Taylor Ware, an 11-year-old with quite the “unusual” act for her audition on America’s Got Talent.
Taylor grew up singing and playing the violin in her hometown of Franklin, Tennessee. However, those weren’t the skills she chose to showcase in the reality competition. That’s because she can also yodel too.
Most kids spend their summer vacations engaging in typical activities like swimming or playing baseball – but not Taylor. When she was just seven-years-old she spent hers learning to yodel.
According to AGT Fandom, Taylor had been inspired by country singer and famous yodeler, Margo Smith. Taylor really liked the sound, so she brought home a book and instructional tape on yodeling and began teaching herself the skill.
Using her new talent for yodeling, Taylor went on to win several competitions, including taking home first prize at the Yahoo! Yodel Challenge National Championship. She even was able to get some lessons from her idol, Margo Smith.
Taylor was given the chance to audition in front of the nation on America’s Got Talent. It was a big opportunity for a tween that learned to yodel at home!
The panel of judges that season of AGT consisted of Piers Morgan, Brandy Norwood, and David Hasselhoff. Originally it was hosted by Regis Philbin – who helped usher Taylor onto the stage.
Everyone seemed a little surprised when the youngster announced she’d be yodeling for her act. It’s certainly something you don’t see every day, which is what makes it so fun and unique.
For her audition, Taylor prepared a performance of the song “He Taught Me To Yodel.” When the music blasted through the speakers everyone clapped along to the twangy beat.
The moment Taylor began to yodel she had all the judges freaking out. Not only is it an impressive skill, for 11-years-old she’s really quite good at it.
Many people might picture the Swiss Alps if yodeling were to come to mind. But according to Author, Bart Plantenga, it’s not just a “Swiss thing.” He should know as he wrote the book, Yodel-Ay-Ee-Oooo: The Secret History of Yodeling Around the World.
He told Esquire’s Answer Fella:
“There are tons of yodelers in France and the Netherlands. It’s also in punk and contemporary rock. It’s coming back like crazy. Jewel is a big yodeler. A lot of African musicians use yodeling. That’s what my book tried to dispel, the idea that it’s limited to this one area of the Alps.”
Plantenga also explained that yodeling most likely started in Africa many, many centuries ago. He said:
“…it probably began 10,000 years or so ago, when animals first were domesticated, [as] a way to keep the cattle together. It probably also had to do with people amusing themselves.”
The audience enjoyed Taylor’s yodel performance so much, that they jumped to their feet for a standing ovation. David Hasselhoff hilariously asks, “You learned that from a tape?”
As for Piers Morgan, he told Taylor:
“It was one of the most unusual and great acts I’ve seen. I don’t know about you guys, I mean, I loved it.”
By no surprise, Taylor was given three “yeses” from the judges. Overall, she even made it to the final rounds of the competition. Not too bad for a self-taught yodeler!
Her audition has been viewed more than five million times on YouTube.
Watch it for yourself in the video below!
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