Auditions, of the non-American Idol-type. But oh yeah, that was on, too...

Cathryn had an audition with a voice teacher today. I was nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs just trying to get to 5:30 today, and when the teacher actually took us back? I felt like Tom Turkey the day before Thanksgiving.

She started off playing a note on the keyboard, and having Cathryn match the pitch. Yes! This is something she and I have been working on together. And guess what? Well, no pun intended, but she was pitch perfect. Then they did some warm-ups and vocalized together, using the "bumblebee" exercise and the "may-mee-mah-moh-moo" technique. She did very well, again, and it was so...strange?...interesting?....funny?...to see Cathryn working on the same exercises my choir teachers always made me sing.

Finally, she had Cathryn sing her solo from the Christmas play, a capella, and not only did Cathryn stay on pitch, she stayed on time. I was so proud...well, I could have popped.

When it was over, the teacher told us that Cathryn had a lot of natural talent, and that she was a very good candidate for voice lessons. She also told us that it was very hard to teach a child her age to match pitch, but it came to Cathryn naturally. Yeah, I was bursting at the seams as we made plans for Cathryn to begin lessons next Tuesday. I wanted to do a cartwheel in he parking lot, but then I remembered myself, and simply walked.
*****

Maybe this whole "being 30" thing really has something to it, because I had no joy watching tonight's American Idol. The bad auditions, which, admittedly, were not as bad as in seasons past, were not cringe-inducing. I was, very simply, annoyed. To a point where I just covered my eyes, because you know the bad audition a mile away. It's just beginning to feel rather rote.

Who did I like that's going to Hollywood? I like Angela Martin. Yeah, she's got a sob story, but she's got a real love for her daughter, and we can really only imagine what it must be like to live that way. Plus, she can sing, as she proved with Stevie Wonder's "Signed Sealed Delivered". Really sing, if she loses the "wedding singer" affect, as Simon called it. She has a sweet voice, and I hope that she can only improve.

Who don't I like? Miss Freaking Perfect, Kristy Lee Cook, or however she spells it. She rides horses, she hunts, she fishes, she sings. She's shy. She's skinny. I bet she even wears a Betty Crocker apron while she bakes. Yeah, she'll make Top 24 because she got the big backstory, but I'm just crossing my fingers, waiting for her to trip and fall. Yes, I know that it's cruel to think that. And it's not that I don't find her likeable--it's that she's kind of generic. I can't even remember what Little Miss Forgettable sang.

Simon seemed really subdued tonight. Then again, maybe he's starting to become as bored as I am with this enterprise. However, Randy and Paula were back to their old antics, laughing at contestants. Now, I know that the music business can be a harsh place, but I consider it the height of unprofessional behavior to laugh at the person in front of you.

So, we got off to a very slow start tonight, and I can only hope that we can improve from here. I'm really, really hoping for an exciting, fun season. Really, do any of us want a repeat of last season?

Toodles!