My American Idol Experience

This will be lengthy, just a MAJOR WARNING! But Some what entertaining. I am posting this in a blog, a bulletin, and a thread and through e-mail. This is not only to share my experience but also to help in my writing. So here you have it “American Idol and Capri.”

I remember saying to myself one day I will try out for American Idol not sure why exactly those words came out of my mouth but they did. I am not a “great” singer nor am I a “horrible singer.” After discovering my godson loved American Idol. I vowed somewhat to myself, “self if Idol comes to San Diego self you are trying out for it.” Primarily so that my god-son could see me on American Idol, to get over fears of being under pressure and interviewed by people I did not know and last but not least to get turned down. In the entertainment business I know I will be turned down a lot. My plan is to get an agent and do commercials. My book comes first. In the mean time I am trying to find an agent and try out for things like “Deal or No Deal” American Idol” and “Who wants to be a millionaire.” Raises hand I want to be a millionaire. So here goes. Some of you know that the first try out was July 30th 2007 for American Idol. We all waited for hours and that my section was first and that I got through Round 1 “ding, ding, ding” I remember some what of what I put on my “application” and did I mention we signed a waiver. Yeah all 12,000 of us. So one little me made it through Round 1 with only a couple hundred people. Any who my “application” well, it was a form like “tell about yourself.” I stutter sometimes, I mean who does not right. Before I got the form someone entered in some information. “What do you do for a living?” “I cashier,” I say. But I was not clear and it came out as “catshier.” I decided to leave that. Whatever!!! Any who the form went on who do sound like? “No one” I wrote. I only sing at home, in the shower and in church. Something about yourself “I am a big fan of Lisa Marie Presley’s and I am currently working on a book.” Honestly I forgot I put that I had put that I was a huge fan of Lisa’s. But I was reminded of that not once but twice. Which was a great thing. On a blue paper stating we were to dress to impress or wear the costume we were wearing the day of round 1, that would be me. At the bottom of the sheet was written learn “Walking On Sunshine.” Anyways on with it I know…………… Sept. 9th was the big day!!!! Round 2!!! Yeah baby! The night before a friend of mine straightened my hair, and I ironed my plaid skirt. I painted my nails, black with blue glitter polish and silver glitter polish to match my sequence jacket. The next morning I get up at 4:20 am wash my face and what not. I put on my “outfit” Led Zeppelin stairway to heaven t-shirt, my pitch black long sleeve with tiny silver lines it’s a button up I put over my Zeppelin shirt, plaid skirt, tie (whatever it’s a cute addition) and Coach shoes, belts and the main course “the one and only sequence jacket.” Then as my make-up was applied I had on repeat “Walking on sunshine” and “Breakable, By Ingrid Michealson.” I know we were all being tortured, my friend her 2 kids and myself as well. Then it was off to the resort. I was there at 6:50am we were to be there by 7am. For once in San Diego it was freezing luckily I had my sequence jacket that only comes out for very special and rare occasions. So it was freezing which was crazy because a week before San Diego was burning in HELL it was soooooooooooooo HOT!!!!!! So they divide the line up and I was in-group 2. We get lead into rooms and our Idol number was important mine was “1555.” So we are in the room and we are all nervous as what we were to expect. While sitting in the room you heard of people that had tried for Idol for years now, some made it to “Hollywood week” and others could truly sing and wanted an opportunity of a life time. There was a mime and a guy in the room with a huge sombrero on. I looked over at them they were my competition. We had our “signature costumes.” Was I embarrassed? No, no one made me feel that way and I was dressed to impress. After a while of being in a loud room a man comes in. This is where the humor begins!!!!!!! The man is very serious telling us to shut-up.
The Mean man: As you can see there are camera’s everywhere you will be on camera. Next you will notice that the room is divided into 3 sections. Section 1 is for parents and friends. (I had know idea I could bring friends) section 2 and section 3 are for those of you that came here to try out. (Meanwhile a phone goes off)
The Mean man: Turn off all cell phones!!!! If a phone goes off at any time during this process you will be KICKED OUT!!!!!!!!!!! (A woman comes and stands by the man (the mean man)
The woman: we are not cleared here for: any songs by the Beatles, john legend songs or I will always love you by Whitney Houston.
