American Idol Contestant Josh Holiday Explains How To Prepare For The Big Audition!

With some of the greatest auditioning platforms for vocalist coming soon, I want everyone to prepare! I’ve already got my reservation to audition for The Voice again, and America’s Got Talent, both coming up early in 2014.

Although I may never get through, I blame the failure of my last audition on song selection. So I specifically asked someone who was not just a contestant on American Idol 2013, but was accompanied by five of his friends! I cannot borrow their talent, but I can take from their strategy!

Meet The Contestant!

Josh Holiday was a top twenty male contestant in the 2013 American Idol competition. He had five friends who made it into the top 20 male / female level of the competition. Josh and his friends obviously have a wealth of understanding when it comes to big, high profile auditions.

We are blessed to have Josh’s advice and his wisdom in Christ:

“Just be yourself. That sounds simplistic, but that’s really all you can do. Be true to who you really are, and share the experiences you’ve had. People resonate with authenticity. When a song choice is not authentic, the judges and audience know it. You can be authentic, push the boundaries, and become a trail blazer.”

“Music will ebb and flow in style and genre popularity. As a vocalist, it doesn’t matter if you choose something which is not at the top of the charts. What’s important is that you perform a song that reflects the authentic you and do it with all your heart and originality.”

“I just spoke to Anthony Evans who was recently on The Voice. He was chosen for Christina Aguilera’s team. Christina explained (to paraphrase) that she started her career by doing something many of her Disney star counterparts weren’t doing. They were trying to become clones of Britney Spears who was blazing her own individual trail. Instead, you need (to some extent) to do something new. If you’re stable and have the confidence to continue your individual path, people will get behind you. “

“If you second guess your song selection and genre according to what you think the judges want to hear, you’re making a big mistake. “

“You must keep focused, even if your musical direction is a new concept. Now, you can blend genres and musical styles, like Brian McKnight and Bryan Adams, and do an R&B rock thing—just be consistent, genuine, and authentic.”

“Many times when you pick songs for these competitions, the song, whether you realize it or not, is telling the judges the type of artist you want to become. So if you want to do Gospel and Christian music, then sing songs from Gospel and Christian artists, not songs from Rhianna with the idea that you can change to your personal style at a later date.”

“Make your song choices as simple and easy as possible so you can get the opportunity to advance. If you enjoy Motown music and bring it back, then sing Motown music. Every song you perform as you move forward should point back to that flavor and style.”

“Scotty McCrery is the best example. He did Stevie Wonder and kept it Country. If he would have tried to put in all the runs and sing it just like Stevie Wonder, he would have fallen flat. He did this shuffle beat for “For Once in My Life,” and he advanced. He made every new challenge Country.”

“Most people don’t know this, but Scotty sang the same song for the first four or five auditions until he had to change it. He did what was working for him. Don’t fix what’s not broken; keep it simple!”