The Influence of Elisa Toffoli’s Music from So You Think You Can Dance

I promise that this blog won’t become the Elisa Toffoli blog. In fact, I’m considering starting a blog just for Elisa. However, I think it’s really fun to highlight the influence that music from So You Think You Can Dance has had on people’s lives. People don’t just enjoy the music, but absolutely fall passionately in love with the variety of music on So You Think You Can Dance. Elisa Toffoli’s music is a perfect example.

Below is the story of John Bialoglow and how Elisa Toffoli’s music seems to have changed his life.

MY ELISA STORY Part 1 by John Bialoglow

I happened to find this website accidentally and am happy to have a chance to talk about one of my favorite subjects, the amazing Elisa Toffoli.

Like others here in the U.S. my first exposure to Elisa’s music was the very first dance routine of the “final 20” of season 3, the contemporary dance routine choreographed by Mia Michaels’ and performed by Lacey Schwimmer and some guy (sorry, guy). It was awesome. Everything about it–the choreography and the performance made even more special by this amazing song sung with this compellingly beautiful and delicate voice. I have to be honest, when the competition started I was not a Lacey fan. Even though I loved Benji I thought they were hyping her and she was riding her brother’s coattails (sorry). So even though I was compelled to find out who did that amazing song (thank-you Youtube), after I heard it again my anti-Lacey biased spilled over and I said to myself, “You know, I think this Elisa is not as good as she is in this song. I think she just got lucky. I think this amazing song fell into her lap and she just happen to get lucky and nail it in the studio.”

It was about 7:30pm when I decided to prove my point by finding out what other songs this Elisa did. Initially I needed a last name and went off on the wrong track. I wasted about 20 minutes listening to Elisa Fiorillo–not my taste. I finally found the right Elisa and started to play studio and live versions of different songs. I didn’t move from my computer til after 01:00am. During that time I was moved maybe a dozen times by beautiful moments during her songs. When I say moved I mean like at the end of Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life”. During this time I was thinking to myself “My God, she has like 15 or 20 really, really good songs and I’ve never heard of her.” A lot of grade A, certifiable divas don’t have near that. Occasionally my daughter would walk by and I would say, “Come here, listen to this.”

There are many great singers out there. Singers who can hit incredible notes with power and do all the vocal tricks. They have the best song writers the best studio production, musicians, big money studios. There are great singers out there that make me go. “Wow!” or make me think to myself “That was amazing” but Elisa does something that none of them do or could do. Elisa makes me cry. Elisa sings beautifully.

I remember at different times being on Youtube and playing things like “Christina Aguilera’s highest notes” same thing with Mariah, Celine and other singers and one day someone put up “Elisa Tofolli’s highest notes” and I was annoyed, even a little outraged. It was like seeing “Larry Bird’s greatest dunks” as if his genius and brilliance had anything to do with dunking! It’s not how high or how powerfully Elisa hits a note it’s the delicate beauty in the way she sings.

Somewhere during that 5 1/2 hour period Elisa not only became my favorite singer but I knew I found something amazingly beautiful. A voice that seems to resonate with me like a tuning fork. Elisa was special. I had made a personal discovery that was going to change my life for the better.

I bought and burned Elisa CDs. Quite literally weeks would go by when all 6 CDs in my cars were of Elisa. I worked nights and fortunately get either a 1 1/2 or 2 hour lunch. Every lunch I would go into my car , set my cell phone clock, and take a nap while playing Elisa music.

As time went by I read about Elisa touring Italy and I would see people posting snippets of concerts on Youtube and feeling ,well, kind of left out. Occasionally I would imagine going to Italy for a couple weeks and seeing a few Elisa shows, but that was just pure fantasy. I pretty much accepted the fact that me seeing Elisa live just was never going to happen.

