Now down to eight
Contestants have a few months to prepare for next round
THE FIRST ROUND OF Wellesley Idol last month took the competition from 18 down to eight contestants. About 60 people watched singers performed both an a cappella song and one of their choosing to qualify for the next round. There was mainly a mixture of pop and country songs performed.
“I was pleasantly surprised,” said Marie Roemer, mother of one of the contestants. “The judges were professional; they had great feedback. They were willing to talk to the contestants after the competition. My son’s only 10; it was his very first competition; he had no idea what to expect, and was a little intimidated going into it. With a panel of judges sitting in front of you and giving you feedback on a stage in front of a whole audience. They were lovely; they were very positive and constructive with their feedback. And willing to talk to him after the competition as well.”
Her son, Mitchell Roemer, qualified for the next round after his performance of Perfect by Ed Sheeran and his a cappella cover of One Call Away by Charlie Puth. The next round is slated for September 11 at the Wellesley Fall Fair. He enjoyed his experience, despite feeling a bit uneasy in the beginning.
“It went pretty well, yeah. I was kind of nervous,” he said. “I’ve done some performing in front of people before, so. It was a really cool experience because I’ve never been in front of judges before.”
Performers are between ages 10-18, with diverse musical background experience. Many of them are members of the K-W Glee Club; others participate solely for the love of singing. Judges make sure to be compassionate towards every singer.
“The audience is very supportive of everybody,” explained event organizer Wendy Richardson. “Years ago, we had one little girl; she was shy to sing. When her turn came, she would give it up. And hang on, and she thought she’d go again, and then she chickened out of that. And in the end, she did sing. She was so shaky. And everybody gave her a standing ovation, just for getting up there and doing it. Everybody was so proud of her. Whether you knew her or not, everybody was so supportive of her.”
There are several key features they watch out for when determining whether a contestant will move ahead to the next round. In particular, they focus on qualities that entertain the audience.
“They look out for vocal quality, including vocal control, vocal tone, and vocal arrangement choices,” said Richardson. “Whether the song is good for them, whether it suits their range, whether it suits their personality. Facial and body expression, engagement with the audience. Song choice and personality as well as technical strengths such as stage presence and microphone technique.”
In the meantime before the next round, performers will have the opportunity to work with the judges to perfect their on-stage performance using the qualities mentioned. It is 30 minutes long and a completely optional portion of the competition.
“I’m sure they all get nervous, but the workshop helps them to grow,” said Richardson. “Whether they go on or not, the workshop always helps them grow somewhat.”
The next competition will take place on September 11, when the eight contestants will be narrowed down to three. The audience will also have the choice to vote on their favourite contestant, awarding that contestant the People’s Choice Award, along with $125. The first, second and third place winners will also receive a cash prize.
“Take advantage of it, if you like music,” said Marie Roemer. “Take advantage of this great opportunity that our small community is giving these young kids to experience their music and grow with their talents, wherever they want to take that. Whether it be to be a professional musician or just for their own enjoyments. It’s a well-run competition.”
“There’s a number of kids in our area that have a huge amount of talent,” added Wendy Smith, mother of one of the contestants and designer of the poster. “It’s super exciting and super fun to watch.”