This Is The Voice – Part IV

The Voice has a way of making your mind numb with all the waiting that happens. I’m a pretty patient person, most of the time, but waiting in suspense is enough to make you die an early death. Your mind starts to play tricks on you. Paranoia sets in. “Do they already know my fate? Maybe I think I’m better than I really am. What if I mess up?” Stay strong my friend! It’s the day of the Blind Audition.

The time was getting closer. Production had called for a meeting. This was the moment we’d find out if we made it to the Blind Audition. There were five days worth of auditions, and today we would find out which day our audition was. If you got the fifth day, you most likely wouldn’t make it to the Blind Auditions as the teams would already be filled up. Even the fourth day would be sketchy. The earlier you went the better your chances were of getting to audition, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go on the first day. The judges may play it safe and be conservative on how many people they pick the first day.

“Amanda Lee Peers. First day.” Phew, well at least I was guaranteed an audition, now hopefully I sing well enough to land a spot early in the game. Megg and Sugar got somewhere in the first couple days, but I don’t remember specifically which days they got. Everyone went back to their rooms buzzing about which day they were going. “See you guys on the other side!” I said to Megg and Sugar before turning in for the night. It was a super early morning for me so I made sure to get to bed early.

Ugh, is it seriously 5:00 AM already? My alarm went off way too soon. The big day was finally here. It was too early for nerves to set in though. Fortunately, the only thing that was required of us was dry hair. No makeup, no fancy clothing, just a blank canvas for the Hollywood artists to paint on. With bags packed, (in case I didn’t make it), and matcha in hand, I wandered down to the lobby still half-asleep to meet up with my group. We piled into the van and headed off to wardrobe and makeup.

After we were all duded up, we were taken to a concrete, cold, dark holding cell in a giant warehouse, where we were left to be tortured by our nerves and self-doubt. (I later learned they keep it so cold because of all the production equipment and lighting.) Luckily, my girlfriend Sandy and my mom had visitation rights and whisked me off for a little yard time – aka more filming. It was great to see them and they lifted my spirits with encouraging words. It was just what I needed before my big moment.

 

Yoga, headphones, nervous chatting – we were all now seated backstage and everyone was trying to get in their zone, myself included. The time was getting very close now. I could hear those who went before me performing, and listened intently to see if they made it. Some did and some didn’t. People I thought had it in the bag, didn’t get a single chair and those who I didn’t think had much originally got four chairs. We ain’t in Kansas anymore Todo. In the Wild West, anything goes.

FUN FACT: 

The sound effect you hear when the coaches press their red button, does not actually happen during the Blind Audition. It’s all a part of the TV magic.

I closed my eyes and rehearsed the song in my head when I heard my name called. “Amanda, pretend you’re nervous. You’re pacing back and forth. You’re whole life has been leading up to this moment. Beautiful! Great job, now shake the jitters off. Look up at the ceiling. Look at the door. Jump up and down. Okay, now let’s do that again.” Are these guys for real?!  I can’t work like this!

I quickly remembered I was here for a TV show – their TV show. Having no time to focus and calm myself, the nerves were really starting to build up. It suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks. “Holy shit! This is it! This moment could change my life forever!”

With a little pep talk from my vocal coach, I was whisked off to make my TV debut. I walked to the X marking where I was to start out. My knees were shaking uncontrollably as I stood there staring at those four chairs. I tried to block them out and concentrate on the audience, as if I was just performing at my own show.

The piano keys tinkled, cuing me they were going to start the song. “Oo, oo, oo, oo, oo, oo, oo, o0!” And she’s out of the gate! I wasn’t 30 seconds into the song when my childhood idol, Gwen Stefani, turned her chair around. I lost it, thinking “I’ve made it. That’s it. I’m on The Voice!” The excitement derailed my performance a bit, and while it definitely wasn’t my best performance all it takes is one chair, and that’s exactly what I got!

You can check out my performance for yourself on Youtube. After I finished my song, Gwen looked to her sides and said “Well, I guess you’re stuck with me!” I couldn’t believe that I was officially on the show. It was an amazing feeling. Gwen reemed the rest of the guys out for not turning around and said I had the whole package, which made me feel even more like a rockstar.

FUN FACT:

Prior to my Blind Audition. My coach picks were:
1. Pharrell
2. Blake
3. Adam
4. Gwen

She congratulated me with a hug and an exclusive “Team Gwen” t-shirt. Despite what was shown on TV, I was the first girl on Gwen’s team, which I thought was also awesome.