Earlier this year on a whim I googled Elisa and America or something like it and was shocked to see Elisa show at Joe’s Pub. I quickly searched out this Joe’s Pub and discovered it was 45 minutes from where I live and the show was sold out! The thought of Elisa playing so close and me not being there, well life just could not be this cruel and unfair. I started posting on every Elisa web site begging for a ticket. Here is my actual post on Joe’ Pub’s message board:

PLEASE..PLEASE..PLEASE..One Ticket to Elisa, Joe’s Pub
By John Bialoglow on Mar 19, 2008 1:25 PM
It’s 1:21 PM March 19th and I just found out my favorite singer, Elisa Toffoli, is playing at Joe’s Pub and it is sold out!!!!! Please contact me if you have an extra ticket to spare. 908-xxx-2437 or xxx@aol.com

As fate would have it Joe’s Pub released some more tickets and I was getting a whole lot of calls and e-mails from sympaticos. Fast forward to the concert. Here’s my post of that eventful night on ElisaToffoli.com:
7. Written by MurdererOfLove, on 10-04-2008 11:34
Last night was magical–more than I could have imagined. First of all while I was crossing the street to wait on line to get in I saw Elisa in the flesh. If I was a girl I would have screamed. Instead in shock I blurted out stupid things like “Your Elisa! I love you! Welcome to the US. Hope you put on a great show!” I felt like a total idiot but she looked amazing. I loved the cute haircut. She wore jeans and a black unbuttoned sweater(?)over a white top that showed a black undergarment at the neckline. She was smaller than I expected and looked amazing.

I came with my wife and daughter who tolerate my love for (obsession with?)Elisa. Elisa now has two more fans and I was very pleased to hear them gush about my Elisa with words like “amazing, great, can’t believe she was so good”, etc.

Anyway I couldn’t believe the size of the place–talk about intimate–the posted fire code said the occupation limit was 165 people. I was led to a table that was so close to the stage it seemed impossible. As to the performance, Elisa played with her regular band and was amazing. She was in great form and as pitch perfect with her angelic voice as I hoped. After the show I dispatched my wife and daughter home as I had to stay for the second show. When the second show ended I went behind the stage and saw Elisa again posing for pictures and being totally approachable and fan friendly. I stood about five feet away from her just adoring her and drinking her up with my eyes for about 10 minutes when I finally walked up to her and continued in the same idiotic manner as earlier just saying anything that popped in to my mind and gushing about how amazing she was and what a big fan I was. It was a magical night for me that I will never forget, ever.

Elisa released her first American album last month and announced a tour starting with two shows in Canada the last week of October and ending late in November. 16 shows in the US. I’ll see her in Philly and NYC!!

On her website she released this biographical kind of video (http://elisatoffoli.com/main/index.php/Page-2.html)and here are my comments:
2. This was awesome !!
Written by MurdererOfLoveThis on 29-07-2008 14:38
I love this video. It was almost like hanging out with her. I’m so glad Elisa is the way she is–so approachable, normal, funny and sweet. By the way, thank you for singing in English, Elisa. My world is a better place because of it. 😉 I love hearing how special the Joe’s Pub shows were to you. You have no idea how special it was to me. I was like a little kid counting down the days when I would see Elisa here in New York. I had such floods of emotion during the concert–I can’t even describe it. I can’t wait til September!! :zzz (The original date for the tour was in September)

So Season4 of SYTYCD starts and I remember thinking to myself during the show with the first “Top 20” dance routines that it’s been a year since I first discovered Elisa. It’s odd but it seems like so much longer probably because she has become such an important part of my life. I gave this some thought and posted the following on the SYTYCD website:
MurdererOfLove Let’s see Elisa Toffoli perform on a results show
Jul 12 2008, 8:44 PM EDT
Last season on the first show Cameron and Lacey danced a memorable mia Michaels’ routine to the song “Dancing” by Elisa Toffoli. Because of that routine Elisa shortly thereafter became my favorite singer. She has been a huge star in Italy for the pat 10+ years and has 6 platinum albums. She has recently released her first US album (in stores July 15. 2008) and think that she would be the perfect choice as a singer during a SYTYCD results show. If you are associated with the show PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE consider trying to get her for the show. She would be a perfect fit.

