So last week was kind of adventurous. On Wednesday night, the 9th, I had posted on my FB that I was a total Gleek after having just finished watching that weeks episode. A friend commented and sent me a link to an open call audition in Seattle for a new reality show on NBC called "The Voice." The difference from "American Idol" being that it is blind judging. The judging is purely based on your voice. I'm thinking, maybe this is possible. So on Thursday I toyed with the idea all day and talked about it at work and multiple people said to just try for it. So I went on-line and registered. Thing is I had to be in Seattle by 8 am on Friday the 11th. So I posted on FB if anyone in the Seattle area would have a couch I could crash on for at least 1 night. I called my mom about 4 pm and asked if she wanted to take this crazy trip to Seattle for at least Friday, maybe Saturday if I made it to call-backs. She said yes, I left work early got home and threw about 5 outfits in a bag and headed to meet my mom.
So we took off for Seattle. A wonderful Christian family welcomed us into their home, thank you Allen and Angelina Denver family. Another twist to this story is that Angelina's parents were coming into town from CA that night. Angelina asked me if I was a Valley girl. I looked at her quizically and she said the San Joaquin Valley and I said yes. She also grew up in the "valley" and her husband did also. We got to talking about various places in the valley we both knew. We found out that her parents live in Paso Robles which is near my grandmother. Turns out, her younger sister went to Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo which is where my grandmother lived until about 15 years ago. My grandmother and Christine, Angelina's sister, were quite close. My grandmother would pick her up for church and have her over for meals. She even went to Christine's wedding. When her parents got there the world became even smaller as we found out that we know a lot of the same people including family.
So that night I was finishing filling out my application and getting my cd ready with tracks, which thanks to Allen I had ready. We got up pretty early to make sure we wouldn't get stuck in traffic going into Seattle from Woodinville. We used my phone as a GPS and mom thought she had led us astray at one point because she was reading the directions. We had no issues getting there, she didn't lead us astray at all. The closer we got to the address it turned into this residential area. Mom told me later, she was thinking this was a scam. But there it was, the line. There was a recording studio in the middle of this residential area. So we parked and got in line about 7:45. We knew we had at least an hour or so before the doors even opened according to the confirmations I had received. It was cold and overcast, but at least it wasn't raining. There were people singing in line keeping their voices warm, one singing opera style, which honestly was getting quite annoying.
As we stood there, we started to talk to the people around us. There was a couple in front of us from the Seattle area. She had just had a surgery 2 days prior and here she was standing in the cold for hours. That is devotion to your husband. There were 2 young ladies behind us with their mothers. Well, Natasha was from D.C. and Coleen was from Portland, in fact she is a senior at PSU who sings in an a cappella group that she started there. Then there was this young man between the ladies and myself who kept to himself mostly. He had his sunglasses on and his earbuds in. But after a little while the other moms were asking him where he was from, Memphis, and he started to interact. A camera crew came out to get shots of the crowd, so my mom and Coleen's mom pushed us to the outside so we were seen and not them. Coleen's mom even pushed Roosevelt, the young man, out in front for his shot.
Well, we were slowly making our way forward and seeing few people leaving the building. Oh, we had found out that they were only taking about 10 in a time and families and friends had to wait outside as there was no room in the building. Those we saw leaving were not happy at all. There was one point when we were close to the door to get in when a gentleman came out who looked like he may have been an Elvis impersonator. He stood for a while waiting for a cab and when it got there he announced to the cabbie that he would be back for call-backs the next day. We started to question that comment, who knows, it may be true.
Finally, the front door at 11 am. We have now been in line for, oh let's see, 3 hours and 15 minutes. The end is in site. But, then there seems to be a large stall in the process. So as we are standing there, of course our little group has become friends and have been laughing and talking for hours. Mom starts talking some more with the wife that was in front of us and it turns out they are a musical family too. Oh, and they had been on an episode of Wife Swap. Now mom thinks they look familiar. Roosevelt and I were standing and happen to be looking down the street as a girl and guy are walking toward us. She is wearing fashionable heals and she hits a bump in the sidewalk and stumbles a little. Not 2 feet later she does the same thing. Under our breaths, Roosevelt and I say, "If you can't walk in 'em, you shouldn't wear 'em." That makes us laugh because we were totally on the same wavelength there. It is now 12 and we get called in. But now they are only taking 5 of us in splitting up our group. All but Natasha get in this round.
We go in and check-in. Then we get to stand in line inside again. They are taking about 10 people into the studio at a time. The walls are so paper-thin that we can hear each audition. I am trying to keep it all in perspective that I will try and whatever happens I'm ok. So this helps with my nerves. Meanwhile, Natasha's group comes in to join the line. Now we are all in the building at least. They started calling us in and I end up being the last in line to go into the studio with Phil, the man in front of me, and Roosevelt, who went in before me. We sit down on a couch and I start looking around. There is a camera and 2 vocal coaches/judges (in plain view mind you), a complete stage with lights, microphone, instruments, etc. Each person gets up and says who they are, how old they are an what they are going to sing. You honestly have about 20 seconds to impress them or you're done. Most do not get through, but there is one gentleman who had a good voice and made it through, so I'm thinking maybe.
Roosevelt is the last one before me. He sings Josh Grobin's "You Raise Me Up." Love that song and he did it justice. They ask him to sing another song, almost a sure fire sign he's going through. Sure enough, he does it and has made it through to call-backs. My turn now. The judges have also decided that they will take a lunch break after me so I am the last audition in the room. I start singing Rascal Flatts "Bless the Broken Road." I can kill it, but not in 20 seconds. I did not sing the way I normally do and although they were smiling I quickly got a raised hand and "Thank you." The que to get off the stage, you are done.
As I leave the room I see Roosevelt who is waiting to go into another room, I'm guessing for an interview on camera. He looks at me in anticipation and a smile and I shake my head no, but we hug and I wish him luck. I'm anxious to see how far he gets. He was a complete southern gentleman and was very sweet to a 34 year old, him being 22. I walked outside to my mom and the other mothers. I explained that lunch was being taken and I didn't know when their daughters would be singing. I explained how it all happened and then mom and I were done. We needed to thaw out and eat.
We got in the car and mom started driving. At one point, very sweetly, she asked if I was ok. I said yes. I hadn't put too much stock in really getting through. I've decided that this was a casting call more than a vocal audition and I learn something about myself too. I get my energy from a group and am probably not a solo artist. And my realm of music, although I listen to top 40, is really Christian. We treat ourselves to a little Cheesecake Factory for lunch around 1:30 and head home from there. So that is my adventure and I am curious to see when the show comes out what it will really be like.
