HOW I GOT ON AMERICAN IDOL [final part] • Group rounds. This is where reality television gets real. Alessana, Joe, Jessica, and I were... The Good Vibes ? & we rehearsed all night to perform Me & My Broken Heart the next day. Alessana, Joe, and I were all rookies. This was our first time being part of this experience, and we all thought that group rounds were about showing the judges that you can work in a group setting... so that’s what we did. The three of us worked for hours on harmonies and different parts and extremely simple choreography to make sure we did a good job. I was so anxious about it that I stayed up for even more hours practicing the harmonies by myself. • It was game time the next day. We hurried up and waited from early morning until late afternoon. The judges had just returned from lunch. The four of us were backstage waiting for our names to be called. We all walked up to the stage casually dressed - I was more casual than the rest because well, that seems to be how I roll everywhere I go... more on that later. ??? The pianist starts playing Me & My Broken Heart, and we each take turns singing together and doing our solos. I was feeling pretty good about our performance until I saw the look on all of the judges’ faces. The song ended. “You look like your dog just died,” said Harry Connick Jr. “Jessica, step forward. You’re going through to the next round. The rest, good luck next time.” • And there it went. Did I feel accomplished and embarrassed at the same time? HELL YEAH. Is this whole process difficult to explain to all of my family, friends, and supporters? HELL YEAH. Did I work extremely hard just to get eliminated during Group Rounds?! HELL YEAH. This industry is full of crazy ups and downs, and this story is just a tiny glimpse of everything that has happened in the last fifteen years. I’ve already failed to quit so many times, but all of your support has allowed me to keep going. To the OG OT supporters, I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done without your support through the years - thank you for everything. To the swarm of the new listeners and supporters, thank you & welcome. • KEYBOARD | @kurzweilmusic PHOTO | @mmkwock