Aggie Idol auditions kick off competition
Students aimed to impress judges during the first round of the first-ever Aggie Idol competition Monday night.
The auditions continue Tuesday night and no instruments or background music will be allowed. USU students will be given one minute to showcase their vocal talent in hopes of impressing the judges. If they successfully make it through auditions, competitors will have a chance to win a $1,000 grand prize on Nov. 25 in the final round.
The managers of this event are business majors Ryan Muir, Trevor Nielsen and Spencer Ellison. The event was started by students as a project for their business management class, but they are going above and beyond project requirements in hopes that this event will become a tradition that carries on for years to come.
The first round of auditions is halfway done, and the event has had nearly 100 students register to audition before the judges. Of those 100 auditioners, half competed on Monday. The remaining students will sing for the judges Tuesday night.
“The event has not been closed off yet, so students hoping to audition will have to hurry and register because there is limited availability,” Muir said.
Of the auditioning contestants, only eight will make it to the final event in November, Muir said. In addition to the grand prize, the winner will be crowned the first Aggie Idol.
The students running the project have gone to great lengths to make sure they have qualified and professional judges for this event, Muir said. Judges include Craig Jessop, former director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and dean of the Caine College of the Arts, Jenny Frogley, a singer and entertainer who performed during the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002 and James Case, a member of the pop acapella boy band Eclipse.
“We have really good judges coming for this event, but they are going to have a hard time only being able to choose eight contestants to make it through to the final round,” Muir said.
Amanda Hudson, a senior majoring in business marketing, said she is excited to see an event like this offered on campus. She has tried out for American Idol twice and has been a contender in singing competitions in New Hampshire and Las Vegas. She said these past experiences have helped to make her more confident in her singing abilities and made her more prepared for the Aggie Idol event.
Blake Bower, a student who completed his audition, looks forward to finding out the results of who will make it to the finals. The results will be released in five days and event hosts will contact students who will continue to the final round.
“My voice has been a little scratchy the past few days, but it turned out fine and I was able to hit all of the notes,” said Bower, a senior studying economics and finance. Bower sang two songs for the judges Monday night; “All of Him” by John Legend and “Bring Him Home” from the Broadway Musical “Les Miserables.”
During the final event next month, the judges and audience members will vote for who they think should be the first Aggie Idol, Muir said.
“We are really excited for this event, and it will be really cool to see our group project come together,” Muir said.
Hudson said she was unaware the event was a student project. She was impressed by how well the event has been put on.
“I think it has been great,” she said. “It’s been well-organized and professional. It doesn’t seem like something that has just been thrown together. It was really planned out and it is impressive that so many people have signed up.”
Contestants and organizers alike hope this kind of event will turn into a tradition that will carry on through the years.
“I think it would be really cool for this event to continue,” Hudson said. “There are a lot of singers at Utah State that don’t have time for choirs, so this is a great opportunity to have local talent perform.”
Bower said the event gives the USU community a chance to hear some of the university’s unknown talent.
“There are a lot of talented people here and it gives people a chance to do something fun,” Bower said.
Tryouts are free for students who have a valid USU ID card, but there is limited availability left for those hoping to try out. To find out more information about registering to audition to become the first Aggie Idol, visit the USU event page online.