Confession #2

There are several things I have on what I call a "Life List." These are things that I would like to accomplish in this lifetime. Some things are skills or hobbies I would like to acquire such as the banjo, some are more serious and gospel oriented like some day getting married... (which won't be happening any time soon...)and some are just trying something that I normally would never have the guts to do unless it is written down and hung up on my wall like bungee jumping and trying out for American Idol! Ridiculous, I know, and I have heard that it is more likely to win the lottery than to even get on American Idol, but last summer I had my chance and I took it. My family and I were going to be in Disneyland at the same time auditions were being held in San Diego, so I thought, "Why not?" I have always been curious as to how things really go down on that show and it is on the "life list" to at least try, so I gave it a shot.

(Qualcom Stadium in San Diego)

So, we arrived in California and drove to San Diego to get my wrist band and tickets to get into the Qualcom Stadium, which is the biggest stadium I think I have ever seen. There were thousands of people there! I got to meet some very interesting people and some people that were pretty much basing their entire lives on winning American Idol. The next morning at the crack of dawn, I stood in another huge line where they had people interviewing you and cameras almost everywhere you turned. They got us all pepped up and then opened the gates to the stadium.. Unfortunately, that day was incredibly hot and I wanted to pass out for most of the day from a combination of eating too many nachos in the blazing San Diego sun and being so nervous to audition...

(Me baking in the sun... blah)

After herding us into the stadium, auditions began... This is something you may not have known just watching the show because they don't show it, but there are 3 auditions before you ever reach Simon, Randy and Paula. The first audition was a group audition. They gave us a song to learn "California Dreamin'" (lame) and then they asked certain sections to sing the song while they scanned the section for people they did or did not like. Luckily I made it through this first process, but the majority of the people there did.

(The thousands of people filing down to try out for the producers.)

The second audition was in front of 2 producers of American Idol. Now this is where things got interesting... Of course they are making a show so a lot of the weirdos got through this round whether they could sing or not, the producers are trying to make an entertaining audition process for TV. This was a long process, I spent the whole day in that stadium... ugh! The 2 producers auditioned people 4 at a time each of us taking a turn to sing a solo and then they would either let some of you through to the next audition or they would make all of you go home...

Finally, it was my turn to audition and we were suppose to prepare two songs. They asked me to sing my first song and then the judges hesitated and talked to each other and then they asked me to sing my other song, which they had not done for the other 3 people that were being evaluated. I sang my other song and then they had a moment to decide who would get a golden ticket to go to this place in the stadium that only a couple of people out of those thousands got to go. Unfortunately, not a single one of us made it through, but they said to me that I wasn't what they were looking for that season, but that I should try out again... (They probably say that to everyone..)

(Blue tents = solo auditions in front of the various producers or judges of American Idol.)

So, there you have it. A goal completed on my life list and a great growing experience. Too bad I didn't get further, but it was very interesting to see how things went behind the scenes of American Idol and it was also very cool to meet people living out their dreams with the hope that they could be that 1 in a million... You gotta have faith, right?

(Jen not quite my dark side... I thought Wendy's was more my dark side, but nonetheless a well kept secret indeed...)