Who’s Hot? American Idols Bay Area
The juggernaut which is American Idol – now in its 14th season – is again sifting through the sands of available talent to find “THE” newest, hottest, solo recording artist as determined by the series’ viewers. You may recall that our staff braved the cold autumn air to meet some of these contestants prior to their auditions in late September, 2014. On January 28 and 29, those who made the cut appeared on the broadcast. We made contact with three of the young aspirants – Ms. Maddy Hudson of Pleasanton, California, Ms. Monica Laire Pidoy of Castro Valley, California and Reno from Daly City, California – and pressed some questions.
I&S: The excitement! The anticipation! What has been your favorite part of the American Idol experience so far? How do you feel you are doing so far?
MH: The excitement is unbelievable! I don’t think that it’s possible for me to pick one favorite part, but if I must…. It would definitely be the actual audition itself. To get to see all of the judges in person was absolutely incredible. They are all breathtakingly beautiful and so unbelievably sweet! I feel absolutely great! I feel as good as anyone could possibly feel at this point.
MP: I love the fact that I’ve already made friends that were both in my age range and are much older than I am. It’s good to see these people doing their best to make it to the competition. My favorite part is that, we all have our unique styles and I get to hear different singers throughout the competition. I feel like this season is going to be exciting and more competitive.
R: My favorite part about the American Idol journey is that I’ve made new friendships that I know will last for a long time. It was great learning from all the judges. And the positive vibes that I got from all my fellow contestants was amazing.
I&S: Could you have imagined that there were so many talented folks yet to be discovered? What types of performances draw your interest?
R: I knew that there was going to be talent from the start, but I didn’t think that I would be surrounded by such GREAT talent. The talent there was unreal! My favorite performance was JAX from NY auditions. Her voice captivated everyone’s living rooms, and I know she’s going places with her sweet voice and gentle loving personality.
MH: I don’t think that I ever could have anticipated how many wonderful and talented people I would meet! It seemed that every person that I met had a great story, was kind, and was extremely talented. It was like being introduced to a bunch of people that all think and live like you do, so it was really amazing. I’ve got to say that everyone has impressed me (contestants).
I think that performers that really engage an audience are the type that draw me in. When it comes to watching performances, I want to feel as if through the performance I will learn something personal about the performer, in the sense that I want them to put their soul into their music. It’s really great to see all performers do their thing, though. There’s so many different techniques that people have, so it’s really hard to say what it is that I love the most.
MP: I already knew that American idol was set up for people with star quality but I didn’t know that these people I’ve been seeing were so qualified to be in the competition. Everyone is just amazing!. The person who has impressed me the most is Hollywood Anderson. His performance was history-making as far as Idol and made many people tear up. Performances that draw my interest include those where the people on stage interacting with the audience (J-LO and Beyonce style).
I&S: Is participating in American Idol helping you improve as an artist? Has it helped you decide that this is what you want to do as a profession?
MP: Participating in American idol will help me improve as an artist and help me learn techniques and other skills that I will hear from other contestants at this point of the competition. As one of the youngest contenders, I tend to learn from people who have more experience with this type of career, and I believe I have yet to discover other things that I can improve on by watching these other amazing contestants. Being in American idol is not only fun, but it teaches everyone about the profession that we will be committing to.
R: Participating in American Idol has definitely helped me build a more defined path and clear vision of what I want to do, and what I need to do to get there. I definitely see myself pursuing a career as a musician, and with this experience I was able to learn some necessary skills that will help me to grow as an artist, broaden my scope, find tune my craft and most importantly learn to be more assertive when needed, but never lose my easy-going spirit.
MH: American Idol is definitely making me into an artist! I have never worked so hard in my life, and after having this experience I am completely secure in the fact that I will choose this as my profession. Music is all that I could ever see myself doing. From a very young age (6), I’ve been singing. There has always been a special emotional connection for me with music. Singing is like breathing with me. I can’t even begin to express how much music has impacted my life. I have known ever since that age that this is what I would be doing, but the whole Idol experience has really cemented me on the fact that this is my sole purpose in life. American Idol has taught me that dreams are the strongest driving force that an artist can have along with heart and a strong work ethic. I couldn’t be more grateful for this experience, and I couldn’t possibly imagine my life without having done this. The improvement that I have seen in my music and myself has been beyond my wildest dreams. American Idol is incredible.
We at Image & Style Magazine wish all three contestants success in their journeys and good luck in this competition.