How to Audition for American Idol




Knowing that you are trying to be a total superstar is not always easy. Trying to pull yourself from absolute oblivion and making it big as a singer is one of the hardest parts of the music business, and American Idol has provided hundreds of thousands people with a way to try to achieve their ultimate goals. Knowing that it is difficult to break into the music business leads a lot of would-be singers to try auditioning. The problem is it is extremely important to learn how to properly audition for the series, without looking like you are a complete amateur.





Your first step should always be selecting an appropriate song. This does not mean you should run out and learn a completely new style of singing. You need something that is comfortable for you, a musician that you enjoy and appreciate and a style that you can actually sing well. For example, some singers are not capable of doing low tones as well; you should ensure the song fits your vocal range properly before committing to sing it during the audition.





Another key tip is ensuring you dress properly. While you certainly do not want to show up looking completely boring and plain you also do not want to look like the freak that was let out at night for Halloween either. If you have ever watched American Idol, you have no doubt noticed that those who dress incredibly strange are very seldom going to Hollywood. The mere appearance of their outfit is often enough to distract the judges from their actual singing abilities and will ensure that you have a short-lived singing career as well.





Picking out the amount of makeup and jewelry to wear as well is also important. While most men are not going to wear makeup there is a rather large number of people who start looking towards some type of facial makeup for the sheer purpose of helping them stick out during their audition. This will rarely be accepted by the judges. Most of the time you will actually end up crossed out of the audition with the judges before you ever open your mouth. Again this is due to you are making a rather resounding impression before ever singing and typically this is not a good impression.





In picking the sound and preparing yourself for the audition, you should frequently look for a good vocal coach to help you. The money you spend on a vocal coach will be well worth the expense since a professional will be assisting you to get ready. Many people auditioning for American Idol falsely believe that they are star quality just the way they are. While this may be true for a small number of those who audition the majority of those who audition at the very least need a bit of preparation to get ready to audition. Using a good vocal coach will ensure you get the best preparation possible and ensure a professional approach.





A final suggestion is to really listen to the opinion of others around you before actually going to audition. American Idol is really looking for the top singers in the country; they do not want someone who sounds just like everyone else. You need to find out where your strengths lie in singing, and what your weakness is. Minimizing your weakness and maximizing your potential is critical to the success that you need. If you are completely unsure about how you sound without music singing, it is time to find out before you go to audition.





The time you spend getting ready for your audition will be vital and combined with a professional appearance, attitude and fun personality you will make the powerful great impression on the judges that is needed to actually win American Idol, rather than end up the laughing stock of the auditions. Putting the time in for a proper game plan will pay off in the end, and you are sure to reap the benefit in terms of creative feedback from the judges.


What to Avoid When Auditioning




If you have ever watched the first episodes of a season you have no doubt sat around wondering exactly what someone was thinking when they picked out a song to sing. If you have ever found yourself in this position and you are considering auditioning for the show then this gives you a good indication of what you should not do when it comes to picking out the right song for your audition. While everyone is certainly free to select their own personal favorite song to audition with there are a few things that seem to apply pretty evenly all across the seasons when it comes to picking out the right song.





Your first cardinal sin is picking a song that is from someone considered a powerhouse. This would include but is certainly not limited to singers like Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and even Celine Dion. If you hit the high notes and it does not sound perfect you will sound much more like a cat screaming. It is extremely important to avoid songs from these artists as well because in all truthfulness, most people heavily compare contestants to the original and it is extremely hard to inject your own personality into the song without hurting yourself. Each year there are dozens of contestants who pick songs from one of these artists and each year they are always sent home without going very far.





If you are gifted with incredible vocal range then be happy, but certainly do not take the initial audition as the perfect opportunity to show your range off. If you are having an off day for some reason, it can bring your American Idol experience to a screeching halt before it ever begins. If you are absolutely determined to sing a song from someone like Mariah, Whitney or Celine save it for Hollywood week when small mistakes will not cost you as greatly. This will still allow you to show off your vocal skills, while still staying with a much safer song choice when it matters the most.





Another artist to avoid is Janis Joplin. Regardless of what people think, she is not a singer that can be easily copied. Most contestants who attempt a Janis Joplin song try too hard to copy her exact style, and it often ends badly. If you are interested in showing off a song from someone like Janis Joplin, you need to work hard to turn it into something that sounds smooth and natural with your voice. If you are just trying to completely copy the entire flow of the song you will likely fail. Choose a different artist, or try to smooth out the song before you actually audition.





