- By Dan Veaner
- Around Town
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About 150 singers from all over the state auditioned for the event. These were weeded down to 20 who got to compete in the first round. We started by asking for audition tapes and CDs, says mall Marketing Director Linn Redder. "Response wasn't great, so we added a live audition on a Saturday." That's when the tapes started flowing in. "We had 60 to 80 people come for the live audition," Redder says. "It was just phenomenal. It was very tough to pick only 20 people."
Each week contestants are given songs to sing. The first week they sang a cappella, a daunting task in front of 600 spectators. Last week it was country music, and Tuesday they started with an 80s or 90s song then a song from an artist who has passed on. There are four judges, some who are there for the duration and guest judges each week. But it is the audience that votes to determine which singers will be back to compete again.
Redder had the idea about three years ago when she was working at the Arnott Mall in Horseheads. She wanted to do something that would bring people to the mall on a low traffic night. "One of my favorite shows at the time was American Idol. I was watching it one night and I thought, 'Oh my goodness, we have so much talent in this area, why don't we try something like that locally?'" In its last week over 1200 people came.
With Ithaca's unique mix of talent Redder realized there is a vast pool of talent for the contest. "I knew it was going to be a hit," she says, "but I didn't know how it was going to be a hit in this market. And I am overwhelmed." About 800 people showed up Tuesday.
Competitors come from all over, including Owego, Syracuse, Franklin (near Oneonta), Horseheads as well as locally from Tompkins County. The finalists on Tuesday are Matt Swearingen, Patricia McGregor, Kalendra Solat, Michelle Chandler and Lucia Cutoine. There is no Simon Cowell, but the competition is not easy. "You've got to make it tough, it's got to be competitive," says Redder. "You have some who do karaoke all the time, you have some that really want to make it a career. They know they have a talent, and they really do. Then we have a mother of three who has an absolutely gorgeous voice. She wants to do it just to see if she can win."
The judges have very different music backgrounds. Scott Watson has been a country band member for over 40 years. Charise Luclute is a singer in the Pop/Jazz Five-2 Band. Melissa Ginsburg-Stevens is a Celtic singer and fidler. Guest judges include Megan Rice, who does musical theatre, Anita Lewis, a Jazz singer with the Top Shelf band in Elmira. Next week Redder says a special guest judge will be on hand for the contest and to perform. Aaron Kelly is an up and coming 12 year old country singer who has performed with Martina McBride, Charlie Daniels and the Marshall Tucker Band.
The whole mall staff is behind the project. Redder and Jean Hughes have organized the event. Everyone helps on Wednesday mornings to count the votes. "It's really a team effort," she says. Redder says Cayuga Radio and WENY TV have been involved from the beginning. McNeil Music provided the sound system and Bobby K Entertainment made recordings on CDs for the competitors so they can practice their music before going on stage.
Next week the winner will receive a resort getaway from the Pyramid Mall, plus a professional recording session at Dragon Notes studio in Corning. They'll get 100 copies of their demo on CD to send out and help start a career. "We're giving them that first step to help," Redder says.
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