Kara DioGuardi to speak at final Common Hour

Though many heading off to a school like Duke University have dreams of being a surgeon or lawyer, Kara DioGuardi, said college is when she realized her real dream: music.

DioGuardi, an accomplished music producer, song writer and TV personality, will speak at Utah State University for the last USUSA-sponsored Common Hour on Wednesday.

“I’m really excited. … I was in Salt Lake for “American Idol” once,” DioGuardi said, “I’m excited to come back.”

Having the courage to do what one loves is the message DioGuardi plans to share with students.

“Being at Duke University is where I made a big decision to follow my heart and do what I loved, which was music, instead of be a doctor or lawyer,” she said. “There wasn’t a lot of original thinking going on there. … Duke taught me what I didn’t want to do.”

DioGuardi never attended a music or theater school, which meant she had to do her own songwriting at the beginning of her career, since no one would give her music for a demo CD.

“The tipping point was when I was giving songs to others to sing,” DioGuardi said. “You can weave a story through songs, and my songs were a way I dealt with things in my life.”

Her most memorable moment with a popular performer was writing and giving the song “Sober” to Pink, and seeing that piece of herself performed and become popular.

“I think that no matter what you believe in, in the world, what you do or don’t believe you should do, I think people sort of have compassion for those finding their way in a dark place,” she said. “[‘Sober’] is about wanting to feel good without relying on something else.”

Every person needs to find their real, authentic self is the message DioGuardi hopes students take away from the event.

“The more you can see who you are, the happier you’ll be,” she said. “I think that’s a really important thing for people to think about.”

Success is all about hard working and dedication, DioGuardi said. Working hard is how people create their own opportunities. It is those who stay in the longest who win, she said.

“No matter what, you still need your 10,000 hours in, at the end of the day,” she said.

Being the last USUSA sponsored Common Hour makes this particular event somewhat unique and historic, said Sarah Winder, USUSA arts and lectures director.

“I want to make sure people know how cool Kara is because I think she’s an incredible individual,” Winder said. “She’s so accomplished. Her qualifications, as far as everything she’s done in her life … I feel like can reach out to so many people and is really inspirational.”

When looking for people to come and speak at Common Hour, Winder said she and those she works with are always looking for those who can reach out to both specific groups of the student body and students as a whole.

“I have a broad idea of what she’ll talk about,” Winder said. “I do know she will be singing at this Common Hour. … Since she was a lead on Broadway, she has, obviously, the chops, and it’s going to be a great performance overall.”

Francesca Matern, a sophomore majoring in Sociology, is planning to attend and listen to DioGuardi speak.

“I don’t really know much about it, but I’m excited because I know her from being a judge on American Idol and she seemed really cool and down to earth.”

Matern said the fact that DioGuardi is “taking time to come and talk to our university” is an honor.

A meet-and-greet will be held after the event for those who previously entered and won contests at other Arts and Lectures events and by those chosen from different clubs and organizations.

Common Hour with Kara DioGuardi will be held in the Taggart Student Center Ballroom at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

— mandy.m.morgan@aggiemail.usu.edu