A final key piece of advice is always stick to selecting songs from an artist of the same gender. There is nothing that makes the judges laugh more than hearing someone that is a guy singing a Madonna song. However, the judges are not laughing in a positive way, they are much more likely to laugh over your singing attempt and consider you to be nothing more than a joke. The simple fact of the matter is the original song is still in the minds of the judges and if you differ too far, it can hurt your audition no matter how brilliantly you sing it. If you want to truly select a song from someone of a different gender make it your own and be certain that it is a unique version in order to have a good result from your audition.


Audition Tips You Never Knew




As the number of people auditioning for the hit television series American Idol can certainly prove the amount of competition is increasing. This means that it is necessary to show up to the audition fully prepared to show exactly what you are capable of doing, and minimize any insecurity that you have. Your ultimate goal is to always walk away with one of the coveted Golden Tickets, but the reality is that they are hard to come by. This means taking as much time as possible to learn how to handle yourself during the audition to get the absolute best reception from the judges possible.





One of the best things you can do to prepare yourself for a singing career is using a vocal coach and taking vocal lessons. Even the professional singers all work with talented vocal coaches. You need to learn how to talk, how to breathe, how to control your voice, and how to improve your skill level continuously. Very seldom do you ever find a professional singer who does not continue to work with a vocal coach. This means that it is critical that as an amateur you work to improve your vocal skills continuously. Just remember, this is not the time to be cheap, you need to locate a good quality vocal coach that has a track record of success.





A second tip to follow is you should select your song months in advance and practice repeatedly. Practice until you know the words forwards, backwards and sideways. You do not want to be the one contestant that forgets the words to their song in the middle. The more you practice the better you will know the lyrics and the less likely stress is to cause you to forget the words. An additional benefit to practicing so much is you will be comfortable with the flow of the song, and have ample time to ensure that you can select a new song in the event that you have too many complications with your first song.





Speaking of song selection it is a good idea to have at least two songs that you are prepared to sing on audition day. This means two full songs, not one song that you fully know, and one that you know a little. You need two songs that you know fully so that you can properly perform the second song if requested. There are occasions that warrant a contestant singing more than a single song, being prepared for this situation will ensure that if it does occur, you are properly prepared for it.





Your fourth tip is pick a specific style. There are no professional musicians that are masters at all styles. There is a specific reason for this; it would be far too complicated to master every musical form. This will require you to select a specific style of music that you are comfortable with and sticking to it as much as possible. Do you tend to favor a folksy style of singing? Perhaps you are more comfortable with a rock feel. You might even discover that you sing classically or even in an R&B style. Regardless of the style that you are most comfortable with you need to find it. All of your singing should be focused around the same genre as much as possible. From tone, to flow, to even song selection you are creating an entire package, make sure the package sounds perfect.





Your final tip would be staying modest. There are very few people who ever swear that they are the American Idol in the auditions. Most who are truly talented know just how stiff the competition is and they go in ready to work towards the prize. Those who are merely walking around with a huge ego tend to be lacking in the singing skills necessary to win and quickly find themselves on their way out. If you are certain that your singing is the best in the world, you should simply prove it by singing, rather than telling the judges that you are destined to be the next American Idol.


Avoiding Acting Like an Overbearing Stage Parent




With all of the publicity that American Idol has gotten in recent years, some of the most entertaining gossip from the show lately has been the overbearing stage parent that is Jeff Archuleta. Questions still surround his time with the show, and many parents worry that they could find themselves in Jeff’s shoes at some point with their own talented child. However, much as many parents are starting to worry, the show really had some good reasons to do what they did. Learning how to become a stage parent like Jeff Archuleta because is very important to actually allow your child to find true success on the show.





While it might at first glance just seem like a truly loving parent waiting in the wings, stage parents are a growing breed that seem to spawn from the depths of hell, rather than from the encouraging love that most parents come from. At times crossing over from a lovingly encouraging parent into the area of stage parent seems to be extremely easy; many parents slide over simply, while other parents find that the transition is extremely complicated.





It is a well known fact that American Idol will not allow contestants to actively participate that are under the age of 18 without the permission of their parents. This has been well known since season 1 kicked off many years ago. However, while parents’ permission is required, parents are not permitted to simply sign a form and disappear back to their hometown while the producers handle watching after their kids. I suppose this makes it easier for some parents to quickly turn into stage parents, but it is necessary for parents to watch after their own children.





