As another season of American Idol ends, the beginning of a new season is already on the horizon. You heard right. Just one month after the finale of Season 8, Season 9 auditions will begin, and where else do they start but Boston.

As many times as I told myself I would not audition this year, I am going to try out once again. Last year, I tried out for the first time in New Jersey for Season 8 (“New York” auditions). After witnessing just how different the process really works off-camera, I decided that I would most likely never try out again; it was just about impossible to make it past the screeners. However, to those who have encouraged me try out again, I told them I would only consider it if the auditions came to Boston. Well, just one year later, American Idol is doing just that. This has persuaded me to, once again, take the drive at the earliest hours of the morning and wait in line for 5 hours to register, drive back home, drive back out two days later, wait in line for another 10 hours, and only get to sing for 20 seconds. But I figure I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

My mother went with me to the New York auditions last year as my moral support. This year, I have begged her NOT to go because I do not want her to have to stand in line with me hours upon hours again, only if I (God forbid) do not make it. I do not want her to have to go through that again. Funny thing is, she will not say ‘no’ for an answer; she’s going again.

When I did not get past the screeners last year, I was completely okay with it. After scouting out the talent and seeing how unforgiving the judges were at the IZOD Center, I could not have been more prepared to get cut. What shocked me was how many unbelievably talented singers there were that did not make it past the screeners either. I personally think I can carry a tune, but I do not believe I am all that talented; I am a very modest person. However, when I saw some of those people get cut, my jaw dropped. I knew I wasn’t going to get lucky enough to sing in front of Randy, Kara, Paula, and Simon, not if some of those people weren’t.

So you might be asking yourself, “Why does he even want to give it another shot?”

Well, there are a couple of reasons....

1) It has always been my dream to become a famous singer. Ever since I was a kid and could talk, I’ve been singing. As I’ve grown up, I have had some additional motives that make me want to become this even more....

2) I want to start up a charity/foundation. I want to make it on American Idol so I can use my fame to raise awareness to Cystic Fibrosis (a.k.a. “CF”), a lung disease my stepbrother has lived with for over 40 years. I would consider making it a joint charity/foundation to raise awareness for autism.

3) Like I said earlier, I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

4) The auditions are in Boston. If the American Idol auditions didn’t come to Boston, I would not even consider trying out this year. However, since they are going to Gillette Stadium, a place to which I have gone about a dozen times, it will be very convenient for me. I will not have to stay overnight, it will only take me two hours to drive out there, and it will be less of a burden on my wallet.

5) I have the experience of auditioning under my belt. Last year, I was slightly naive as to how exactly the audition process worked. Now that I have that experience from last year, I know almost exactly what to expect.

6) I am ready. The age limit to audition for the show ranges from 16-28, which means that technically, this could have been my fourth time trying out. However, I felt like neither I, nor my voice was ready for anything like that. Last year, it just felt right. This year, I am not as eager to try out because like I said, I am not as naive to the process, and I realize it is not exactly a fair assessment to finding real undiscovered talent, but at the same time, it is worth a shot.

There are sooooo many factors that culminate into an audition...it is mind-boggling...what song to sing, what part of a song to sing, what to wear, how to perform, how to present yourself, what judge you get at the screeners, what spot you have in your “line of 4” when you sing at the screener level (see blog: “My American Idol Experience”), what your competition is like (the “talent pool”), even where you audition. I think I automatically have a better shot this year because when I auditioned last year, I went to New York. New York was the last city to audition for Season 8. The judges already knew what kind of talent they had and because of that, they were being much more selective as to who got through and who was getting cut. I am also sure that as New York being the last city, all of the American Idol judges were worn out and maybe a little less patient with audition hopefuls since they already went through the same process at seven other cities before they came to NY.

This year, Boston is the very first city they are visiting. It is a fresh page. The judges will be fresh and energized. They will not have a true gauge on the talent pool yet, and in return, may be a little more forgiving and less selective with audition hopefuls like myself.

Am I over-analyzing too much? (LOL)

Anyway, the song I think I am going to sing this year is “When You Say You Love Me” by Josh Groban. I think his vocal style suits me well and it is a beautiful song. I am also considering songs such as “You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up)” by Josh Groban and “It’s in Every One of Us” by Dennis DeYoung. GO TO MY MYSPACE PAGE TO HEAR THESE SONGS: http://www.myspace.com/caraleigh3 (they are on my profile playlist). PLEASE DON’T BE AFRAID TO GIVE ME SOME INPUT AND TELL ME WHICH ONE IS BEST!!! For those of you who have heard me sing enough to know, please don’t tell me what song you personally like best, but rather which song you think suits me and my voice the best. THANKS!

And once again, as I said last year before I auditioned, I want to thank anyone and everyone who has given me moral support or has been a fan of my singing because it has helped immensely with my self-confidence. If it were not for you, I could never work up the courage to do something like this. And to end this on a good note, I hope I make it this time!

-Matt