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<StorrZerg> should do a kpop song
<mOnion> hahaha
<Lemonwalrus> dude
<Lemonwalrus> gee
<Lemonwalrus> go
<mOnion> holy shit
<mOnion> i could do the
<mOnion> routine
<StorrZerg> gee gee gee baby
<Lemonwalrus> you could take the world by storm
<mOnion> and the buffalaxed words
<StorrZerg> gogo
<mOnion> @_@
<mOnion> im doin it
<Lemonwalrus> gee is the american 90's hitting korea
<mOnion> ur a genius
<StorrZerg> they will have to do it
<mOnion> ya lol
<Lemonwalrus> so if you perform it in amercica
<StorrZerg> kk
<StorrZerg> i want
<StorrZerg> credit
<StorrZerg> when you make it big on tv
<mOnion> i will credit you on tv
<mOnion> be like
<mOnion> it was storr
<Lemonwalrus> you will be performing 90's american 2010 korean music in america in 2010
<mOnion> lolololol
<StorrZerg> lol
<mOnion> hahaha
<Lemonwalrus> dude
<Lemonwalrus> gee
<Lemonwalrus> go
<mOnion> holy shit
<mOnion> i could do the
<mOnion> routine
<StorrZerg> gee gee gee baby
<Lemonwalrus> you could take the world by storm
<mOnion> and the buffalaxed words
<StorrZerg> gogo
<mOnion> @_@
<mOnion> im doin it
<Lemonwalrus> gee is the american 90's hitting korea
<mOnion> ur a genius
<StorrZerg> they will have to do it
<mOnion> ya lol
<Lemonwalrus> so if you perform it in amercica
<StorrZerg> kk
<StorrZerg> i want
<StorrZerg> credit
<StorrZerg> when you make it big on tv
<mOnion> i will credit you on tv
<mOnion> be like
<mOnion> it was storr
<Lemonwalrus> you will be performing 90's american 2010 korean music in america in 2010
<mOnion> lolololol
<StorrZerg> lol
My sister's trying out for a mini American Idol tryout this Saturday at a local high school. It's not a regular tryout, it's like a side thing where they pick a select few good singers from central Texas to tryout for AI producers.
I've been giving her advice since I've tried out for the show twice, and I just thought it'd be a fun read for TL users who are curious how the tryouts work behind the scenes.
Day One
American Idol is a two day thing. Day 1 is the shitty one. This is the one you camp out for, wake up early for, w/e. The first day is when you get registered and get your ticket so that you can tryout. The earlier you get there, the earlier your spot in line. Some say the early spots are better, some say later, really it doesn't matter. If you live in Texas you want an early spot cuz sitting in an uncomfortable football stadium with the sun blaring on you for 6 or 7 hours is ZERO FUCKING FUN. So you book a hotel for 2 nights, first night get there, go to sleep at 8pm, then wake up at 3 because you're not an insane person who sleeps in tents on the sidewalk. You wait in line with a bunch of weird people who think they can sing. You can tell who are newbies cuz they're all dressed up just to get their ticket. I just dress in like pj's and bring a chair and water and I'm chilling out. you wait in line for about 5 hours (hopefully) and then you get all registered and they tell you to come back tomorrow.
Day Two
Day 2 is easier as far as lines are concerned. You don't have to wake up early, just roll out of bed and get a good breakfast. Since you've already got a ticket with your seat number there's no reason to show up early, cuz you'll just be first in line to go to your seat where you will...wait. Fun.
This is the day where all the excitement is. Big tall cameras panning over the crowd, news stations panning around and shit. Cameras and reporters will randomly pull some of the more LIVELY contestants out of the crowd to sing for the camera and shit. Usually they sing very well, cuz the fact is that singing isn't a very special talent. I'd be willing to bet that the majority of america can sing relatively well, its the minority thats tone deaf. Everyones all dressed up and you start seeing some of the ridiculous people: the crazy texan slut, the guy dressed up as batman, etc. Eventually you're done waiting outside and they file you into the stadium.
Inside
You find your seat and...well you fucking sit down and wait some more. Once they've gotten everybody inside they start doing some photo ops. You were instructed the day before to learn a song, like Roll High or something, so that they can get the whole crowd to sing this shit at once. A producer will get on a mic and be like 1 2 3 GO and we'll all start singing RIDE EM IN RAW HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE for the camera, hoping that Simon will be able to distinguish your voice from the rest somehow, so you try super hard T_T They also do some fun shots where they'll have everyone shout something like "SIMON, DONT MESS WITH TEXAS, WOOOOOOO" and shit like that. Once thats doneskies, they start the tryout part.
Trying Out
These crowds are huge. both times I went there were thousands of people there to tryout. we filled up half of dallas stadium, so the wait is lonnnnnnnnnnng. the first question people ask when I reveal that I've tried out is "so did you get to see like simon and stuff?" which seems like a good question, but if you think about it for a while it seems pretty retarded. the logistics of filing thousands of people, one at a time, in front of 3 judges who are verbose with their critiques, is insane. that would take WEEKS just for dallas, much less the whole country. so they have a funneling system.
On the football field or wherever you're performing is a large row of about 20 booths where AI producers sit waiting. they will call down groups about a section at a time, depending where you're sitting and have you file down to the field, only performers are allowed, people accompanying you have to take a different exit and you can meet them outside. you go down to the field and they organize you into groups of 4 and you are lined up, shoulder to shoulder in front of your respective booth. So you and 3 other people are waiting in line behind the other rows of 4 waiting your turn. some people are rehearsing, others pace, others are socializing, etc. you scoot forward and forward until you finally get to the front.
before you are seated about 4 random "producers". I dont even know what that means necessarily, but there they are. they don't ask your name, they just point to you and sing. you have 30 seconds technically, but you will NEVER sing that full 30. you do your thing until they say stop. then the next person sings, and next and next. at that time they will hold a very brief discussion whether or not to keep any of you, then they give the consensus, either "we're taking all of you" , "we're only taking 1/2/3 of you" or " we're taking none of you"
99% is the "sorry we really appreciate you came out and we think you are all very talented but at this time we're going to have to pass on all of you" and then the girls start crying and you get pissed and go get ihop.
Reality
From what i've seen on TV it looks like they narrow the thousands down to about 250 people who actually get to go see the judges that you see on TV, and then THATS narrowed down to like 15 on the show, so the chances of getting on this show are INCREDIBLY SLIM, LIKE UNBELIEVABLY. What sucks is that the majority of people who try out are good singers. It's a lot of singer songwriters who are just trying to make it big, so they know that they're good and have been performing and just need the american idol edge in. the thing is that they dont let in good singers.
You might be thinking that its easy to get in because a lot of the singers who go on are absolutely terrible garbage that you like to laugh at. well thats just the thing, producers arent naive, they know what brings in viewers, and everyone knows that the best part of watching the tryouts is to see all the hilariously bad singers who are trying their hearts out only to have their dreams crushed. so to get through to the judges you either have to be extremely GOOD or extremely BAD. no in between. which sucks because most of the singers are above average, so they are legitimately crushed when they get turned down by the first round.
so thats that. nothing really more to add. this is kinda like korea: the dirty dirtay, except its american idol and its less interesting. but hopefully it answers questions you didnt know you had and was relatively neat. i like neat stories.
EDIT: holy shit this is long, lemme make it easier on the eyes
aw fuck I had pics from my trips but I cant find em, i'll see if my dad can send em so I can upload
I like idol.