MY ELISA STORY PART 2 by John Bialoglow

Fast forward. Courtney Galiano dances for her life to “Rock Your Soul”. My comments
1. I saw it !!
Written by MurdererOfLoveThis on 31-07-2008 18:40
So You Think You Can Dance and Elisa… again. It’s the third time. It’s like there’s this unspoken relationship. Wouldn’t the SYTYCD stage be a perfect fit for Elisa’s first American tv performance? Elisa your management is crazy if they don’t contact this show, in my humble opinion. I was home alone watching the program when Courtney,the pretty young Italian dancer from New York with that adorable mouth-wide-open smile danced her solo to “Rock Your Soul”. I said “Elisa!!” to myself and had a smile on my face and thought about my previous post on the SYTYCD website saying how Elisa would be a perfect fit to perform on the show. I started regularly checking ElisaToffoli.com so I wouldn’t miss anything important (to me anyway). I was pretty excited with anticipation of Elisa’s upcoming tour when I saw this posted on the site:
[08/19] Elisa Toffoli at the club Therapy in NYC
Friday, 15 August 2008
PERFORMANCE
Date: Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Location & Address: Therapy, 348 W. 52nd Street between 8th and 9th Avenue
Time: 11:00 PM

Here is my post also on the above link:
2. A night to remember
Written by MurdererOfLoveThis on 20-08-2008 07:58
Well, I got my new high definition camcorder in the mail day before yesterday and what better way to break it in then to bring it to Therapy and record my favorite singer Elisa! 🙂
Elisa opened with a beautiful acoustic version of Dancing. She followed up with Rainbow and then had a playful interview with the MC. She finished off with the best live version of Rock Your Soul I’ve heard her do. 😉

After her performance she went to the table reserved for her and her group and spoke to and posed for pictures with fans for about 15 minutes then left.

I left Therapy about 20 minutes later and saw Elisa being interviewed outside so I took my camcorder out and got some nice shots. After the interview I had a short conversation with her telling her I was a huge fan and the like and got my hug. 🙂 She was as nice as could be. I wasn’t nearly as inarticulate and nervous as when I spoke to her at Joe’s Pub.

I walked two blocks to my car and drove past the club and saw Elisa still hanging out. I said to myself “Elisa’s still here why am I leaving?”, so I pulled over, parked and got out. When I got there I started talking with two Italian guys about Elisa. Later they asked me to take a picture of them with Elisa with their camera and I said sure you could return the favor and film me with her. I got some great film of me chatting it up with Elisa with my arm around her. I told her that I post on this site under “MurdererOfLove” and explained (badly) that the name is from a movie (Dan in Real Life). She was so sweet. It was amazing. :zzz

When you can spend five quality minutes with your favorite singer who you’re just crazy about–well, you can say it was a pretty good day!! :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz :zzz

A video of an acoustic version of dancing that I took is can be seen on ElisaToffoli.com,Youtube and Vimeo. One side note, in the beginning of the video right after she takes the mike off the mikestand I’, filming her and pumping my fist in the air (can’t clap with one hand). She turns and looks right at me and pumps her fist to acknowledge me. It’s so nice to be noticed by her. 🙂

It’s amazing to me how down-to-earth she and the people she’s with are. It so surprising whens she tells me “Thank-you for your support” and really means it. I feel like saying “Thank-you for being awesome”. She was actually being genuinely friendly and playful with me on camera. How special is that. When she told me that her group was leaving I gave her a small kiss on the cheek and she turned and offered me the other one. One of the guys in her group (her boyfriend, I think) came up to me smiling and shook my hand and said, “See you in November.”

END Story

Kind of amazing what some music on a TV show can do to change someone’s life. I wonder if John realized why Elisa gave the other cheek. In Italy you kiss everyone on 2 cheeks when you greet them. I lived in Italy for 2 years and you kissed everyone you met on both cheeks. It’s the Italian method of greeting someone or saying good bye. I’m sure Elisa didn’t think anything of it.

Now we’re going to have to just get John started on creating an Elisa Toffoli fan page.