Today I am back in Helsinki and I am on a mission to track down the super fabulous Helsinki Male Voice Choir (YL). Something tells me they could teach me a lot about what to do, in my American Idol audition endeavors. I know there's a big difference between a bunch of Finnish men and a single girl, but their average age is 28 and they sing mostly a cappella, so I feel like we already have a connection. Also, their website says "A love for music drives the singers to endure the hours of rehearsals...." Substitute training for rehearsal and we're singing the same song...
Tuesday in Tallinn
I'm now in Tallinn, the super cool Estonian city by the bay. Last summer, my friend Mads Lynnerup came here, plastered ads all over town, held auditions, and formed a band in one week. Their first and last performance was at the Tallinn Art Hall and let me tell you... they sounded mmm mmm good! I'm hoping to follow in Mads's bootsteps and find some cool musicians to sing with. (You may have noticed that my voice has been neglected with all my other training activities.) I also got a random e-mail from a guy who runs Club Hollywood--which he swears is the coolest music club in Tallinn. Maybe I'll check that out, too...
My Lucky Day
Today is the one lucky day that I am in Stockholm. Why is it so lucky, you ask? Because there is an ABBA exhibit at Nordiska Museet (the Swedish Museum of Cultural History)!!!!!!! I'm off to check out what my fellow blonde singers have been up to. Now that auditions are only 50 days away, I am really hard up for wardrobe tips and those Swedes knew how to bring it, in that department...
An A-Sharp Day
My friend & collaborator, Lee Walton, gave me a great idea. He knew that I was trying to make my American Idol Audition Training a full-time effort and he said, "In the Indian culture, music singers will spend an entire 24 hours humming one single note. It creates an endorphined meditative state. A true high." He also sent the attached picture for motivational purposes. It worked! I'm humming my heart out, today, even as I type. So far it's working wonders on my mental state. I have already decided to spend as much time as possible, in the American Idol Audition Line, humming... If anyone has suggestions as to the best note to focus on, please let me know...
Dancin' With Myself
I'm back in SF, today, but I couldn't leave home without doing some last-minute musicological research. I finally watched the Lizzie McGuire movie in which Hillary Duff plays two characters and sings with herself on stage. Ironically, I'd popped in the DVD just after watching a TV special on the Carpenters and their use of overdubbing. I'm really excited to learn about all these performance-enhancing technologies and I hope I'll get my 15 minutes of overdubbing, some day soon... Speaking of Karen Carpenter, there's a woman who understands audition dieting. I don't want to go to that extreme, though. RIP, Karen. My friend Sanjay recommends that I sing her Superstar or Rainy Days & Mondays, for my audition. Keep the tips coming, people. They are grrrreat!
Put Me In, Coach!
OK, now... Not a single person has replied to my ad for a voice coach! What am I doing wrong? Anyone..? None of the listings from the music center panned out. Most of them were old and the one good one was for a woman an hour from here who only offers lessons during the day, while I'm at work. A nice man named Glenn did write to wish me luck in my training and, though he lives in DC, he recommended Dr. Lee Strawn. When I get back to SF, I'll give him a ring and see if there is a match. It seems that Dr Strawn is a bit more on classically-oriented than most Idol coaches probably would be. But, of course, I'm looking to stand out, so maybe that's good...
SWF Seeks Trainer
Download do_re_me_fa_so_la_ti_do.wav 1
Well, I've waited long enough. I posted an ad for a trainer and I went to the Haight Ashbury Music Center, around the corner from my house, to get recommendations. I'm looking for someone with that extra touch--someone who can whip me into shape and mould me into a star. Feel free to post referrals. I will make my decision soon.
Let the Training Begin!!!
Hi, there. So I started keeping this diary before I registered this blog, which means that the posts below are a little outdated & they are coming to you in one post, but here it is...
FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2004
Today is a GREAT day. My band had a concert, last night, and it seemed to go pretty well. On one of the songs I got a bit nervous (we had debated doing it and there were some pretty complicated cues for my bandmate to follow) and my voice warbled, but I received so much great feedback. I was also nervous because it was the first time that I’d invited many of my friends to hear me sing, but they all said such flattering things and even today some have called & e-mailed saying things like "Wow, it was a great surprise to know that you could sing like that." I’ve tended to keep my musical life private (I’ve been singing in choirs & bands since I was 9) but lately I want to make it a much bigger part of my life.
But this good feedback isn’t the biggest reason that today is such a great day. Today is SUCH a great day because something I’ve been wishing for forever has finally happened... They raised the age limit for auditioning for American Idol!!!
I couldn’t get much done at work, today. All I could think about was auditioning for Idol. I’ve been a closet Idol junkie since before it came to the US. I lived in London when Pop Idol was a huge hit and I’ve been glued to the screen ever since--even for the Junior edition! So it is thrilling to me to think that I might now, at age 27, have a chance to audition for the show. Afterall, I’ve gotten pretty settled into my life as an art critic & curator, which I love, but I’ve always regretted not pursuing music. Of course, this means that I need to begin training immediately because the San Francisco auditions are less than three months away, on October 5.
I really need to work on my voice with a coach and I feel like I need help in other areas, too... To become a true American Idol, I need a bit of a makeover--hair, physique, complexion, wardrobe... all of these are on my checklist, now.
As of today, I am officially in training. I will post regular updates here...
SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2004
Ok, so I’ve had an evening to sleep on it. I am SO excited about training for the audition, but there is a strong possibility that I won’t even get one... The Idol website says that SF auditioners can get in line as of 6am, on October 4, but being in line on time, even being first in line, does not guarantee that I will get an audition. (Check out the photo of the long audition line that I found on the Idol website!) The producers will walk up and down the line and pick people out based on their appearance, style, and singing ability. I really need to work on all of the above, then. And my goal, now, is to even GET an audition, let alone make it to the final 10... And I’m really dwelling on what my audition song will be, though I’m eager to discuss it with a trainer.
SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2004
I haven’t done much, in the way of training, today, and I’m feeling pretty guilty. Of course, I am singing in every free second, but I still have not found a vocal coach and I put off going to the gym. I'll never get an audition if I don't change my metabolism! :)
I had lunch with a musician I respect and talked about getting together to play music, along with some other musicians whom we like, but I feel a bit conflicted about this. Should I focus on my solo training? Will "jamming" with others take away from that, or is it all good for my voice & understanding of music? I just enjoy singing so much and there is nothing in the world like the high of falling into synch with other musicians.
After lunch I decided to rent a DVD of a 1979 Blondie concert (in Glasgow), to see if I can pick up any tips on performing live or looking like a pop star. Debby Harry is so amazing. Of course she is famous for having a certain sense of style and attitude, but she can truly sing and I so look up to her. I can’t believe that I was only two years old when she gave this performance--which, by the way, is great. Perhaps it’s the rebirth of 80s fashion, but I can’t help but notice that we have almost the same hair & fashion sense. (I’d love to recreate her outfit for a music video!) I wish that, alone, would bring me closer to being pulled out of the lineup and into an audition...
