So You Re a Vienna Idol Contestant

SO…...YOU’RE A VIENNA IDOL CONTESTANT….

NOW WHAT?

Here’s some Frequently Asked Questions for Idol Contestants.

WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT?

First and foremost…

PRACTICE! You might have played in front of family and friends or even in public, but it’s just not the same when you have judges keeping score.

WHO ARE THE JUDGES?

Judges come from a pool of people from a variety of disciplines. However, most of them are involved or have been involved in the music and entertainment industry. So take their advice to heart! Other judges come from local celebrities and media outlets.

HOW WILL I BE JUDGED?

Remember that this is VIENNA……IDOL…... Don’t forget the “IDOL” part. The score sheet breaks down your performance into 3 categories:
Stage presence which includes confidence, making eye contact with the judges and audience, smiling and showing your personality.
Musical ability includes your choice of song (is it the BEST representation of your talents?), choice and use of accompaniment, playing acumen, vocal dynamics and control and overall “musicianship.”
The last judges’category is labeled “How much would you pay to see this contestant perform at a public venue?” This category goes beyond simply evaluating your talent to evaluating whether you really have “an act” that people want to come out and see - the mark of a real idol.For example, you may be a fantastic singer, but will people pay to see you sing to a karaoke track???

WHAT WILL THE JUDGES SAY?

Of course, we try to be gentle. We know how difficult it is to stand on stage and expose your talents to the world (and the judges!). However, the judges will give feedback in two realms; for your general information to grow as a performer and to let you know what, given our experience over the years with VIENNA IDOL, will help you move forward in the competition.

CAN I SING TO A TRACK?

We strongly encourage contestants to come with accompaniment. Experience has shown that those who sing to track tend to not move forward more than one round. However, if you do decide to sing to a track, here are some guidelines:
Have your songs cued and ready to go
Set up your playback device so it won’t shut down during your introduction and opening “chat” so you don’t have to interrupt and turn it back on.
Realize that your “accompaniment” (one of our “musical ability” scoring criteria) is the track. Therefore, you must “own” it…..make it your own and hit every vocal mark precisely.
If you do move on, we strongly suggest you find accompaniment for subsequent rounds.

HOW MANY NUMBERS WILL I PERFORM?

Each contestant will perform two numbers. Use the first number as your warm up, if you wish. We will judge your second piece unless you would like for both to be judged.

CAN I PERFORM THE SAME NUMBER AT MY AUDITION AND LATER IN THE SEMI-FINALS AND FINALS?

Of course! There are many things to take into consideration when deciding whether to perform the same number or a different one. Think about what the judges said, your own preferences, strengths and weaknesses and remember that the SEMI-FINAL round will be held outside, with hundreds of people walking by during VIVA VIENNA and you want to CAPTURE THEIR ATTENTION!

I’VE COMPLETED MY AUDITION…..WHAT NOW?

WAIT!

Judges will get together after all audition rounds and spend HOURS going through score sheets and screening video to pick the top IDOL contestants to move on to the semi- final round. You will be informed early in the week leading up to Memorial Day Weekend.

CAN I GET VIDEO OF MY PERFORMANCE?

We can not release any video that is shot for evaluation purposes to contestants. If you’d like a video recording of your performance, please arrange to have someone shoot it for you.

I’M PLANNING ON GOING TO THE BEACH MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Send in your registration for VIENNA IDOL 2018. Seriously, though…...we do need your commitment to play in the Semi-Finals on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend and, if you move forward, the Finals (Friday, June 9 on the Town Green).