There's nothing like getting a call out of the blue that could possibly be a defining moment, not only for you, but for hundreds of individuals you are connected to. There I was, covered with paint, overwhelmed by the details of my daily life, readying our duplex for rental. Practicality told me to push it aside, and politely decline the offer that was sure to have acres of red tape, parent/artist negotiations and disappointment at the end of the proverbial rainbow.
One line of conversation, in hindsight, caused me to reconsider. And I'm glad I did. "I believe in networking" the Casting Director said. "You can have as many appointments as you want. If (your artists) aren't right for us, we'll figure out where they belong. I'll listen to whatever you send me. I know the Casting Directors for Glee, Glee Project, The Voice, I've got connections over at Disney and Nickleodeon. It's all timing. I'll commit to helping your people get to the next level." So with this assurance in place, I began to do the legwork to make an opportunity like this come to pass. The first step was to communicate clearly the expectation that an audition like this could offer. No one could guarantee anything more than a great experience. If you never set a goal you're sure to hit it every time. More important in our minds was the ability to present material and artists to the industry. Even if only one Midwest Artist made it through the audition process - imagine what kind of exposure even appearing on the show before the celebrity judges could bring that individual, and the Network in total. If the door is open, walk through it. It's that simple. So we did."This is a Kat; I'm a Casting Director with America's Got Talent. We'd like to offer you guys (MWAN) the chance to schedule Private Showcase Auditions for Season 7. St. Louis is our only stop in the Midwest."
Ten days later, with dreams in hand and appointments confirmed, Network members traversed through every set of circumstances.
One car headed off with Grandpa driving, Mom riding shotgun, with two friends full of fun and dreams to share.
Family plans were already in place for another middle schooler to attend the open call. Mom, Dad, Grandma, Brother and friend by her side - they headed out to experience all that St. Louis had to offer - and possibly realize her biggest dream along the way.
Trying to coordinate busy schedules along side cross-country meets, basketball schedules and wedding conflicts, each act made their plans to traverse. Marivi Howell-Arza hopped a plane from New York, with arrangements connecting in St. Louis; The Mellowship boarded in Chicago, amidst instruments, bags and supportive family. Vocal Coach, Cassandra Vohs-Demann and her vocal students, Jake, Brittany and Jori, headed south after her Friday night gig. "My husband was so sweet - he slept early so he could drive through the night so we could wake up under the arch and make the trip." Those who couldn't make the trip hurried to get their Network registration paid and videos submitted to qualify for the auditions. All in all we had six states represented in person, ten more, including video submissions.
We headed out after our cabaret show on Friday - planning to meet up for Saturday and Sunday auditions in St. Louis. Setting up the Command Center at the Holiday Inn Select across the street, complete with Bose L1, microphone, ability to play tracks gave our members a head start.
Saturday appointments benefited from the focused warm-ups and vocal instruction (courtesy of Cassandra), while MWAN tackled coaching both the interview and live performance components - increasing the odds for each artists' chances.
"One of the greatest parts of going down there as a member of MWAN was the benefit of having each previous artist's experience walking through the door" shared one Network member. "It truly is the "rising tide raises all ships thing. I get it now!" By de-briefing each artist as they came through their audition experience we strengthened the impression of the whole Network. Some groups had to head right back after their audition with commitments back home - but we stayed connected through Facebook, texting and family back home waiting; others shared some moments of reunion, taking in the sights, a meal together, and some well deserved relaxation.
When the opportunity presented itself, we took over the Convention Center lobby for an impromptu concert with video recording Saturday night and a Sunday morning coaching session; even non-members and hotel guests benefited. It's what happens when the music begins to flow.... people just start coming together.
So ... members came from Nashville, from New York City, Buffalo, from Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. They sang, they played everything from the guitar, piano, beat box, and the ukelele. They sang with tracks and they sang acapella; most importantly, they did their very best. And it was enough.
How far will they go? Well, that's not up to us. So far, the jury's still out. We do know that we have better feedback on 24 artists than complete showcases of 120 singers that generated one or two leads as good. We were told that each artist or act would only have 90 seconds to perform; you might get to sing an extra song if they liked you. Our collective evaluation included artists that sang between two and six songs before multiple sets of producers, photos taken, bios recorded and videotaped. Probably most encouraging was this news from our Casting Director. "I will keep you posted. Your people really need to give you a HUGE Thank You for coordinating all this so quickly. It is a great sign to sing more than one song and have second meetings! Tell your group..They did me proud!!!" Stay posted everyone; we're just getting started.
