As I am sure many of you know my family & I have gone to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to try out for American Idol 2011 at the Heinz Field. In my other blog "living to learn" I explained how it all came about {see blog post "The Deal", if not}.
Here is a journal of my experience in this new journey, it may be a little more detailed then the Facebook post, if not- at least its a personal record of where God is taking me & the people around me...
Day Three
We woke up at four a.m., we were outside walking down the sidewalk by 4:45. We arrived at Heize field at 4:55 am. We were directed to line three out of (what we assume) 8. We didn't just stand in line, we were closed in like cattle. We were told to sit down, we had a long wait. And were they correct, two hours in the cattle pens, with a bunch of ruthless crazy people. Our line was semi-normal, not to annoying. We actually were very close to the front, there was only one girl and her mom in the front of us. It appeared that she had a manager or something, this lady who was outside of the pen kept coming up and talking like they knew each other, then she would disappear and re-appear with a camera crew from fox news, or the local news, or a journalist. It happen like 5 times. It passed the time for the rest of us, what also passed the time was the crazy outfits! People had body parts that shouldn't be showing! It was disgusting and hilarious all at the same time.
At 7 a.m they moved us to another cattle pen, just closer to the field. We kept in motion through two cattle pens, then we were placed in front of the field entrance. There we spend an our filming for the opening of the show. Let's just say after three takes and a billion to go, I had had it. We were stuck by this annoying group. One lady kept talking the entire time, all about what American Idol was like, even though she never had tired out. These other people would just randomly, no warning, start singing. They sang loud, and it was awful!
After an hour we were finally able to go into the stadium. We entered and it was like Cattle being set free, everyone was running to their seats. Some "cattle" would break off so they could to the concessions, at 8 in the morning! EWW, it was so gross.
Once in our seats we started filming for another opening of the show, you know where you see the "I'm the NEXT American Idol!" ? That took another hour. To be by those people was asking for a heavy drink, quick! At one point a group stated chanting "Go Steelers" , I desperately wanted to ask "How about those Packers?", but I valued my life, and I had a feeling we would be there for a while. And we were ...
At 10 a.m they told us about auditions and it began. We were on one end-zone of the field, there were ten white tents on the other end-zone. One by one each section would be called down to the field, you would line up in groups of four on the left side of the field. Once at the front of the line you would be directed to an open tent, where one or two producers sat. You handed them your paper work and then waited to be pointed at, at which point you would sing for thirty seconds. You would then be directed to the left, which was a NO, or to the right , which was a YES. If you got a NO, you made your way up the stairs off the field and out of the stadium, if you got a YES then you walked to the middle of the stairs on the right side and walk down stairs.
Apparently there is a Disney attraction at all Disney's. They have an American Idol competition every day and if you win, you win the chance to audition first. So the Disney section was called first, and then over from there. We were on the 2nd level of seats, so we knew we had a long day ahead of us, but not as long as we expected. It averaged to be about an hour or so each section, and we were smack in the middle of the 2nd level.
We sat there mostly, there was a group a few rows up who sang and tried to sound good, but they only knew a few songs, and it was like a C.D stuck on replay. They just kept singing the same thing! It got old after a few hours. Finally after sitting a while we decided to go get some lunch. We were normal and only hate the grease crap at lunch hour! So we went down below, and oh my goodness! It's like there was a flashing sign "CRAZY PEOPLE HERE" , everything echos down there, and to have a thousand people singing , way off pitch, was ruthless! People also were lying down by the wall sleeping, and lets just say, they didn't have sleeping clothes on, it was like bums!
After 8 hours in the stands, our section was finally called. We lined up, made it to the producers, I sang "Read" by Third Day for 30 secounds, and waited for the rest of the people in my group to be called. After we were completed the producer called us up, told us "You all have potential, but it's not what Season 2011 is looking for" we exited to the left, and that was it. My mom wasn't allowed on the field because I was over 18 (I did lie and try to get her on, but they didn't buy it), so I waited for her at the exit. People who had been in the stands belting it out were now screaming and crying they didn't make it through, me on the other hand was grateful for the experience but ready to get the heck out of there!
In the end it was 13 hours, it was an experience I am blessed to have, but honestly, I don't foresee me EVER doing it again.
What I have seen is there were 10,000 people there. Each city only takes 150 people or so to move on to the judges. Those 150 had to be mostly made up of crazy people to make good T.V (they weren't at a shortage from what I witnessed). So basically I had slim to non chances to start off with, then subtract them seeing like 14 sections before me, they were done and over Pittsburgh.
If there is ever a next time, I would see myself going for the Disney attraction, or going to registration at the butt crack of dawn the first day, to get an early section. No wonder no one were there on Thursday!
It was a blast, and I fulfill the deal. Thanks for all the support, encouragement, and prayers. I don't think I would make it without it! I know I may be be America's Idol, but I'm someones :)
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