The stage is dark with only one lone microphone. There is a panel of judges in front of them, watching their every move. They look down at the microphone they are given and take a deep breath. Their dream is finally coming true, so they begin to sing.

Sophomore Jayden Gregory and Senior Carter Colvin competed in the East Texas Idol singing competition on August 31. This event represented a shift in both of their futures in music and was a moment to help them prepare to step out of their comfort zones.

“Texas Idol is a singing competition in East Texas where 62 people enter, and only 15 people [make] it to the performance night,” sophomore Jayden Gregory said. “Carter and I were two of those people, which is amazing.”

Both spent a significant amount of time outside of class practicing their audition piece. Both of them have had a passion for music since they were very young. 

“I have been singing since I was four and have been producing music since I was 13,” Gregory said. “I have always felt music-oriented, and I can’t think of a world where I am not performing.”

The experience was more than performing for both of the students though. They met people who can show them how to improve their art and were given the tools to be noticed on the national stage.

“It was an encouraging experience even though I didn’t win because I got to know that it isn’t all about winning,” Colvin said. “It is about getting better and meeting people [and] finding what your weaknesses are and improving on those.”

The music industry isn’t easy to get into, but they both appreciate the experiences gained from East Texas Idol and hope to do it again. Gregory made it to the next to the last round of performance night.

“I would do it again because it is set up exactly like American Idol where you perform in front of 3 judges,” Colvin said. “It was extremely stressful, but it was also a lot of fun. I met a lot of incredible singers.”