Pharrell asked if I ever sing country. I stated that everyone tells me I should, but I don’t. He said I’d make the perfect southern rock singer. It’s not the first time I’ve heard that before and interesting coming from Pharrell Williams.

I went up to hug all of them before I exited the stage. Meeting celebrities is always an interesting event. I’ve learned they are usually larger than life or way smaller than they look on TV. Here were my conclusions: Adam is really short. Blake is a giant. Pharrell is much taller than I expected, but maybe it was his hat. Gwen is very petite, not to mention gorgeous.

I was whisked off on a golf cart and met up with Carson Daily, Sandy and my mom “backstage” – aka a completely different warehouse. They were so excited, as was I! No time for pleasantries though, within minutes I was whisked off again, this time into a van. We waited for more “yes’s” to fill up the van, and we were taken to a new, secret “yes” hotel.

Prior to the first Blind Audition, they took everyone’s cell phones so no one knew who made it and who didn’t. Mind you, this was only the first day of auditions. There were potentially 4 more days to go before teams got filled up. They didn’t want anyone spilling the beans before all was said and done.

FUN FACT:

The order of auditions you see on TV is not the actual order of the auditions. The order is edited for TV.

I was anticipating who would already be there and if I’d see Megg and Sugar again. We were greeted by our fellow contestants with congratulatory hugs. The new hotel was pretty cool and in a different part of LA than the last one. The roommate situation was still in effect. I went to pick up my room keys and new paperwork, wondering who my new roommate would be. This time I’d be rooming with spunky contestant Mia Pfirrman.

It was getting into the late evening and no Megg or Sugar yet. The final contestants of the day had begun to trickle in and finally Sugar jumps out of the van. I was excited to see her and was hoping Megg would be joining the happy reunion in the next day or two.

It was weird not having a cell phone, but it gave a sense of freedom not having to incessantly checking it every 5 minutes. I took advantage of my tech-free time to write some songs and letters to Sandy, exercised and occasionally took a dip in the hot tub.

Day 4 had come and gone and no Megg. At this point it was safe to assume she hadn’t made it, which was a bummer. We all waited patiently for the last few stragglers to join us. Finally we got word that all the teams were officially filled up! Next stop – the Battle Round!

THE VOICE — “Team Gwen Battle Reality” — Pictured: (l-r) Bryana Salaz, Menlik Zergabachew, Amanda Lee Peers, Taylor John Williams, Jean Kelley, Mayra Alvarez, Troy Richie, Gwen Stefani, Jessie Pitts, Gianna Salvato, Sugar Joans, Ryan Sill, Anita Antoinette — (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)

To Be Continued…

This Is The Voice – Part III

“Oh you’re calling from that TV show The Voice? Meh, sure I guess I’ll come to LA to sing in front of four celebrity judges and millions of viewers all over the world. Why not. I got nothin’ better to do.”

Months had gone by and I was over the wait. I was leaving it up to fate and went on with my life. At this point all the excitement had been sucked out the whole thing by these ridiculous waiting games. Just when I was about to give up on the whole thing, I got the call! It looks like I’d be heading back to LA!

This of course didn’t mean I made it to the actual Blind Audition, as cuts could still happen, but I was that much closer. I was curious to find out if I’d see any familiar faces.

Hey Roomie

This time I’d be in LA for almost a whole month! I also found out I’d have a roommate the entire time. “What?!” I wasn’t too keen on the idea, but I couldn’t really complain as I was basically getting a free vacation. Since I attended a local community college and just drove in and out every day, I never got to experience the whole college dorm thing. I guess this would serve as the college experience I never had.

I checked in and was on my way to see who my new roommate was. I stumbled into the room over my giant luggage bags and was greeted by a bleach blonde California girl – not the annoying kind, the cool kind. Her name was Megg. Luckily, we had a bunch in common and got along really well. This was going to be much better than I had anticipated.

I left my bags in the room and went to get all my info and paperwork. This time we didn’t require a chaperone, we just had to sign in and out and couldn’t be gone for longer than an hour or so. Three strikes and you’re out. They were serious about this rule.