Jeff Archuleta rose to fame as a stage parent due to his constant meddling with other contestants. He was not content to simply run his son’s time on the show. Rather he was extremely interested in trying to sabotage other contestants according to reports. Due to this, rumors quickly started flying claiming that tensions on the show were running high and stating that Jeff Archuleta was at the center of it all. How true the actual reports are is yet to be seen, but the fact is many parents find themselves crossing over into the area of tampering with other contestants. It is extremely important that as a stage parent, you limit your interaction with your own child, rather than messing with other contestants.





Another fatal mistake that Jeff Archuleta made which created the disaster that had him quickly banned from the set was working with his son to change the lyrics of his song. This created nightmares for the show due to the very real problems with copyright that were created. By working with his son to change the lyrics of his songs, he not only broke the rules of the show, he went against what the producers had told him when he asked about changing the lyrics, and he cost the show a lot of money in terms of fines and penalties for the artists who were wronged. This all created a very big drama in the show. Due to the problems that occurred because of the incident, Jeff Archuleta was banned from being back stage.





It is extremely important to realize that as a stage parent, you cannot interfere with other performers and you also cannot become so overbearing that you are putting the show in danger. Just as American Idol has turned out numerous winners, they are also turning out numerous “losers” who do still manage to go onto a truly successful career. If you are willing to let go of your child and allow them creative input, as well as ensure that you are having your child follow all of the rules of the show you will discover that it can be a truly fun experience without all of the drama that follows stage parents.


Moving From Idol to the Big Stage – Daughtry and Carrie Underwood




The two American Idol contestants who have gone onto the greatest commercial success so far are Chris Daughtry and also Carrie Underwood. With Carrie emerging in season four and Chris appearing in season five they came at separate times and have left a huge impression on the music industry. The entertainment that these two artists have provided on the music industry goes far beyond American Idol and has broken out into the mainstream. Watching the success of Chris and Carrie goes to show that American Idol really is capable of finding great stars, however it does still require a great amount of hard work.





While the spotlight is typically on the winners such as Carrie Underwood and the other six American Idol winners there are other who are cast off from the show quickly that find themselves in the middle of a very successful career. Chris Daughtry is certainly not the first contestant to find himself losing the competition but still given a recording contract, but he is certainly one of the most successful. His fourth place finish in the show found many of his fans believing that he would never go anywhere. However, after he was cast off from the show, he found himself with a recording contract from 19 Entertainment.





Carrie Underwood has taken the start that she received from American Idol and turned it into an enormous success. While many people might not be able to list off all of the American Idol contestants they are usually quite aware of exactly who Carrie Underwood is. While she received her start on the show and demonstrated a capacity for several different musical styles, she has proven time and time again that she is much better at country music and that is her comfort zone as well.





Upon finishing the show her first album took her to astronomical success and has been followed up by several additional albums that have all performed well on the charts and in sales. The draw of Carrie Underwood has been the fact that she is extremely likeable to a wide variety of fans, while her primary draw is the country music world, which provides her with some very strong support.





Pulling herself to the incredible success that she has found Carrie has sold more than 12 million records so far. After being predicted as the winner of the competition, judge Simon Cowell also went so far as to predict that she would outsell any other contestants as well. To this day, Simon has been correct in his assessment of her talents and she has in fact outsold all other contestants.





As you can just imagine, there is great amounts of success awaiting contestants if they are determined to prove themselves. Carrie Underwood and Chris Daughtry have both proven that using American Idol as a start to a musical career really is possible if you have the determination to make it work. There is nothing that the idol contestants cannot do if they really put themselves to it. Those that dream big are usually rewarded if they pursue their dreams. The contestants who are not determined to make it big will generally slip back into the darkness while the few stars of the show continue to rise above everything and make an incredible name for themselves.


Who Really Wins at American Idol?




If you have ever stopped and watched the show, you have no doubt noticed that there are several people who manage to be extremely successful without actually winning the show. With this in mind, how is it possible for people to ultimately be successful if they do not win? Yet at the same time, there are several people who are capable of winning the show but yet never manage to find ultimate success. The horrible reality is most people are not capable of finding true success on the show.





With so many people trying out for American Idol each year it is extremely important to locate the best talent in the country. At times, this can be really easy to do, however on other occasions it can be much more complicated as people struggle to determine which contestants are really best. With a large number of contestants, there are plenty of opportunities to learn exactly what it is that you are looking for in a musician. Nevertheless, while we as viewers are afforded the ability to truly select what we want for the American Idol, it is much harder for the contestants to determine what they need to do to be truly successful.