Side note: we were not warned of this, just about over half the men in the room learned a John Legend song. That was CURVE BALL #1.
The MEAN man: I will be going over the dos and don’ts. Rule number 1on’t ever stop in the middle of a song/performance. Would a performer do that??? NO!!!! A performer that messes up always continues with their song or routine. Rule number 2: Never apologize for your performance. Would a performer ever apologize for their performance? NO!!!!! Okay so let’s go over this. What makes you unique?? What is your story?? Do not say that something unique about is that you can sing!! Because everyone here is here because they can sing!!! Do not say that you are blessed because you can sing!!!!!! Every here is “blessed with singing!!!!!!”
The MEAN man: what is something unique about you?
The woman: I work for American Idol.
The Mean Man: WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!! You always want to answer the question with the question. What makes you unique? Well, what makes me unique is that I own a tattoo shop. <<<<<< A woman in section 2 said that.
The MEAN man: There will be T’s on the floors in the rooms that you will be going into. (Rooms as in more then 1 round curve ball #1 ½.) You are to stand on those “T’s” you may never ever stand in front of those T’s. You can step back and side-to-side. You may NOT shake the judges hands.
The woman: today you will be learning “Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani.” CURVE BALL #2.
In my head and probably in everyone else’s head: WHAT IN THE HECK HAPPENED TO “WALKING ON SUNSHINE!!!!” AND WHY DID WE LEARN IT FOR A MONTH STRAIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I guess the entertainment industry does that type of thing a lot.
The woman: So section 2 will learn this part of the song and section 1 will learn this other part of the song. This is by far the BEST place we ever visited please keep it clean.
That’s cool, American Idol may come back to San Diego.
We all got the lyrics and at that moment sweet escape was put on repeat. I was stunned, my face was hot, the room was even louder and sweet escape was being played over and over and over again!!! I thought I was going to get sick!
Side note: Gwen Stefani is one of my favorite artist’s as in I like Gwen in “No Doubt.” Not on her own!!!!! AHHHHhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! Sweet Escape is a very wordy song and I was over that song pretty much a week after it had come out on the radio.
Everyone starts singing. We each sing our sections trying hard to learn it. Mean while my hands are sweaty because I cant seem to get this song stuck in my head. I needed have had it playing in my headphones and I did not do that. Listening to a song directly in my ear would have helped me a lot. I figured that out way to late!!!!!!
We were seated in rows listed as G6 and what not. Each row had 5 people in it, that would be our group and OUR #’s were very important remember mine “1555” lol. If we went anywhere we were to let our group know. We had a wanderer that I was beginning to not care about her any more. She never said where she went and she was never around. My group gets picked (around 1030 or 11) and we sit in chairs outside of the room to go into a bigger room. Those seated on the other side of us were parents and friends (that I had know idea I could bring) so then this lady was like sike!!!!!!!! Go back into the room. Nope made a mistake your group is up after all. (Thank you for messing with our lovely heads people!!!!!!!) So we are sitting there and I am trying my absolute hardest to read and memorize “Sweet escape.” One by one we go in some are chosen to go on to the other round some walk out go the other way. I was up! OMG!!!!!! So walk into a ballroom of sorts. I look and stand on the “T” on what looked like a dance floor. Hi I state my name is Capri nice to meet you and thank you for coming to San Diego.
The woman: (which was the woman from before) Hi it says here you are a “catshier” I am assuming Cashier.
Me: Well, I catch people after they sky dive, I am a “catshier.” No I say I work at Costco.
The woman: It says here that you are a huge Lisa Marie Presley fan can elaborate?
Me: Yes, well makes me a huge Lisa Marie fan is that I wait in line for her shows 8 hours. I have met her a couple of times and she is very kind and generous. I wrote an essay for an essay contest of hers, I did not win but I got the chance to read for her she was blown away and signed it for me. I am also overwhelmed with happiness that she released the “in the ghetto” duet with her father. I am proud of her and look up to her because she re made the song for charity, strictly to help out people. She also helps homeless people to break poverty. I was homeless at one time going through that experience and see the way Lisa helps makes me want to take action. I am currently working on a book that deals with a lot with teenage angst I want to help people like Lisa has. Part of my proceeds from my book will go towards helping people. I could tell the 3 judges were very impressed and intrigued.