Our hotel was situated on the infamous Ventura Blvd, where we had a lot more options to pass the time with. When I wasn’t doing something for The Voice my day usually consisted of eat, gym, eat, pool, walk around, eat, sleep. There was even a grocery store nearby, which was amazing for stocking up on snacks, water and the singer essential Throat Coat tea.

L to R: Megg, me and Sugar

After checking everything out, I headed back to the room and Megg and I chatted for a bit. Then there was a knock on the door. I opened it, and some girl was standing outside. She was there for Megg, and I was a bit confused as to who she was. Was she a part of The Voice or was she just a friend of Megg’s who came to visit?

She introduced herself as Sugar. She was another local Cali girl who was there for The Voice. I hadn’t seen either of them during the last round of auditions, because they were local to the LA area and only drove in and out for the meetings and audition. We all got along well and hung out together for the remainder of the trip.

That’s So LA

There was much more on the itinerary this time around – meetings, voice lessons, choreography, make-up, hair, wardrobe, band rehearsals, and lots of filming. We were about to get little taste of what commercial success would be like LA style! It was all really exciting, but as busy it got, I still found time for some good old-fashioned R&R.

Getting some R&R by the pool

Of course the singer circles were in full force now, and I stayed as far away as possible. Megg had the same disdain for them, and we both smirked as the volume of the singing gradually got louder. Oh well, to each their own, but I wasn’t about to lose my voice right before my Blind Audition.

Meetings

I looked forward to the meetings. It was the only hope of getting information on what was going to happen next. Then there were the legal meetings. We were separated into groups and presented with three law firms, in which we were to choose one to represent our group. All sorts of questions were asked, and I tried to pay close attention to how screwed over I was going to be after signing the contract. The Voice would basically own me for as long as I was on the show and even after I was off the show. What was my alternative though? Refuse to sign, and go home? Not a chance!

One of the many meetings

Along with production and legal meetings, there was what I like to call the “crazy test.” We were all given some sort of physiology Bubble Test to gauge our mental stability. Of course we were timed, and I didn’t get to finish but I was eager to learn what the test revealed about me. Everyone had to meet with a Physiologist who would review the test results and determine whether or not you would be a liability to the show.

You might think “Why would anyone be a liability to the show?” Well, I’ll tell you what, going through this process and being on the show is NOT for an unstable person. It is emotionally, mentally and physically draining and could cause someone to have a serious nervous breakdown if they aren’t ready for it. This show really f#@&$ with your head! If you can’t take rejection, DON’T EVER AUDITION FOR THIS SHOW! As a matter of fact, if you can’t take rejection, forget about music as a career.

Voice Lessons

The voice lessons were a pleasant surprise. I’m really glad we got them but for the Blind Audition, I’m not so sure they helped. My Blind Audition song, ZZ Ward’s Put The Gun Down, was naturally raw and emotion filled. The voice lessons had started to polish the raw character, and instead of just feeling the song, I started thinking about reaching a certain note or forming my mouth a certain way. It made me think way too much, and I felt like I lost that emotion the song really thrived on.

That said – all of The Voice vocal coaches are top notch, and I’m so grateful to have worked with them. Later in the competition they improved my singing immensely. For the Blind Audition, they got inside my head too much, which wasn’t any fault of the vocal coaches, it’s just a lot to think about before the big audition.

My favorite matcha brand Breakaway Matcha!

I did learn a whole lot about vocal health though. This was when I decided to stop drinking coffee and taking allergy medicine. Both dry you out and can affect your voice so I wanted to do everything I could to take care of my instrument. I switched to a strong type of green tea called matcha, and I’ve been drinking it ever since! I still miss coffee sometimes, but I feel immensely better off of it! Singers and non-singers alike should give it a try! My favorite is called Breakaway Matcha.

The single most important thing I learned from the vocal lessons was to always warm up your voice before singing!

Choreography

I was a little worried about this one. I had flashbacks of myself practicing break dancing and other cool dance moves in my bedroom. Those moves were best left in that bedroom a long time ago. Luckily, “choreography” was more of a “blocking” lesson – basically how the stage would be set-up, where we were supposed to stand and where to exit the stage. They did give some tips on how to make the performance more entertaining – no break dancing needed.

Make-Up

I’ve never been big on wearing make-up, and my hair was pretty easy to style – just blow dry and go. That would never fly on TV though or at least on The Voice. Because of the type of cameras they use, you had to wear a special HD foundation, so America doesn’t see every pore on your face. The make-up starts out very natural, so they can gradually build you up over the course of the show. As “natural” as it looked it was still way more make-up then I’ve ever put on my face.

