The 'Idol' experience
By Bruce R. Miller Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, May 09, 2008
Katie Admire
Desire isn't enough to win "American Idol."
"You really do have to work for it," says Katie Admire, the 18-year-old Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, resident who made it to the Hollywood round of the popular singing competition.
"When you're there, everybody is looking at you, judging you...and you know some are thinking, 'I hope she falls flat on her face.' So, the pressure is there."
The key to winning: Preparation.
Before she went to Hollywood, Admire worked daily on the songs she hoped to sing. With voice coach Diana Wooley, she had 10 or 12 selections ready, just in case the judges wanted to hear something from a different genre.
"When you get 10 seconds, you really want a song that's going to show your dynamics, your control, your volume, your range. And you don't want to pick something that everybody else is going to sing." (Katie's first choice: Martina McBride's version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow.")
At this year's competition, numbers from "Dreamgirls" were everywhere. They were not the judges' favorites.
Because contestants sat in the audience before they performed, Admire got to hear a number of hopefuls. She was in the same group as the Top 10, which gave her ample opportunity to size up this year's field.
"They look for variety so they can appeal to different groups," she says of the judges. "The whole package," as Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe calls it, makes an "American Idol."
Interestingly, many in this year's Top 20 weren't newcomers. Some had been in the hunt before; several had performed professionally. Carly Smithson already had a record deal. An even playing field? It didn't exist.
Admire heard dozens of people who had incredible voices but didn't make the cut. "I met a contestant named Duane Parker and he blew me out of the water. We started talking about college and I mentioned Belmont (University, where she's going next fall). He said, 'I graduated from Belmont.' It was really weird."
In those early rounds, Syesha Mercado lost her voice. Admire saw her in the restroom ("where you went to warm up because you didn't want to warm up in front of everybody") and offered her some throat lozenges. "My teacher sent me these throat disc things and said, 'If you lose your voice or you're getting hoarse, take one. They're totally going to help.' I felt horrible for Syesha, so I gave her some. She went on stage and made it to the Top 24." When Mercado was named a finalist, she mouthed the words "thank you" to Admire. "She was supernice."
David Cook, another of the final four, got to be friends with Admire in Omaha. Seated together during the early rounds in California, he was lost without his cellphone. (An "Idol" rule: No cellphones or cameras.) "He wanted to text and play games but he didn't have his phone, so we talked. He thought it was so cool my mom got to come with me. His mom was totally into 'Idol' but because he wasn't a minor she didn't get to come with."
Since those Omaha auditions, Cook really changed his look, Admire says. "He had the red mohawk and the piercings and the grungy rock look. Now, he's more punk."
While stylists didn't enter the picture in the early rounds of "Idol" Admire says it's obvious someone is giving the finalists wardrobe advice. She sees changes in the competitors and realizes that's part of the game, too.
"I met David Archuleta but I never met Jason Castro," she says. Considering the kind of talent she saw in the Hollywood rounds, there has to be something else that propelled Castro to the final four. "Everybody says he's got beautiful eyes," she says with a smile. "Maybe it's the eyes."
Castro's laid-back approach, however, hasn't endeared the judges. Admire's critical, too, of the finalists' naivete. "Some of them didn't know who Andrew Lloyd Webber was. And Neil Diamond? You've gotta know who Neil Diamond is."
Diminutive like Dolly Parton, Admire says she would have loved working with the country legend. "She's so awesome."
Of the three judges, "I like Simon best. He says it how it is...and he's usually right on."
Cowell winked at Admire after her Omaha audition and said, "I find you very intriguing and I think American will find you interesting."
Paula Abdul "did the clap" and Randy Jackson spent much of his time on his cellphone.
When Admire and Cook were sitting together in the Hollywood auditions, Jackson was constantly on the phone. Cook leaned over and said, "He's probably on the phone with Mariah Carey." The two laughed.
A big fan of the show since it started, Admire always knew she'd audition someday. "The starting age is 16, but you're not ready at 16. When I lucked out and won 'Siouxland Idol' I figured it was a good time to do it."
Another "Idol" run? Perhaps, she says. "It was a lot of fun. But I've done it.
"It was my favorite year of high school. I'll probably laugh at myself 10 years from now...reality TV, yeah, I tried it. But I truly think it helped me get into the college I'm going to. I got to meet all these people and I learned you can't just walk in and expect to be discovered and famous. It's not that simple."
And the experience? "Unbelievable. I didn't move on in the competition but I had a great time. I truly believe everything happens for a reason."
Who: Katie Admire
When: 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Betty Strong Encounter Center
Details: Admire, the winner of "Siouxland Idol," will appear in a special Mother's Day concert. She'll sing a number of mother tributes and talk about her experiences.
