.

Adam Castelli taught me that funk and rock can truly co-exist.

Katherine illustrated that rock n’ roll can still