For many idols, the dream of being truly successful is extremely hard to actually fulfill. For other contestants it is something that is extremely easy to accomplish. For example, contestants such as Chris Daughtry are capable of pulling the audience into their performances, which can make it extremely easy to go on to a truly successful recording contract. As you have no doubt noticed, there are several former American Idol contestants who have been faced with extremely bad commercial success after winning the show.





One of the best examples of this is the small size of the careers of winners like Fantasia, Taylor Hicks and even Ruben Studdard. While artists like Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks and even Kelly Clarkson have gone onto astronomical success. The newest winner, David Cook is just getting started after winning and it is unclear just how successful he will really be. With a truly great appeal it is possible that he can go onto become the next Carrie Underwood, but he could turn out to be the next Taylor Hicks instead.





Regardless of which end of the spectrum each contestant falls, there is nothing at all that guarantees success. Of course, the show itself always takes pride on ensuring that at least the winner is offered a recording contract, however much beyond this is left to the actual contestant and the type of music that they select to pick out. Many people might think that each of the winners will go onto huge success, but as prior indications have shown, this is sometimes far from the actual truth.





For the contestants who are lucky enough to find total success it is a great accomplishment. However, it is very important that the other contestants not be ruled out as well. There are often times when the contestants who do not actually win the show go on to be much better commercial success than the actual winners. Just take a look at Season 5; while Taylor Hicks was the actual winner, Chris Daughtry has been much more successful. This could even lead you to question whom ultimate won the show, while Taylor walked away with the number one position, Chris has walked away with awards, more money and much more commercial success.





Watching each contestant develop into someone that you are actually interested in watching grow professionally can be a lot of fun. There are several times when it is lots of fun to watch the underdeveloped contestants grow into actual artists. With plenty of opportunities to prove themselves, American Idol does allow plenty of great artists a perfect springboard for their musical career, how they choose to use their springboard varies, but after being sent home as a 4th place contestant I’m sure Chris Daughtry would agree that winning the actual contest is not all that matters.


VotefortheWorst.com and American Idol




While everyone loves to think that the show is only impacted by those viewers with the most honorable intentions each year it becomes more obvious that grassroots efforts from websites such as VotefortheWorst.com are making a substantial impact on the show. Consider just a few short years ago when Sanjaya managed to hang around for so long. Despite his best efforts to be kicked off he managed to stay around for weeks after he seemingly gave up trying to win. In order to keep people around who are best for entertainment value and much less for their singing entertainment groups like VotefortheWorst.com have sprung up.





While there are quite likely more than a single group acting, VotefortheWorst.com has certainly drawn the greatest amount of attention. While contestants try their hearts out each week to acquire the votes needed to stay on based on a great performances, the websites like Vote for the Worst are out to ensure that the worst performer stays around. Each week the site selects a new contestant that they support. This support is intended to both upset the producers of the show, but also sacrifice someone on the show who is extremely talented and otherwise would be able to stay around.





The show typically has to deal with outside sources such as this for a long time, with Vote for the Worst selecting a new contestant to support each week starting when the viewers are able to begin voting. Typically, they will select a single contestant to support as long as they are around. However, once that contestant goes home it is time to move onto someone else to support. Sanjaya was one of the biggest contestants that drew the most attention and therefore also brought VotefortheWorst.com into the spotlight.





Operated as only a grassroots effort they simply request people to vote for the contestant that they select. Typically, they also offer up a few reason why it will be fun to keep them around, but they also acknowledge that someone else with more talent will have to leave in order to keep their selected singer around. If you find yourself in this position of being the chosen contestant of theirs then you could find your stay on the show extended by several weeks if not longer. It is rather unfortunate that sites such as Vote for the Worst exist, but they do manage to provide a bit of entertainment.





We have to admit that as viewers you do not always want the most talented singers, these are not always the most entertaining contestants to watch and since we ourselves are not actually financing the recording contracts we want to watch someone that is interesting. In order to maintain the entertainment value Vote for the Worst could be argued to be doing a service to the viewers. By ensuring that the value of the show is about so much more than just selecting the best singer it requires the contestants to reach outside their comfort zones and look for new ways to connect with the audience in order to secure their place on the show for the subsequent week. Contestants who fail to connect with the audience or win the support of VotefortheWorst.com quickly find themselves heading home to return to their normal lives quickly forgotten by the glittering lights and fame that American Idol brings.