Tim Halperin

Tim Halperin is one example of a man that has been consistently proving #IdolGotItWrong ever since his Top 24 elimination back during the show's tenth season. With a debut album that once sat pretty near the top of Billboard Charts, a pretty solid rep in Texas, and a soon-to-be-released sophomore album that might just top the magnificent first, there's nothing really for the young singer/songwriter and instrumentalist to be ungrateful for. That sophomore album is called "Heart Tells Your Head", and it's available for pre-order for just $9.99 on iTunes with a release date of February 11, 2014. The best part is that you'll even get a snazzy little pre-order gift if you so choose to do so in the form of the track "Truth"!

If there's anything evident about "Truth" upon first listen, it's that Tim, as both a singer and a songwriter, has improved tenfold even since the release of his debut album, "Rise & Fall". The gravitas of the situation which Halperin is attempting to relay to the listener in this track is delivered at a top-notch degree. The song successfully builds up from a tender, one-on-one conversation-type of arrangement into a booming vocal delivery paired with a fittingly lush instrumental expanse. It's a completely unoffensive, high-tier type of track that fans of Jon McLaughlin, Ben Folds, and Eric Hutchinson-types would feel right at home with, successfully continuing to carve Tim a niche in the soulful piano pop/rock market with relative ease.

As far as offering a preview of "Heart Tells Your Head" goes, "Truth" was a great choice of showing off the tip of the proverbial iceberg of the Land of Whats-To-Come. Also make sure to pick up Tim's cover of "The Luckiest" for 99 cents in honor of the impeccable Kidd Kraddick. - Yahoo!

The results are in! You submitted your songs, and the fans voted.

The winner of the “Band Against Bullying” Competition, brought to you by OurStage.com and Akoo, is Tim Halperin, from Fort Worth, TX, with his track “The Last Song.” This singer-songwriter has an impressive background of music industry experience, having been on MTV and a contestant on American Idol as well as having this song air on Top-40 radio stations across the country.

Tim will be opening for YouTube sensations Megan & Liz and pop-rock band Hot Chelle Rae on July 20 at the B.B. King Blues Club in NYC, presented by Secret Mean Stinks. If you would like to attend the event, click here to reserve a spot for you and one friend! You can check out contest winner Tim Halperin‘s music video for “The Last Song” below:

- OurStage.com

TCU grad/American Idol alum Tim Halperin's album, Rise & Fall, debuts this week at No. 14 on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart, which lists "The week's top-selling albums by new or developing acts, defined as those who have never appeared on the top 100."

"Very exciting and they were shocked to see an independent artist on the chart," Halperin says in an e-mail. "They called because they didn't have any info on me. Funny and awesome." It is possible that Halperin will be featured in an upcoming Billboard article.