The male judge: pipes up, do you know “the lights went out, out there in Memphis and can you sing it?
This dude was a fan of Lisa’s and I was not as nervous anymore.
Me: Yes, sir I know “lights out.” But it’s currently not in my head right now I do not want to destroy it.
The male judge: okay
The woman: What will you be singing for us today?
I sang breakable and in the middle of the song they start talking to one another and I stop singing. They look at me and I start all over again.
The woman: Do you know sweet escape?
Me: I think. So I tried to do my best with that song.
The woman: We are going to move you along but you have got to learn Sweet escape.
Me: Yes, ma’am
So I leave that room and was told to go down the hall and turn. OMG!!!!! I needed to get Sweet escape in my head. I thought to myself. I go around the corner. And there along one wall were chairs that contestants filled. There were at least 8 or more of us waiting outside of the next room. Outside of that room was a lot of camera crew. Once a few more of us came around the corner this guy tells us.
Camera guy: We need for you guys to be dramatic today. It’s been dry so far we need your first expression of what you are feeling as soon as you leave that room.
Dramatic, you got it. I thought to myself.
Mean while I was glad there were a few people a head of me because I got to observe more of the “behind of scenes” things that go on. Like the fact that they taped American Idol cardboard logos right next to the large doors we were going to walking through. Those logos were taped to the wall and they were NOT staying. It was the funniest and cheesiest thing I had seen in a long time. They kept taping and taping the logos to the wall. I got to observe the camera guys and a light which paper had fallen from it so they had to repair that. In the midst of laughing at all that to myself I was reading the lyrics to “sweet escape.” I should have known this song was going to haunt me! I was looking at what each role each person was playing. There were camera guys, and women with clip boards I noticed they all had headpieces on, like headphones. As I sat there some moron (I know not very nice) says this.
The moron: Oh Clay Aiken has a jacket like yours only lighter.
Me: I naively state: “really.”
The moron: No, he laughs.
I motion for him to come near me.
Me: The only thing Clay and I have in common is that we both like BOYS!!! So there! The moron left me alone after that.
I started noticing that their headphones picked up everything that was going on in the room I was about to enter. And hearing people sing through the walls of that room made me even more nervous!!!! This was round 3 I was NOT giving up. So with hearing the people sing in the next room and seeing the expressions on the Idol workers made me laugh a little. I quickly stopped because I knew myself I was not an Opera singer. They were listening to whether the contestants were being cut and when they would be going through the door. I watched the one woman she gave the directions as to when we were to enter the room. Let me tell you she was NOT playing around and she was very serious! This girl comes out of the room.
The girl: he said I reminded him of William Hung.
Ahhhhhh!!!!!! What am I in for?????
Then this guy comes out he had made it to Hollywood week last year, his parents were so proud of him. His mom said he would lead us to the promise land. He said Mom I am not Moses. Then there was this young kid he was 17. You could hear every song he sang and they were all from the 50’s and 60’s. He got his “yellow paper” but they told him he needed to learn more current songs. So there were a lot of people that got sent home and actually a lot that got the “yellow paper” you are going on to the next round type of deal. I was up next. I go in and there are lights and camera’s everywhere!!!! And people too!!!! So there I stand on the “T” just feet away from “Nigel” the English guy that created American Idol. Okay so no pressure here; he is only the most important person!!!!! A woman and a guy sit along side him.
Me: Hi my Name is Capri and Thank you so much for coming to San Diego!
Nigel: Our pleasure, thank you for having us. It says here you a huge Lisa Marie Presley fan. Can you reflect………..
Me: I basically share with him what I shared before, I had been homeless in the past, Lisa is very giving, I want to help people and I am currently working on the book.
Nigel: With your opinion on “In the ghetto” can you sing it for us today?
Me: No sir it’s not in my head right now.
Well, what was….. nothing my mind went blank! I am lucky I even remembered my own name!
Nigel: Great jacket by the way it’s very shiny.
Me: Thank you.
Nigel: What will you be singing for us today?
