American Idol™ is a popular television program featuring talented singers from all over the United States. Once a year, the show holds auditions to find contestants for the next season. These auditions are held in several major US cities, to give the maximum number of people a chance to try out. Thousands of hopeful contestants drive or fly in from all over the country for their chance at fame, but only a handful of contestants from each city will actually make it onto American Idol™.
The first step to auditioning for American Idol™ is to find the nearest audition site near you. Audition sites and times are usually posted several months before the auditions begin. Begin preparations as soon as you learn where you will be auditioning. Make hotel reservations, and save up money for the trip. Take voice lessons, and choose a song to sing. Check the American Idol ™ website to learn about the qualifications for trying out. Contestants must be US citizens, between the ages of 16 and 29. Anyone under 18 must bring a parent or legal guardian with them.
Arrive early to the audition site. The first two days are for registration. Anyone who wants to audition will need to show two forms of identification and fill out some paperwork before the camera even starts rolling. Once you have registered, you will get a paper band put around your wrist to show that you have been cleared for the audition.
The earliest that contestants are allowed to line up on the day of auditions is 6:00 am. The sooner you get there, the better. Come dressed to impress; you want to look like someone who would be good on television. While you don’t want to go over the top, you do want to look nice. American Idol™ has restrictions on some clothing, though. You cannot have any visible tattoos or wear clothing with a logo on it or with the likeness of any one famous, either living or dead.
The very first audition is done in groups of four, in front of one of 12 groups of two judges. These judges are part of the show's production crew. Each singer will get 15 seconds to sing a song of their choice. Try to sing something that is a slightly unique, but still a good match for your voice. Judges might hear the same song thousands of times, and you want to be able to stand out from the crowd.
After this initial audition, only about 100 to 200 contestants will be passed onto the second round. The second round will be in a different location at a different time, and the performers will be auditioning in front of the American Idol™ producers. After this audition, participants will be performing in front of the official American Idol™ judges. Anyone who passes that round will be sent to Hollywood to be in the top group of performers for the television show.
Out of the thousands of American Idol ™ auditions every year, only a handful of singers get a chance to really perform as a participant on the television show. Judges are looking for contestants with a lot of talent, who sparkle, and who have a story to tell. American Idol™ is not a talent contest, it is a reality TV show, and it takes more than an amazing voice to get through the auditions. It takes a lot of confidence, personality, and determination.
