Livy Panker on "The Next Star": "Going to reality TV was the best thing I did"
Just before going on stage in the grand finale of "The Next Star" (Keshet 12), 24-year-old Libby Panker talks about the decision to go on the show and the criticism she received from the judges.
In addition, returns to her breakthrough into consciousness as a contestant in "Music School"
Summer Barbner, Maariv
09/19/2022
Monday, September 19, 2022, 09:14 Updated: 09:22
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The next star (Photo: Keshet 12)
One of the most prominent contestants in the current season of "The Next Star", who captivated the judges and the audience with quiet and moving performances, is 24-year-old Livi Panker from Rash Ha-Ein, who chose to perform in her first audition Zohar Argov's immortal hit "The Flower in the Garden" in a delicate and beautiful arrangement, and lifted the screen with 95% of the votes.
Tomorrow (Keshet 12, after the news) the singer will take the stage at Live Park Rishon LeZion in the grand finale of the reality show, and will face Eliav Zohar, Meitav Sherman and Nofia Yedidia.
"I am grateful for the privilege to stand on stage, also on the show's stage, for me it is a platform that is not taken for granted," she says now.
"The fact that there is a place to sing your soul is something that is very appreciated and I hope that after the program I will continue to give of myself."
How did the decision to participate in reality show come about?
"The truth is that it had been discussed for several years, and I just didn't feel it was the right time. I was studying in Ramon, and towards the end of my third year I felt ready. It felt like the right time. I had concerns, between myself. At first the thought was why not go, but under For all the concerns - I really wanted to take this step, and it was the best thing I did."
Why did you decide on "The Next Star" out of all the programs?
"This is a program that I think is at the highest level in the context of music."
What was the most exciting moment of the season for you?
"The most exciting was the audition. If I'm talking about the most exciting in terms of pressure, then the song 'Last Bus'. I felt that it challenged me in terms of performance and I wanted to bring it right, give it a different color."
It turned out that you settled on a style of quiet songs.
"I try to diversify, but definitely the more prominent area is the ballads and the less big things. I also listen to other songs, but in the context of poetry, this is the place I connect with more in terms of presentation, in terms of referring to the text that I like more."
What was the most challenging moment?
"It's not something that is filmed, but choosing the right song is, in my opinion, the most challenging part. On the one hand, there is nothing right or wrong in art. But there are songs that can compliment or express my voice in a way that is more appropriate for it, and many times I found myself not sure what would be The right song. Throughout the program you can see that sometimes people stay and go over the choice of the song."
Which of the judges did you connect with the most?
"Laren Danker. From the beginning there was a nice connection with him. He said in the tapecast that I'm not the singer he's supposed to like on paper, but he connected with something. I like to hear what he has to say - for better or for worse."
Livy Panker (Photo: Maariv, Aloni Mor)
After last year's singing reality show "The Next Star" stopped being the official platform for choosing the Israeli representative for Eurovision, it seems that the nature of the contestants has also changed.
Instead of pop singers with tight arrangements of big hits, this season we saw more ballads, original creators and special versions of well-known songs that are not necessarily aimed at Doz Poa.
Is there a pinch that the winner did not represent Israel at Eurovision?
"No, it's absolutely fine. It's not that we were surprised during the season, I don't see it as a problem. I participated in the children's Eurovision at the age of 15, it's a crazy and insane honor to stand on this stage and represent the country. It's just not the format this time."
You also create your own music, why did you choose not to sing something original in the show?
"It's not yet the finished product that I would like to release, I have my original content and it wasn't time for them to be released."
Was there tension throughout the program against the other contestants?
"I didn't get to feel tension, I don't think it was something that stood out during the program between us."
Were friendships formed behind the scenes?
"Sure, the team is amazing. Good people, one by one, very funny. I don't know what happened in the previous years, but the feeling is that we are very cohesive. On song selection days, everyone sits together during the day and there are all kinds of funny videos that we shoot, and the very fact that we Together - it's a very intense experience, and there's something captivating about it."
Panker came to the audition accompanied by her grandmother Rachel, who also accompanied her throughout the season.
"For me it was a pleasure, I saw an entire country falling in love with my grandmother, and an entire country taking ownership of my grandmother, she was really happy about it," she says.
"I'm not sure she understands the magnitude of the exposure she had. She was very happy during the shooting days, she felt comfortable with the production, with the people, brought Cubans and food to the shooting days, seeing her happy is amazing to me."
"Even when they said things I didn't like - the way was pleasant, and I chose whether to take it to my attention or to listen to the criticism and realize that I was less connected to it. It happened in a good atmosphere and there was no unpleasant situation. In the song 'Siliha', for example, there was the criticism of Keren Pels , which the judges agreed with her. She wanted to hear more color, that I would sing louder, with greater intensity, and she asked me to demonstrate and I did. But in retrospect, when I saw it on the screen, I think that if I had to sing this song again, I would I choose not to change the way I did it."
Livy Panker (Photo: Maariv, Aloni Mor)
"The next star" was not Panker's first baptism of fire on the small screen: the young singer came to the program with experience in reality that she acquired about a decade ago when she participated in the television children's competition "Music School".
Many in the audience remembered Panker as a 14-year-old girl in the show, including Keren Pels, who was also its judge a decade ago.
As a kind of tribute to herself as a teenager, Panker chose to return to one of her memorable songs from "Music School" - "Siliha" and give it a more mature interpretation.
"On the level of the experience and the competition itself - it wasn't very different," Panker describes, "the attitude was different because in the 'music school' it's about children and the 'next star' is about adults, there are different dynamics and different pressure. But for me the main difference is that I I'm not a girl anymore, I'm more of an analyst and more forward thinking. As a girl, I came to play a game, and the game is over."
As a child, was it difficult for you to experience loss?
"No, I left with a good feeling. My parents made sure that I would quickly return to the groove of a girl in middle school and experience my childhood. I thank them for that and think that it balanced the experience."
Children who are published overnight often suffer difficulties at school as a result of the exposure.
Is this something you went through?
"There was nothing out of the ordinary. Suddenly the whole school knows you, but I feel that my shell really took care to keep my feet on the ground, and it did the trick." Why did you choose to come back and sing "Siliha"?
"It's a beautiful song, and I wanted to give a more mature angle to the song and close a circle with it. If I have the option, I'll sing it over and over."
Did you dream of being a star from a young age?
"I don't think I had that desire. In the 6th grade yearbook it says that I want to be a doctor, but yes I always had the desire to be on stage, and I always had an affinity for music, but I was not a girl who said:
In the decade between "Music School" and "The Next Star", Panker managed to serve in a military band, work in an entertainment team in Eilat and, as mentioned, study at the Rimon School.
What would it be like for you to sing live in front of the whole country?
"Very exciting. I'm really looking forward to it. I think it's not something that worries me, there's no need to sing live. There's a fear that something could go wrong, but there's nothing greater than performing live, and I'm really looking forward to performing on this stage."
In an age where there are many music programs, is there a fear of being swallowed up in the crowd?
"I think that was one of the concerns before I went, I'm here in the experience, I'm in the moment, what will happen next you can't tell - the preoccupation with it takes away from the good that is in the experience."
Are there any collaborations you would like to do?
"It sounds good to me to do a duet with Ravid Plotnik or Hanan Ben Ari."
What will you do with the winning money if you win?
"I will invest to bring my music to the audience, in an album that is of high quality, in performances that will be at a high level. I am not talking about something grandiose, but that everything will be done at the highest level, that the audience will come and be in a bubble and leave it with good feelings."
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