Download turnmeon.WAV
Ok, the time has arrived... I need to know what to sing. American Idol Auditions are less than a week away so I really want to hone in on my main choice(s), over the weekend. Please listen to the clips above and let me know which you think is the strongest. Just to feel better about the quality (?) of my voice, I'll say that these have been recorded under stress, as my body's been taxed by chicken pox... But still, what do you think? Let yourselves be heard! Vote! Vote!
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Seeing Stars...
Whew. Sorry for the unexpected hiatus... I returned from New York with chicken pox!!! (And, yes, I did have them when I was a kid.) This is not good... It itches, it hurts, and it has put me in a sour mood. If the American Idol auditions were tomorrow, I'm afraid I'd blow it... In any case, I think I'm on the road to recovery. Thanks to all of you who posted comments & sent me e-mails, while I was in bed. For now it looks like I'll be wearing the puffy, polka-dotted shirt and the black pointy flats. Stay tuned for more wardrobe updates. And song-selection voting is on deck!
Twinkle Twinkle Little Toes
Download boots.WAV
I'm keeping the T-Shirt poll open a little later, to accommodate latecomers.... Meanwhile, please also tell me what shoes I should wear. I'll post the results early next week and then we can get busy making decisions about my jewelry... Thanks!
Read All About It...
If you're reading this, then you already know about this blog. What you may not know is that you are not alone... To my delight, a writer at the New York Times took an interest in my training, and wrote a short article about it. (Artist Chris Gash even made this cool illustration for the piece!) The article called this blog "anything but stupid"! Now I'm anything but disappointed, as so many interesting people have contacted me over the last few days with amazing American Idol Audition tips and words of encouragement. (I promise to write you all back, asap...) My thanks to Lisa Napoli, for her interest, and to fellow Times scribe Matt Mirapaul for spreading the word on my endeavors.
What T-Shirt Contest
Download tellmelies.WAV
Ok, my beloved electorate, you tell me... What should I wear to the audition? All the kind folks who have written in with their post-Idol Audition tips have told me the key is striking a balance between being myself & not going over the top, so I've decided I should wear a T-Shirt. I designed the ones you see here, fyi... (Yes, I really am that multi-talented!) You'll have a chance to vote on my shoes & accessories later (and, of course, my song), but for now, I'm counting on you to tell me what to do up top... Post comments or e-mail me to let me know what you think. I'm hoping for a big voter turnout, here. (Afterall, there's no electoral college!) I'll tally the votes and get back to you. Thanks!!!
Talking Heads?
Download INTERVIE.WAV
Download 2MIN_CRI.WAV
Big celebrities are used to being interviewed, but I've noticed that many of the instant-celeb Idolitioners (that's blogese for American Idol Auditioners) look like deer in headlights when they are being interviewed--say, by producers, by the megastar Idol host, Ryan Seacrest, and even in post-show interviews, on Entertainment Tonight, or the red carpets of TV land. As an art critic, I'm more used to interviewing other people, so I pulled in a pro to help me. Tabitha Soren has recently stepped out of the TV spotlights (in which she hosted MTV news, worked at the Today Show, won a Peabody Award, and accomplished many great things) to focus on her work as a photographer. Nonetheless, she's interviewed everyone from Yassir Arafat to Mariah Carey, so she knows what she's doing. Tabitha gave me a practice media Q&A and then critiqued my interview skills. You can download the interview & crit, above.
P.S. Special thanks to Tabitha and to the fabulous Binh Danh for taking these photos.
Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows
Download sunshine.WAV
I'm in New York and I'm a bit worried about not practicing my singing while away from home. I've decided to head over to the sidewalk outside of Fox's offices (producers of American Idol, remember?) And campaign for an audition. The forecast calls for a little heat and clear skies, so I'm planning to sing my favorite song: You Are My Sunshine. I'm wearing a t-shirt that says "listen to my voice." If you hear it, please do say hello...
Workin It
I logged on to the Cow Palace website, in order to research the facilities, and I noticed that they rent out offices and dressing rooms! I called to see if I could get one or the other, if not to stay on top of my workload, then at least to have a door with my name on it (and a sparkly gold star, of course!)... but no one called me back.
What if....
Ok, so it's WAAAAY early to be thinking about this, but when I tell people, now, that I am in training to get an audition, they all seem to ask "then what." I am trying not to ask the "what's next" question of myself, just yet. Of course, I can already imagine the fun I would have on the show (and promoting my first Idol album!!) and just how diplomatically I would handle all of Simon's nasty comments about my suitability for Broadway, but.... well just look at all the work on my desk. How could I step away from this?
Australian Idol?
Well, if they don't end up loving me in the US, at least I know I have a fan in Australia. Curator Ashley Whamond wrote me recently and confessed that he was a big fan of this blog. (Thanks, Ashley!) He put it in an exhibit at the Rocketart Gallery, in Newcastle, which opens today and runs parallel to the super cool Electrofringe Festival. If you're headed that way, check it out...
