Born Into The Stars... It's Not For All of Us, But I'll Make My Way There

If you followed me on Twitter this passed Saturday then you already know that I did not pass on through to the second callbacks for the Network Television singing competition "The Voice". The entire experience has me still thinking a lot about how it affects the artists when you get out there and try despite your odds. As long as you feel good about you, then that should be all the preparation you need.

I arrived at 6:06am to the stone building under the grey of the rain, power walking as if the mass of people arriving to the same place may make it one spot in front of me. Though I'm an hour early for my audition time I am still behind well over 500 people waiting to make it inside, meanwhile only thinking of how I'm going to keep my guitar dry from the rain during the wait. Finally we slowly started making our way inside the building and it fascinates me how in a time where everyone is competing for a small number of slots we all still come together in support and encouragement for the sake of feeling better about the nerve-racking audition ahead.

"Where are you from?", "What song are you singing?", "What's your style?" and the comfort taken in knowing more about others and their journey to this audition allows us to feel a togetherness while standing in this insane line for over three hours to sing for a man for 45 seconds with the high probability of rejection. I particularly took to this one girl who was in front of me in line, let's call her Kate. After a quick conversation she had picked up on the fact that I had auditioned last year and gone through the process once already. A friendship is born. From that moment on she clung to me with dear life in what I believed was a desperate search for connection amongst the thousands of competitors and honestly, I didn't mind. Kate was extremely sweet and if she was with me standing in line putting herself out there for everyone to hear all I could imagine is that she had the voice to match. Coming across as confident at first, I realized, was just the façade for her true nerves.

"Is this shirt silly?", "Should I change the song I'm singing?", "Hat or no hat?", "Does my hair look too flat, I can pick it up?", "What happens when we get to that room?", "How many people are allowed inside at a time?"... I guess knowledge really is power.
The lesson to this is the more you just get out there and think less about the result and more about the confidence and character you'll build, you will realize how much more prepared you feel for these moments. Her nerves were getting the better of her and it was for small things that at this point could not be changed. What if her shirt wasn't that great, would me telling her that it was not the best really help her at this point? Nope. So I went for the high road and said to just think about the music and be happy with your performance. She was too kind and I almost felt like I had become a mother figure, which I will openly admit gave me more confidence about how secure I felt over the process of going through an audition. It's just a fact that the more you practice something the better you'll get at it.

Bag check lines, registration lines, and waiting until finally we were divided into groups of ten and brought in to audition in front of our Network TV Producer. Last year I left and didn't question it much because though I thought I sang the hell out of my song I didn't think anyone else blew me away, which left me thinking that maybe I didn't blow the judge away either. But after this Saturday I heard some incredible voices that I believed surely would get passed to the second round even if I was not a part of those chosen... but I was wrong. No one from my group made it through. And it just reminds me that we are all in this together with talent and not, like some famous people and their kids now, born into the stars. We have to go through the "no, thank you's" and learn to pick ourselves up for the next audition or the next crowd until we are one day told "You have a callback".

Kate didn't make it either and we never said goodbye, but I saw her before I left the convention center and despite her rejection she had a full family waiting for her with arms wide open congratulating her and expressing how proud they felt of her for going through this difficult selection process. I think having our family and friend's support means the world to us after giving it our all for a one in a million chance, so I felt happy seeing her leave with a big smile on her face.

The point of this entry is not for discouragement, no, but rather to show those out there that I'm human and may not always make the cut, for now. I say in my little blurb on the right hand side of the page that this is to read about the ups and downs of someone that is not walking the red carpet... yet. ;) It's easy to just have the luck of being born into the stars of fame (though they still have the difficulty of proving to us that they deserve to be there) and while real-estate in the star world is tricky to obtain, I'm looking into the market there and I know there's a spot reserved for me.

Singing and Playing Guitar for a New Recording
I'll be there and I'm taking all my followers, readers, fans, family and friends with me for the ride. I don't want you to feel discouraged because of one, two, or 47 rejections. Rather I want it to make you stronger as it made me stronger and left me feeling more knowledgable and confident to go do more. To celebrate the confidence I felt on Saturday I met with my friend and producer yesterday for a recording session of some special treats that I have in the works for my followers. It may take a little longer than usual but it will be well worth it. I am proud to say that after over six years of being in the studio and hearing my voice in a professional setting where no flaws can be hidden, I was finally able to appreciate my voice yesterday without criticism and say "Damn, Sam, that sounds good!". It feels good to believe in myself and know that others believe in me, too, which is why I appreciate you reading.

To make matters better, I got home and hit the gym before celebrating a delicious dinner with Brandon and some late night TV! Nothing like a little work out to always pump up your mood.
'Til the next post!