- DFW.com

BY PRESTON JONES
pjones@star-telegram.com

Just one year ago, before Jennifer Lopez knew of his lifelong crush on her, before he was an in-demand spokesman for a nationally recognized charity, before he was zipping around the country and opening up for bands like the Fray, Tim Halperin sang these words: "This life is all you got/This could be your only shot."
In retrospect, it's hard not to see such lyrics as eerily prophetic.
Initially, Halperin resisted auditioning for a spot on American Idol in summer 2010. But he went for it, making it to the top 24 and discovering that what he wanted, more than anything else, was to make it as a musician.
Now, armed with his debut full-length album, Rise and Fall, and the benefit of national TV exposure, he aims to capitalize on his opportunities, parlaying his skills and his robust, done-it-himself career into an extended stay in the spotlight.
Work on what would become Rise and Fall began a year ago, before his American Idol run, with local producer Jordan Critz. But when the pickup line heard 'round the world ("Jennifer, my love don't cost a thing. I have news for you -- it's free for you") catapulted Halperin further into the Idol contest, Critz and Halperin put the project on hold. He ended up getting eliminated in the semifinals, his performance of Rob Thomas' Streetcorner Symphony failing to impress the judges. But although his appearance on the show was brief, he quickly developed a following.
"Initially, it was a tough decision for me to even pursue American Idol," the Omaha native says now, sipping strong black java at Avoca Coffee in Fort Worth. "I'm thankful [I did]; it was really good for exposure. But when I finished Idol, I had all these new fans, who have the attention span of a 5-year-old, and I had to keep them engaged, but I couldn't put my record out."
Say goodbye to Hollywood
Rather than rage against the machine -- Halperin had an agreement with producers that he couldn't release any music on his own for a certain length of time -- Halperin and Critz revisited the songs, intended for the follow-up to Halperin's 2008 EP, You Are the Moon, released while he was still a Texas Christian University student. The pair saw what could be tweaked and finished up a few new songs, like the obviously titled Crash Course to Hollywood, which pulled from his tumultuous time on American Idol.
"If you look at the lyrics closely, it shows so much of my life over the last two years," he says.
As with his previous output, the 11 songs on Rise and Fall are polished to an exacting shine, layered with glittering piano riffs, Halperin's pleasing tenor and a slick, pop-rock sensibility that would be at home on VH1. Working on Rise and Fall was crucial for the 24-year-old. He says it kept him from spiraling into inactivity after American Idol -- a fate he has seen befall several of his fellow contestants from Season 10. Halperin has also benefited from well-timed interest from outside parties, such as Dallas-based DJ Kidd Kraddick, who helped promote Halperin's abilities via the regular "Idol Got It Wrong" segments on his morning show.
"That was the best possible thing that could've happened to me," Halperin says, "because I was stripped of all the TV magic and it was just me."
The affable performer is staying almost frantically busy, with gigs stretching well into December, not to mention the promotional blitz he is undertaking for Rise and Fall. He has also been working with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, penning the anthemic We Fight Back for the organization.
Did I mention Rise and Fall debuted in the top 20 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart this month?
'Idol' memories
Back at Avoca Coffee, Halperin shakes his head in bemusement at how much has transpired since taking a chance on the American Idol auditions, but, just as the whole episode seems like some fantastic dream, Halperin carries with him a particular memory from that time.
He remembers, vividly, stepping off the stage after his final Idol performance and feeling, as he puts it, "a fire igniting" inside him: "I wanted it more than ever." That notion -- of a golden opportunity cut short before he was ready to cede the spotlight -- is what keeps pushing Halperin forward.
"I want people to hear me for me," Halperin says.
And if that means playing to 10 people or 1,500, Halperin will do it, his enthusiasm undimmed. All he has is this one life, this single shot at becoming a full-time musician.
Look closely at Halperin's friendly visage and it's there, burning in his eyes: You thought this past year was eventful?
You ain't seen nothin' yet.


Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/10/20/3459235/fort-worths-tim-halperin-banks.html#tvg#ixzz1clB9Dc7x - Fort Worth Star Telegram

On Friday American Idol's Tim Halperin Scores Chart Hit was a top story. Here is the recap: American Idol Season 10 top 12 male finalist Tim Halperin released his debut full-length album, "Rise and Fall," which has climbed to No. 14 on Billboard's Heatseekers Album Chart in only one week.
The Billboard chart recognizes top-selling albums by new and developing musical artists.

Halperin debuted "Rise and Fall" on iTunes on September 27. The album immediately reached No. 1 on iTunes' Singer/Songwriter Chart. - AntiMusic

Tim Halperin’s music is piano driven accessible pop / rock – think The Fray, Ben Folds, ColdPlay with an 80’s twist – that kind of thing – he’s got a great distinctive voice that sits nicely on top and he writes the kind of songs that make your girlfriend open up.

But we’re writing about him today ‘cos we want to throw a light on some of the great ideas he’s putting into place to get his career going. First off – check this video out:

How cool is that – you’ve got another 2 days to get in there. What a great idea and doesn’t he come across totally charming and genuine on the video – you don’t exactly need a $5k video budget to make this work do you?

What really struck me though his how he’s quite literally “playing to his audience”- clever guy, playing the Sororities – that’s genius! Not only do you get gigs you get gigs in front of chicks – in their houses – where their rooms are – as I said Genius.

He’s got smart of use of merch with a hook up into Zazzle – a great "Help Tim” page where he tells you how you can help him and how to connect across his various networks – and finally he’s making good use of NoiseTrade – another tool that helps get his music out and about while still allowing him to make dough. - Kilted Chaos

The first thing that struck me about OurStage artist Tim Halperin (other than his powerful voice and catchy piano-driven tunes) was his series of “Sorority Tours”. Over the past months he’s been touring sorority houses around the south and midwest, playing anywhere from five mini-shows to full on sets. In this YouTube video you can understand why he does it, a room FULL of sorority girls cheering and clapping is pretty self-explanatory.

Halperin plays each of these sorority shows for free, handing out copies of his latest release: the Make or Break EP. For all you non-Greeks out there, he also released this EP for free on NoiseTrade. So what’s the catch? Really, there is none. It just turns out that Tim Halperin may be one of the smartest up-and-coming singer-songwriters around.



Everyone loves the notion of getting something for free, and Tim Halperin obviously sees the value of getting his music into the hands of as many people as possible. He knows how important it is to invest in his future and that creating true fans now will most definitely pay off in the end. Marketing to sororities is truly a stroke of genius. There’s nothing a girl loves more than to see a handsome guy sit at a piano singing his heart out (and doing it it well), and Tim Halperin definitely fits this criteria.

