Hi Everyone!

I recently returned from a life changing trip to Angola Africa with Elliott Yamin. Elliott and I went over to report on Exxon and American Idol’s joint effort…… Malaria No More.  Close to one million lives have been saved by the bed nets that have been distributed; and awareness of the disease is at an all time high.  Elliott and I were also able to visit an orphanage that had a second floor added on to its school; and is also in the process of building new dormitories to house the orphans.  I was impressed by how focused and disciplined the students were.  You could tell that learning was treated as a
privilege, and taken very seriously.   While many of the people we
visited with lived in horrible conditions, they were happy to greet us, and made us feel very welcome.  I look forward to showing you (on Idol gives Back) what we saw, and hope you will be moved to contribute and help save more lives.

We are now in the second week of live shows.  I am excited about the many different genres that are represented this year, and can’t wait to see who improves this round.  It’s early days, so our feedback is crucial to help these contestants over the course of the season.

This month i’m in the studio with:  Rascal Flatts, Sara Evans, Iyaz, Neon Hitch, Demi Lovato,  and all time low.

First,  please say a prayer for the all the people affected by the tragedy in Haiti…appreciate everything you have.

Idol rocks this year!  We have such great kids on the show. There are so many genres represented in the Top 24, which makes for an even more interesting competition.  And Ellen is Amazing!

I shot my first cover for a magazine (Women’s Health), and it was truly a surreal experience. I never imagined being photographed for anything more than my school pictures…..and for someone who struggled with their body image early on, this was an incredible experience.

I am back in the studio this month with Simple Plan, Susan Justice, Versa Emerge and Iyaz.  I will be headed back to Nashville at the end of the month to work with Lee Ann Womack, Sara Evans and Dierks Bentley.

Look for Colbie Caillat’s new single “I Never Told You” that I co wrote. She sounds amazing.  Also check out Iyaz’s new single “Solo”, and Jason Derulo’s, “In my head.”  So proud of my Warner Brothers artists!

I’ve had such a great few weeks.  I was in NYC keynoting the Dow Jones/Nielsen Media & Money conference where Bill Werde (Editor of Billboard Magazine) questioned me about the future of the industry. Billboard magazine puts on this conference, and it was fun to see some of my old colleagues (including my old boss Howard Lander) from when I worked there back in the late 90’s (yikes that’s really dating me).  After the conference,  I headed to Nashville and worked with some kick-ass artists like Sara Evans, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, and Lady Antebellum. I love going to Nashville, cause there’s always a new twist on a phrase I would have never imagined. In Nashville you can really write songs that have depth, emotion, and heavy themes (all of which have become almost archaic in current pop).  Don’t get me wrong though, I still love to get down to today’s mainstream commercial radio.

The final leg of my trip ended in Southern Connecticut University where I spoke to a few hundred college kids and locals about my history, and the stories behind the songs I have written.  I had never put on a show like that before, and I left wanting to do more. The audience left me inspired and wanting to share my stories.

I hope each and everyone of you had a heart warming Thanksgiving. xo

kara

Hey guys,

October was a big month of new and exciting experiences!  I will be seen playing myself in an upcoming episode of The Simpsons that will air next year.  I also had my Hannah Montana television series debut on the Oct 18th episode judging Hannah’s brother’s vocal abilities.  Not so sure about him!   It was great to see Miley at work and I love her new tune.

And on the more serious side, I was invited to perform in a songwriter’s round supporting the Country Hall of Fame alongside Emmy Lou Harris, Dwight Yoakam, Melissa Etheridge and Vince Gill.  I cannot believe the great opportunities that present themselves these days.

I am super excited about the release of “Mama’s Song” on Carrie Underwood’s forthcoming album.  I’m proud of the work we did together and hope that people are touched by the song’s sentiment.

Cobra Starship’s “Hot Mess” is hitting radio now, while my Warner Bros. Records signings, Jason Derulo (”Whatcha Say”) and Iyaz (”Replay”), are Top Ten at iTunes and crushing at radio. You can check them out at their respective myspace pages: www.myspace.com/jasonderulo and www.myspace.com/iyaz

Lastly, one of the things I love most about my life these days is the exposure to new and important organizations.  I was invited to a dinner honoring Somaly Mam for her work helping rehabilitate young women who have been victims of human trafficking.  She is a real-life hero and you should check out her efforts to combat this worldwide epidemic: www.somaly.org. I think you will be as moved as I was.

Till next time,

Kara  xo

September has rocked!  We finished up Idol auditions in LA and I am proud to say they were a huge success.  The guest judges all brought something unique to the table and helped us pick the best contestants out there.  I am also very excited about January and the addition of Ellen DeGeneres to the panel.  I have a feeling Season 9 will be a great one.

Mid-month, I went to New York City for Fashion Week.  It was my first time ever.  I was lucky enough to see shows for Nicole Miller, Badgley Mischka, Pamella Roland, G Star and Lacoste.  I was struck by the commonalities between songwriting and fashion.  Both are pulling from creativity and reflect a certain mood and perspective.  Watching the runway was like watching moving art.  Every show had different music, lights and drama.  It was truly inspiring. I was also lucky enough to host an event at Vera Wang’s Mercer Street store to support Fashion’s Night Out and encourage consumers to start shopping again.

