American Earplugs

I come from a musical family. My mother and her sisters grew up singing songs from musical theatre and it continued through most of my life. Mom played piano to some extent but she really knew how to sing. She was a strong voiced first soprano. My father was not always a soloist but he was very talented with instruments. While I was growing up he would play his set list of music on the organ for us, he would pull out one of his many guitars on a whim and once a year he would drag out the trumpet to play in the UConn alumni marching band. Since then he has collected and learned to play so many other instruments that I have lost count. My brother plays guitar, my sister sings and also plays guitar. My last sister sings very well for the most part as long as you don't ask her to keep harmony on her own.
  I sing- I actually sing rather well. I grew up as a soloist, sang in a few years of  High School All State chorus. I've sung for weddings and funerals. I was the female lead in a benefit musical and even had an audition for a show on Broadway. But I didn't go because I knew that even with all my experience and with all of the training I had,  I was not good enough.
 Now on to American Idol. I cannot for the life of me wonder what some of these kids are thinking.
I should just stop writing right there because you and I both know what I am talking about. They come in, get interviewed with their oh so sentimental sob story and some of them truly look like they "BELIEVE". However when they open their mouth to sing you can't help but wonder why somebody didn't stop them on the way in. I do realize that some of them are doing it because they know that they are never going to quit their day job for this gig. Some are just looking for the 15 seconds of fame and the ability to say that they did it. These whackado's are easy to spot. Its the ones that are there who although lacking talent, make up for it in heart and intentions. Someone should ask them how many public places they were asked to sing. And then how many people were laughing afterwards. They should be reminded of how ugly some of the critiques can be and how embarrassed they will be having to hear about it for the rest of their lives.  But these poor souls have parents and/or over paid vocal coaches waiting in the wings, convinced that they have a shot and that they will walk out of that room with their ticket in tow. And for the sake of ratings these kids are brutally shown what being famous is really all about.  Celebrity is not always a good thing.  Being memorable and famous isn't always what you intended it to be. Then again William Hung "hung" in there for more than 15 seconds. And didn't the old bum singing "pants on the ground" get some kind of contract for his song? Maybe... just maybe they will make the blooper clips with a blue censor strip across their mouths. There is always that last ditch attempt to make it on the show.