After 9 seasons on American Idol, it's ‘so long’ to Simon Cowell, but who will replace the ‘King of Cruel?’ Fox Fort Wayne got the inside scoop on what it takes to fill Simon's shoes.
“Anything that's fresh and unique is going to appeal to anybody” says Cindy Shipley-White, who’s spent years as a judge in the show choir circuit. “We're looking for consistency and good entertainment value” says White.
For Randy, Simon, Kara and Ellen, there's no official score sheet, but White lays out how to make it in Hollywood. “The first and foremost thing you have to think about is ‘how do I play to my strengths, how do I minimize my weaknesses’” says White.
Some criteria at the top of White’s list include: interpretation of the music, phrasing of the music, vocal arrangement, and song choice. “Try to do an unusual arrangement, try to make this new, try to make it fresh, and put your own spin on it” says White.
When it comes to American Idol judges, White says it's Kara with the A+ advice. “She truly dissects the music and tries to take them right to the heart of what problem they have that they're going to have to get past or that they're struggling with and help them move forward” says White.
White also says we're living in generation ‘me’, meaning quirky doesn't hurt you these days. “That's innovative, people love that, they're unique, they're different, but bottom line is, they're singing well” she says.
And above all, White says to impress the judges and make it to the top you just got to be true to you. “What it's comes down to the past three seasons [of American Idol] is those people who can take something and turn it around in a way that no one's ever done to it before” says White.