Hair

The hair stylists were exactly what I had envisioned a Hollywood stylist to be. They embodied the stereotype I was hoping for, and I loved it! Unlike NYC, LA was living up to all my expectations and pre-conceived ideas of how it was out West. I’m sure any LA native would cringe if they knew what those ideas were, but for me it was just as it was supposed to be.

Wardrobe

Wardrobe was interesting and they surprisingly liked a lot of the clothes I had brought. They had racks and racks of clothes, shoes and accessories. I do like shopping, but after a while I suffer from shopper’s fatigue. This time they did the shopping for me, so no skin off my back! They even tailored my clothes to custom fit me. Not too shabby, huh? The other thing I had discovered while at wardrobe was that a couple rooms down, the cast from the TV show Parenthood hung out. I loved that show, so I thought that was pretty cool.

Band Rehearsals

The band rehearsals was where I came alive. I was in my element, and being able to rehearse with world-class musicians was even better. Paul Mirkovich, the band leader and piano player for The Voice band was super laid-back and said I had a cool voice. I was most excited about the guitar player Justin Derrico – who was P!nk’s guitar player. I’m a huge fan of P!nk so it was awesome playing with him!

One of the buildings we filmed in

Filming

I’ve never had any experience with filming, minus the silly plays my friends and I would record on my dad’s camcorder in middle school. I secretly had visions of the producers telling me “Wow you’re a real natural. You should get into acting!” Well, I never heard those words per say, but I was given plenty of encouragement. I actually really enjoyed filming and wouldn’t mind doing more of it in the future. I had make-up and hair touching me up between takes. I felt like a star already!

My Story

Remember back to Part I when I said you should know your story? Well, after some digging I realized what mine was. It wasn’t necessarily something I’d want to blast all over a major network television show, but I knew it was what helped me get here so I didn’t have much of a choice. That’s what the producers wanted, so I gave it to them. So here it goes.

I grew up in a strong Christian family, went to church every Sunday and spent a lot of free time doing churchy things. It was all I knew, but I enjoyed it and have a lot of great churchy memories.

Me at age 12 with my first guitar

I got a used acoustic guitar for Christmas when I was 12, took lessons and started playing in my church’s band. Years went by, we switched churches, but I continued to play guitar in the church band and stayed pretty involved in church activities.

There was something that I had always struggled with though. I always felt different from others, and couldn’t shake the feeling of being attracted to other girls. I never told anyone because I grew up thinking being gay was wrong and sinful. I guess it would be something that I’d just have to struggle through.

There was a point that I had confided in a good friend of mine who also struggled with the same thing. I thought, “Well maybe I’m not so different.” until one day I was called in for a meeting with my pastor.

He had found out through “my friend” that I was involved in a relationship with another woman, and because that church believed that was a sinful lifestyle, I was not allowed in any leadership role in the church – including being in the church band. I did have an option, however. I could go to counseling to be “fixed”, and once I had successfully completed counseling I could return to being in the church band. That was the last day I ever stepped foot in that church.

Playing guitar in the church band

I was devastated, but didn’t realize how much that affected me until being asked to talk about it on The Voice. They have a way of pulling things out of you. Because church and music were so intertwined for me, once I was rejected from the church I stopped playing music too.

Years went by. The wound healed, but the scar was still there. I played my guitar every now and then in my bedroom. A friend of mine came over one day and asked if I would sing for her. It took me forever to muster up the courage to do so, but eventually I did, and she was blown away. She started telling all her friends and encouraged me to start singing out again. I’ve been pursuing music ever since, and if it weren’t for her support and encouragement I wouldn’t be where I am today. My friend’s name is Sandy, and her and I are now partners.

Sandy and I backstage

After telling my story during one of the on-camera interviews I explained to one of the producers that I didn’t want to become the “token lesbian” on the show. I didn’t want them to focus on that instead of who I was as a musician. She understood, but explained that my story and struggle is what helped get me here, and that she would do her best to spin it in the best light she could. I agreed that would be okay. I didn’t want to be difficult to work with and decided the best thing I could do was just to be true to myself.