Recently, I’ve been working on some new songs with The Band Perry, a great new Country music trio out of Nashville.  They have some incredible songs that I think could put them on the map this year.  I also wrote with Tom Higgenson from Plain White T’s (while I was in Chicago on auditions), and have some other exciting sessions planned for this month…

Till next time,

Kara

Hey Guys,

Auditions are off to a great start!  So far, each city has proven to have a few incredibly strong contestants, and of course the “crazy crazies” (who make the show so much fun to watch).  Adele’s “Chasing Pavements” seems to be a popular song choice for auditions.  I enjoyed hanging with Victoria Beckham and Mary J Blige who each brought something special to the panel based on their experiences as superstars!

Back on the homefront, Cobra Starship’s album Hot Mess debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 last week (www.myspace.com/cobrastarship) and my singles “Good Girls Go Bad” and “Hot Mess” are getting tons of film and television placements so look out for them!  Jessie James’ self titled debut hit the charts at #23 (Billboard 200) (www.myspace.com/jessiejamesmusic.com). 

I’m really excited about the acts I had a hand in signing over at Warner Bros Records.  Check out Jason Derulo’s  “Whatcha Say” (www.myspace.com/jasonderulo) and Iyaz’s “Replay” (www.myspace.com/iyaz) burning up the iTunes charts!

Also, David Hodges (on Warner Bros Records/ Reprise) has been touring with Daughtry all month and his debut EP “The Rising” is now available on iTunes (www.davidhodgesmusic.com).  We went to see David and Chris Daughtry perform in Los Angeles on Wednesday night and they killed it!  David is a great songwriter who co-wrote Evanescence’s “My Immortal,” Kelly Clarkson’s  “Because of You,” and Chris Daughtry’s “What About Now.”  It’s great to see David stepping into the spotlight where he belongs!

There’s some really good new music to listen to … off to dallas now!

xo kara

P.S. Check out the new lyrics section up now in the Kara’s Club section!

Hey guys,

Next week marks the start of American Idol Season 9 and I’m really looking forward to this year’s auditions!  Last year was an incredible learning experience for me, as it was my first time on a television show of such magnitude.  Now that I feel more comfortable in front of the camera and have a better understanding of what being a judge on this great show requires, I’m ready for a new set of exciting new challenges - and to have a blast!  Given the numbers of amazing contestants we met last year, I’m very optimistic about finding great new talent on the road.

Last week I was writing in Nashville with some of Country Music’s best and brightest.  I started the week off with Little Big Town, who nearly knocked my socks off when they sang together.  Next was Rascal Flatts, who, in addition to being incredibly talented, are some of the greatest and funniest guys I have ever worked with!  I finished up the trip with Dierks Bentley, another ridiculously gifted artist/writer, and the Band Perry, a new act who I am 100% sure will be huge in Country.  Another highlight of the trip was doing two songs at the Bluebird Cafe, an intimate, historic venue where many famous singer/songwriters have performed their hits.

Before I leave for Denver, I will be reuniting with Kevin Rudolf (”Let it rock”), with whom I also co-wrote Cobra Starship’s “Good Girls Go Bad.”  We’re working on a song that we think could be big!

I will have a lot to report after the auditions … in the meantime, hope you’ve been having a great summer!

k

American Idol: Season 8, The Album- #36 BB200 (featuring “No Boundaries)

July 1, 2009

This has been a really exciting month for me.  I got to co-host Regis and Kelly, which was a dream come true and also present Tom Jones with a Hitmaker award for all his chart-topping songs.  I can’t believe my life these days and how lucky I am to be around such inspiring people.  

On a personal note, I am getting married, so I won’t have much work related news.  I hope you all enjoy your summer and get to have some down time too.

xo

I can’t believe Season 8 of Idol is over!  As someone who watched the talent pool each season, I think this year showcased the best contestants yet, and many of them will go on to make records.  I am happy for both Kris and Adam because in my eyes they each won by staying true to themselves and continuously reinterpreting songs to fit them as artists.  We worked together in the studio on the finale song, “No Boundaries,” and I can say they are genuinely great people who routed for one another.  That says volumes about each of them and made me respect them even more. Next up, I am in the studio with Jason Castro, Leann Rimes and Leighton Meester….. keep checking back for more updates. I thank you all for your continued support this season!

Chartings:

 Kris Allan “No Boundaries” (Kara DioGuardi, Cathy Dennis and Mitch Allan)- #11 BB100

 Pink “Sober” (Kara DioGuardi, Danja, Pink)- #15 BB100

 Kelly Clarkson “I Do Not Hook Up” (Kara DioGuardi, Katy Perry, Greg Wells)- #23 BB100

 Theory of a Deadman “Not Meant to Be” (Kara DioGuardi, Tyler Connolly)- #63 BB100

 Jessie James “Wanted” (Kara DioGuardi, Mitch Allan, Jessie James, David Hodges)- #80 BB POP 100