His piano pop love songs and slightly soulful, smoky voice are enough to make any girl swoon. Check out his awesome Web site here and his video below! - OurStage.com

Ben Folds is the obvious point of comparison here, and Halperin resembles Folds (as well as Justin Levinson) vocally. The title track would have fit nicely onto Whatever and Ever Amen with its scruffy amiability, while "What I Want" has a 70s vibe and "Nice to Be Free" adds some guitar virtuosity to the mix. The Coldplay-inspired "We Can Make It" caps off the disc. If you're a fan of the piano pop subgenre, Tim Halperin is definitely worth your acquaintance. - Absolute Powerpop

A 7-year-old brown-haired boy took the stage, anxious to perform his first solo. The boy's parents had been told that their son had a great ear and could carry a tune, but they weren't sure what to expect as their second-grader began to sing "Star Light, Star Bright."

More than a decade later, Tim Halperin looks back on his debut performance and laughs, remembering how he felt like a girl as he strained to hit the high notes that were just out of his developing vocal range. His father, Howie Halperin, tells a different story.

"We were flabbergasted," he said. "We were just surprised he could stand up in front of all these people as a second-grader with no fear."

Now, 22-year-old Halperin has released two CDs, has eight songs on iTunes and has played numerous concerts. His fan base has expanded from an Omaha, Neb., elementary school gym to college campuses throughout Texas and Arkansas.

With the help of three guitarists and a drummer, the senior can croon out a tune that causes him to be mistaken for singer-songwriter Ben Folds. Halperin's music showcases piano playing skills that show hints of his primary influences of Folds and Coldplay, but he sets himself apart by creating a hybrid of ballads and up-tempo songs with a hint of what he refers to as "funky jazz."

Halperin and his four-man band have become familiar enough to college students that crowds now sing along at local shows.

The musician said he is still getting used to the recognition and recalls the first time a fan approached him on campus with a chuckle. On his way to his introductory marketing class in fall 2009, he was approached by a female student who blurted out, "I love your music!"

Halperin muttered back a quick and awkward "thank you" before continuing on to class, where he recounted the story to his friend and senior finance major Bobby Weinberg. Confused, Halperin told Weinberg he was just confronted by a "creeper."

Weinberg said he laughed off his friend's response to the fan and offered an alternative explanation.

"'Tim, we need to get this through your head,'" Halperin said he remembered Weinberg saying. "'They're not creepers; they're fans.'"

Acoustic guitarist Riley Kiltz said that as Halperin gains fame, the last thing the band has to worry about is Halperin getting a big head. The sophomore finance major, who has been playing with Halperin for a year and a half, said the shaggy-haired lead singer isn't fazed by girls who swoon over his jagged chin-strap beard, baby blue eyes and suave-sounding voice. He is too goofy to become overconfident, Kiltz said.

"Tim's made some seriously awkward comments while he's on stage," Kiltz said. Although Kiltz becomes rosy-cheeked at some of Halperin's on-stage antics, he said he admires the way Halperin stays true to himself while performing.

"That's just Tim - he really doesn't hold back anything," Kiltz said.

Even in his teen years, before Halperin had really begun to develop his own style, his Westside High School choral director, Doran Johnson, said a certain honesty came out in his songs.

"I think Tim's greatest strength is who he is as a person, and I think that comes alive in his music," Johnson said. "He's very approachable as a person, so his music is very approachable and draws you in as a listener. It's like a comfy chair-you just want to hang out in it."

Maddison Grigsby, a senior international finance major and fellow Westside graduate, agreed with her former choral director, saying Halperin's music reflects his genuine character and passion.

"He's the first one to reach out to people if they're not included," Grigsby said. "He's very confident in who he is…that comes out in the way he treats people."

Grigsby said she's really seen Halperin develop the most during the past couple of years. He's finally come into his own style and a confidence in it, she said.

Halperin has noticed the change in his music as well. His most recent work, the three-song EP, "Make or Break," which was released in October, shows the progression of his songwriting.

"It will still take a long time to develop…my voice and how I write music, but I think I'm starting to find that," Halperin said. "Coming up with ways to express emotion in music is not getting easier, but I'm getting better at it, I think."

Kiltz said his band mate's devotion to writing lyrics that stay true to his emotions makes him stand out among other singers who don't have the same personal attachment to their songs.

"They're not just words that rhyme," Kiltz said. "It's actually what his heart's telling him."

Halperin is currently touring sorority houses throughout Texas and Arkansas in an attempt to build a stronger regional fan base.

Halperin traveled to five different college campuses in the past three months, playing his music and promoting his most recent album, "Make or Break," to sororities. He decided to pursue what he refers to as the "sorority tour" after getti - TCU Daily Skiff