Super Idol Disaster!

We did the taping for Super Idol on Saturday. What a disaster! I got cut! Luckily I have one more shot, but it was slightly humiliating none the less. My handler (保姆, nanny in Chinese) told me it was a good experience to have had though - and he's right. Every experience is an opportunity to learn right? Here's what I took away:

1) Be forceful about the version of the song I want to sing and be sure the band is playing the song the way I want it (tempo, key, etc). I never felt right about the way the song sounded, and I had practiced the live version of the song with my teacher in LA (not the original version, which is what they made me sing)... The band isn't competing; I AM!

2) Find a way to calm my nerves before I start singing. When I sang with my bands in Paris, we'd sometimes all have a shot before we went on stage. May need to do that next time :)

3) Share in the joy of the winners and the sadness of the losers.. I was a loser but I did some great bonding with my fellow losers while still being happy for the winners. There was one girl, Joyce, who was convinced that she would never pass, because according to her 'regular Taiwanese girls are nothing special'. But she's beautiful and her voice is good; I kept telling her to be confident. Then she passed! She was so surprised she started crying, and I was so happy for her I cried too..  

4) Speaking of confidence, I realized that I need more of it. I let myself get psyched out (because there were some really good singers there, and I got put dead last for the sake of good old TV drama), but I need to stay confident no matter what. Every action starts as a thought - if I think there's a possibility I can screw up, chances are I will. Funny, I found myself telling the other contestants to believe in themselves, and I let myself down! I gotta get my swagger on...

5) I need to practice more. There's no substitute for it... I already have my action plan, and am planning to KILL IT next time.

In spite of the outcome, it was really great to meet the other contestants. They're all super nice, all of them unique in their own way, and some of them are AWESOME singers...

These guys are three of the best singers I've heard in the competition. The two guys on the left are from Malaysia; the other is from Hong Kong. The guy with the beard sounds like Jamie Cullum...

These guys all got cut too - and they're really good singers. All Taiwanese...

On-set producers and production assistants. The guy in the purple jacket asked how many of us wanted to lose weight... and then suggested that some of the people who hadn't raised their hand should reconsider their decision... nice.