News From Ben

I will not recover from this one for a while. I know it's just a TV show, but in some ways, it's a bit more. Disclosure: Afro-Blue are my personal favorites on the show, and it suuuuuucked to be put in the position of tiebreaker.

Here's how I will look at it, so I can sleep tonight. Afro-Blue stands for excellence in music education and for the great underdog American art form of jazz. Neither of these concepts often leads to lucrative ventures and both are under-represented on TV and radio. The Sing-Off showcased their talent for nearly a whole prime time season, and for that, I pat them (and us) on the back. By many standards of judging this kind of reality contest, Afro-Blue might have never been cast and might have been voted off the island earlier on. They're incredibly dignified - all about music and not interested in anything that might distract from their art. Still, we felt strongly that they were actually great TV, and they could make records. They have a charm and charisma that transcends drama and competition. We're lucky they were such good sports.

Check out more at my blog, On Key with Ben Folds at "The Sing-Off" website.