Looking back, I am SO happy I got to tell my story and let America hear the struggles the LGBTQ community goes through. I’m actually really proud of myself for telling that story on national TV. I never talked to anyone about it and had buried it deep inside. I needed to get that out. The Voice helped me do that, and I’ll be forever grateful to them for giving me that platform to not only showcase my voice but to also tell my story.

To Be Continued…

This Is The Voice! – Part II

Jet setting, fancy hotels, palm trees and 80 degrees of pure happiness – now this was something I could get used to! I left the snowy gloom of Rochester behind me and entered into a strange new land where the sun actually shined every day. Upon arriving at the hotel, a commercial was being shot in the lobby. Yup, I’m in LA alright!

Into The Wild West

With every new level of The Voice journey, there were new rules and directions. The next round was the “Executive Audition.” Everyone was given a giant list of songs in which we were to rank our top 25 in the order we’d like to sing them in. Out of our ranking, the music department would pick a song which we had to sing. Here was the deal for the Executive Audition:

1. Aside from music department’s song pick, we had to prepare two other songs of our own choice. Again, they preferred modern, moderate to up-beat songs. No originals.
2. This time no one was allowed to accompany you. Backing tracks were required for all songs, but you could accompany yourself for one song only, and it couldn’t be for the song the music department picked for you.
3. They really encouraged originality, but humorously pointed out that just slowing down a song doesn’t get you any points. Switch it up and make it your own!
4. Guess what song they picked for me? Yup you got it – ZZ Ward’s Put The Gun Down. I couldn’t have been happier! It was my #1 pick, as I was a huge fan of ZZ Ward already and was already performing that song at my shows. Here were my picks for the Executive Audition:

1. Put The Gun Down by ZZ Ward (music department pick)
2. Rehab by Amy Winehouse
3. Sweater Weather by The Neighborhood

I’m pretty computer and audio savvy, so I edited my own arrangements of the tracks and sent them in to the music department. I love playing guitar, but I wanted my audition to be all about my voice and performance – no distractions. I was so ready for this! I packed my bags and headed out west!

Sing Into Spring!

We had an itinerary to follow, mostly just meetings and of course the impending Executive Audition. The rest of time we were free to roam the hotel and walk across the street with supervision. Single files, chaperones and meeting new classmates. It felt like elementary school all over again!

Everything we did had to be top secret. I started to feel like I was a part some secret society. We were no longer there for The Voice. To anyone who asked, we were there for a “Sing Into Spring” Singing Camp. The importance of confidentiality was pounded into our brains at every glance – which is understandable since everything happens before the show airs on TV.

I kept to myself for the most part, occasionally chatting with my fellow “campers.” The singing circles though? Forget it. They just weren’t my thing. In this type of situation, they just wear out your voice and your psyche. The staff even warned against them, but that didn’t slow them down.

Singing Circles: An instance where two or more singers get together to show off their pipes in a public place. Veiled as a happy bonding ritual of fellow musicians, it’s secretly a passive aggressive way of scoping out the competition. It usually turns into a contest of who can sing the loudest and best. They seem to grow in numbers and sometimes branch off into multiple locations. Almost always started by a guitar slinger.

Guitar Slinger: A guy or gal who carries around an acoustic guitar wherever they go, looking for an opportunity to sing a song and/or get asked to start a singing circle.

The Executive Audition

The time had come. I had my appointment for the Executive Audition, and I was feeling good! I walked into the room, but something caught me off guard. It was dimly lit, candles and all, and there were about 25+ people sitting in chairs. “Did I take a wrong turn?” It looked like a scene from VH1’s Storytellers. I wasn’t expecting this. It was like a real industry showcase! Not that I’ve ever been to one, but if I had I’m pretty sure this is what it would look like. There were record label reps, producers, and other important industry heads seated, and I was the main attraction.

My nerves kicked in a bit, but I did my best. Michelle McNulty (the one from my Philly audition) was in the back jamming to my performance, which helped me loosen up. I got through Put The Gun Down and Rehab, and that’s all they needed to hear. As I was on my way out the door, I got a “Great job!” from a lady in the audience, which boosted my confidence. I was then told to report to a specific room in the hotel – most likely to either hear I made it or I didn’t.

When I got there, there were others seated waiting to go in. Everything was very mysterious, and no one really knew what was going on. I went in but once again got no answer, just more paperwork. Turns out I’d be going home again to wait for a “call.” Arghhhhhh! Not this again!

To Be Continued…