I did the same song. (Breakable) The guy by him obviously said NO but, Nigel liked me. Not so fast……. People it gets better and worse from here.
Nigel: You have anything else for us today?
My mind was dead, I could not remember Lisa’s songs, church songs, Madonna songs, Gwen songs. You name it, it was gone.
Me: So I said I could sing………… (ha I am not telling………….)
Nigel: No that’s not what we are looking for today.
Well at least at this point I was not made fun of.
Nigel: How about (You guessed it)Sweet escape.
I about passed out. I started singing what I could, I needed at least 3 lines…… I winged it as much as I could. And PAUSE!!!!!!!!! I stopped and paused!!!!! RULE #1 broken. I was so ashamed of myself.
Me: I apologize Sir. Ahhhhhhh!!!!!! What the heck man RULE #2 broken. I knew better I was nervous.
Nigel: Stop! Shake it off. You are nervous. Now would Lisa Marie just be standing there?
Me: No, Sir
Nigel: She would probably be rocking out. So I start jamming and hardly any of the words come out. I stop. I look at Nigel and he is liping the words to me and doing a lil old man dance with is hands and arms. Nothing from me!!!!! But…… boy………. Girl….. wa hoo! Ye hoo! Wa hoo ye hoo! While he is helping me along and I bombed!!!!! I did not know that song. After helping me as much as he could. I could tell he wanted deep down to send me though but he could not.
Nigel: Sorry you are not what we are looking for.
Me: Okay
The next round would have been Randy, Paula and Simon. I was bummed but look how far I came and he did not make fun of me thank goodness. Meanwhile I am on my way out the door right??? Yep I had no “Yellow paper” So obviously I did not make it. But in the same note I could not dog out the man that spent minutes helping me out. The camera people told us we could cuss we could do anything! And telling Nigel that they gave us another song and sprung on another at the last minute probably would not have done any good. I swung open the door and was like “those sons of guns” blah blah!! (I really did not cuss and I really did not keep going on with I am so mad. The man helped me out.)
The camera guy: So how did it go?
Me: I am not what they are looking for. I did this for my godson and I am working on a book.
The camera guy: what’s next? Are you going to try out next year?
Me: No I will be too old.
The camera guy: What about music in the future?
Me: Nothing, I write. So you guessed it!!!! Right then and there I gave myself away. I was there for 5 seconds of fame. I wanted a little boy that worshiped the ground I walked on see me on American Idol. With so many cameras there and in my face and looking my outfit up and down I am pretty sure I will make it on television.
After that camera guy was?????? Ding, ding, ding!!! Was yet another camera guy that would not let up. We would ask I would tell and I was done. He asked and I would tell. I was done talking again but… No he asked I would tell and then finally he let up. So I am waking out, I end up on the original side of the resort by the 1st room. There are friend’s and family of other contestants on one side of that hallway. They were all looking at me. I had No “yellow paper” and I had no expression on my face. They had no idea what to say. So I deadlocked eyes with 2 ladies at the end and I lifted up one arm and Said
“WHOA!!!!!!” That was that. I changed and waited for my ride. I had a great time, incredible actually. I have no regrets. I learned that I have balls/guts, that I am not the most horrible singer in the world, my hair is really long, that I/we all have a story to tell, last but not least I can not memorize songs to save my life. But Still Watch the San Diego tryouts on American Idol in January you just might see me and the infamous Sequence Jacket!

Awwww... Thats great that you got that far!
I could NEVER do what you did! That took a LOT of courage! Congrats on going for it like that.
I think Nigel is Proscilla's BF ??
If thats true I bet he really did want you to make it!
Well written story!

I just wanted to say that I am very proud of you. I read this this morning, and loved the whole story. As much as I am a fool, I would never have the guts to do it….mainly cause I cant sing lol. But I do hope to see you, and I look fwd to seeing this along with all the other adventurous in your book. I still laugh at the story you told in vegas a year or two back. Your one of a kind caprisun, and that’s def not a bad thing. Nice they were impressed with the LMP nod They should bring you on as a commentator!

^^^^^^ Thank you everyone. Your comments mean alot and I know this review was SUPER LONG!!!!!! Thank you for reading and commenting!!!!!
Big smiles on my face!!!!!!!