HOW I GOT ON AMERICAN IDOL [Part 3] • ... so I showed up to the American Idol audition in an oversized sweater, leggings, combat boots, untamed hair, and no makeup. I didn’t even have a song prepared. I was on a songwriting kick all year, and didn’t sing a single cover song EXCEPT... it was @dantebasco’s birthday the week before, and @beausia had asked me to sing an acoustic version of, “Killing Me Softly”. I didn’t know that song. I actually don’t know a lot of songs. I live under a rock when it comes to pop culture. I grew up listening to Chinese KTV songs, French music, gangsta rap, and studied classical Italian arias in college. ?? • Anyway, so I show up to the audition not expecting anything. Who knows? Maybe the tenth time is a charm. I got there super early partially because I was really nervous, but mostly because I found an awesome parking spot - finding a good parking spot is like winning the lotto in Hollywood. • I sat in the waiting room. As I was filling out pages and pages and pages of paperwork for the TV show, I listened to and watched so many hopefuls sing and get rejected. Not a single one of the talented artists in that waiting room moved on to the next round. Ouch. • They call my name. I walk in, introduce myself, blah blah blah, and tried to recall my rendition of “Killing Me Softly” to the best of my abilities. They seemed impressed. They asked for another song - something more upbeat and without Monna Lisa (my guitar). I just did a sponsorship deal with Yeo’s soy milk where I covered “Uptown Funk”, so I tried my best to recall that. I was so nervous because I was so unprepared that I honestly don’t even remember singing at all during the audition. It was like a much more confident and better music artist that actually could sort of sing took over my body, and in seconds, the songs were over. • Silence. • [to be continued] • KEYBOARD | @kurzweilmusic LOOPER | @ehx PHOTO | @alden_fukushimaphotos