This Must Be Like the Music in Heaven.
On the morning of Dylan’s audition for The Voice, I woke up at 3:45. Our audition time was 7 a.m. and we knew we needed to arrive early. Dylan wanted to get up at 5:00, but I woke him at 4:45 and we headed out shortly thereafter.
The only people on the streets looked like us – bleary-eyed and swarming to the convention center. By 5:30, we were about 150th in line.
The female singer in line behind us smoked cigarettes, which seemed counterintuitive. So we struck up a conversation with the singer in front of us. When security sent friends and family home, a third of the people left. Only one adult was allowed to accompany a minor; that’s how I got in.
At 7 a.m., they started shuffling us into the convention center – hundreds and hundreds of Hollywood hopefuls. They searched and scanned us for weapons and contraband. They checked our IDs and wrapped paper bracelets around our wrists. Then finally, they took us into the holding room.
The holding room was a warehouse full of chairs, all facing front. Dylan and I sat down with in a group of about a hundred people waiting for the room to fill up – which, hours later, it did.
While we were waiting, a woman stood up – and started to sing. She had a gorgeous powerhouse voice, and when she finished singing, everyone applauded. Then another woman stood up. Another gorgeous powerhouse voice, and more applause. And another. And another. The smoker, from behind us in line, got up and sang – another gorgeous powerhouse voice. Dylan and I were wildly entertained.
Then a woman stood up a few rows behind us, and started singing All of Me by John Legend. A woman in front of us started to harmonize with her. Another woman stood up and started singing along with them.
Within a few seconds, the entire group of a hundred people had burst into song.
Everyone except me.
I was so overcome with emotion, I couldn’t have uttered a word. I’d been suddenly and miraculously transported into the midst of a choir of angels. I had only one thought: This must be like the music in Heaven.
After the first impromptu chorus, several group songs broke out. People pulled out guitars and played along. The singers sang for two hours.
Then the group was broken apart, and each gorgeous powerhouse voice went with a group of ten people to audition. I was allowed to sit behind the group and listen to those ten awesome auditions.
Dylan sang Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks. He stunned us all with his own gorgeous, powerhouse voice.
None of the people I met, including Dylan, got a red card – meaning they didn’t go on to the next round of auditions. Of all those angelic voices, I have no idea how the judges decide. Our judge said he wasn’t allowed to give feedback, but suggested to the group that everyone should sing in front of strangers as often as possible.
So, next up, Dylan sings in front of his whole school.
What an adventure.