5 days until IE Idol

Dread set in this morning when the facebook event was created and invitation was sent out for our school's upcoming IE Idol. Three weeks ago Paul said "just attend a practice, see if you like it" and now I feel my window to drop out just expired. Singing in front of people, with a band, while sober, to a sober crowd and without the words highlighted in front of me is a very new experience. I am karaoke’s biggest fan and use(d) my car as a personal sound booth but since the rubber hit the road, practicing with a band has been …how do I put this… humbling. I am not quite the great singer I’ve been driving with all these years. [Do I just talk in song?] Despite my limited voice I still do love it and this feels like a once in a lifetime opportunity.

When I first signed up to do this I emailed my cousins (in the band Devereaux), aunt and uncle, who are all singers and have opened for A-lister's and performed in front of thousands of people. Jillian responded almost immediately with what has kept my nerves as bay for the last three weeks, here’s my favorite part of her awesome email:

"You have such an awesome, outgoing personality...let that shine! 

Sing it like you mean every word. If you choose "Before He Cheats" sing it like it's personal. 

Like some scum-bag cheated on you and you are warning the world about him."

I emailed my brother too to get over the knots in my stomach as he once tried out for American Idol! I loved when he told us about that day. He had two songs ready to go, they asked him to sing one and to start at the chorus, he said in his mind he's always built up to the chorus, but when he had no build up, it came out as shouting. Hehehe. One of many fears I currently have.

I am performing “I want it all” by Queen. This song was suggested to me by Eliran, a kind and supportive band member and friend and I was somewhat shocked that he’d given me something so ...rock-like, does he know I wear pearls and cardigans?

Last week I went for a run and started mentally listing off friends and family that would want me to channel my inner rocker and show this song the meaning of the word Queen. During my jog after I'd run through a good number of folks, my inner dialogue turned into “that guy (waiting at the light with me) would want me to do it, and that guy (running past me), those three older ladies going into church, they're rooting for me...” I've started a list of (real) people that would be cheering for me. The venue seats 200 and in my minds eye I’m hand-picking the crowd I know would be rocking out with smiles on their faces no matter what happened up there.

The invitation.

I'll post the performance.