"You really do have to work for it," says Katie Admire, the 18-year-old Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, resident who made it to the Hollywood round of the popular singing competition.
"When you're there, everybody is looking at you, judging you...and you know some are thinking, 'I hope she falls flat on her face.' So, the pressure is there."
The key to winning: Preparation.
Before she went to Hollywood, Admire worked daily on the songs she hoped to sing. With voice coach Diana Wooley, she had 10 or 12 selections ready, just in case the judges wanted to hear something from a different genre.
"When you get 10 seconds, you really want a song that's going to show your dynamics, your control, your volume, your range. And you don't want to pick something that everybody else is going to sing." (Katie's first choice: Martina McBride's version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow.")
At this year's competition, numbers from "Dreamgirls" were everywhere. They were not the judges' favorites.
Because contestants sat in the audience before they performed, Admire got to hear a number of hopefuls. She was in the same group as the Top 10, which gave her ample opportunity to size up this year's field.
"They look for variety so they can appeal to different groups," she says of the judges. "The whole package," as Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe calls it, makes an "American Idol."
Interestingly, many in this year's Top 20 weren't newcomers. Some had been in the hunt before; several had performed professionally. Carly Smithson already had a record deal. An even playing field? It didn't exist.
Admire heard dozens of people who had incredible voices but didn't make the cut. "I met a contestant named Duane Parker and he blew me out of the water. We started talking about college and I mentioned Belmont (University, where she's going next fall). He said, 'I graduated from Belmont.' It was really weird."
In those early rounds, Syesha Mercado lost her voice. Admire saw her in the restroom ("where you went to warm up because you didn't want to warm up in front of everybody") and offered her some throat lozenges. "My teacher sent me these throat disc things and said, 'If you lose your voice or you're getting hoarse, take one. They're totally going to help.' I felt horrible for Syesha, so I gave her some. She went on stage and made it to the Top 24." When Mercado was named a finalist, she mouthed the words "thank you" to Admire. "She was supernice."
David Cook, another of the final four, got to be friends with Admire in Omaha. Seated together during the early rounds in California, he was lost without his cellphone. (An "Idol" rule: No cellphones or cameras.) "He wanted to text and play games but he didn't have his phone, so we talked. He thought it was so cool my mom got to come with me. His mom was totally into 'Idol' but because he wasn't a minor she didn't get to come with."
Since those Omaha auditions, Cook really changed his look, Admire says. "He had the red mohawk and the piercings and the grungy rock look. Now, he's more punk."
While stylists didn't enter the picture in the early rounds of "Idol" Admire says it's obvious someone is giving the finalists wardrobe advice. She sees changes in the competitors and realizes that's part of the game, too.
"I met David Archuleta but I never met Jason Castro," she says. Considering the kind of talent she saw in the Hollywood rounds, there has to be something else that propelled Castro to the final four. "Everybody says he's got beautiful eyes," she says with a smile. "Maybe it's the eyes."
Castro's laid-back approach, however, hasn't endeared the judges. Admire's critical, too, of the finalists' naivete. "Some of them didn't know who Andrew Lloyd Webber was. And Neil Diamond? You've gotta know who Neil Diamond is."
Diminutive like Dolly Parton, Admire says she would have loved working with the country legend. "She's so awesome."
Of the three judges, "I like Simon best. He says it how it is...and he's usually right on."
Cowell winked at Admire after her Omaha audition and said, "I find you very intriguing and I think American will find you interesting."
Paula Abdul "did the clap" and Randy Jackson spent much of his time on his cellphone.
When Admire and Cook were sitting together in the Hollywood auditions, Jackson was constantly on the phone. Cook leaned over and said, "He's probably on the phone with Mariah Carey." The two laughed.
A big fan of the show since it started, Admire always knew she'd audition someday. "The starting age is 16, but you're not ready at 16. When I lucked out and won 'Siouxland Idol' I figured it was a good time to do it."
Another "Idol" run? Perhaps, she says. "It was a lot of fun. But I've done it.
"It was my favorite year of high school. I'll probably laugh at myself 10 years from now...reality TV, yeah, I tried it. But I truly think it helped me get into the college I'm going to. I got to meet all these people and I learned you can't just walk in and expect to be discovered and famous. It's not that simple."
And the experience? "Unbelievable. I didn't move on in the competition but I had a great time. I truly believe everything happens for a reason."
Who: Katie Admire
When: 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Betty Strong Encounter Center
Details: Admire, the winner of "Siouxland Idol," will appear in a special Mother's Day concert. She'll sing a number of mother tributes and talk about her experiences.
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 0 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
