Every week, fans watch their favorite American Idol get his or her two minutes of glory on stage. What they don't see, though, is the grueling week of preparation that goes into those brief moments in front of the judges.
They've got only five days to perfect their song for the week, so just like a physical trainer puts contestants through their paces on other
reality shows, the Idols are pushed and prodded along by the show's vocal coaches. That coaching quartet—Debra Byrd, Dorian Holley, Michael Orland and Matt Rohde—recently gave TV Guide Magazine a peek at their week behind the scenes.
"Thursday is our Monday," says Holley, who coaches with Orland. That's the day when everyone starts from scratch and each Idol gets an hour with a coaching team to narrow down song choice. If a contestant can't choose quickly enough, the coaches will kick them out of the room and it's back to the drawing board.
"It's an overwhelming process," says Byrd, who partners with Rohde. "I've had people go into fetal positions because they couldn't figure out what to sing." Siobhan Magnus has taken to heart their advice about making decisions. "People were nay-saying my song choice and Dorian said, 'What matters is, do you dig it?' He reminds you that's what it comes down to."
The next day, the Idols return to the coaches for 30 intensive minutes, where everyone's needs are different. For instance, Andrew Garcia (who was just voted out) looked to Rohde for help with his arrangements. "If I'm playing a chord, he'll show me another chord that's way better." For Casey James, it's more about moral support. "I'm doing exactly what I've been doing for 11 years," he says. "Dorian and Michael get me in the place I need to be spiritually and mentally and get me prepared." Michael Lynche, meanwhile, gets help exercising control. "[Matt and Byrd] really keep me harnessed in," he explains. "I hear a lot of stuff in the song and I tend to try to sing it all, so they keep me from over-singing it and finding the true heart of the song."
On Saturdays, the celebrity mentors arrive, but that doesn't mean time off for the coaches. They are always there, in case the musical number changes. "It's actually fun," says Orland. "The last couple of mentors we've had say the exact same thing to the contestants that we say all week. But in the rare case we change something, they've been good changes."
Aaron Kelly has embraced this process of making a song his own, and credits his improvement to the advice from Holley and Orland. "Michael and Dorian always teach us to add personality to the song," he says. "They help me out a lot."
The coaches get one day off on Sunday, when the contestants shoot their Ford commercial. Mondays and Tuesdays are all about perfecting the song, and the coaches make sure the singers don't go overboard at rehearsals. "It took weeks for them to realize you can't give the best performance at sound check," says Orland. That, he says, is how the Idols lose their voices.
"They don't realize they've never sung as much as they're about to sing now," adds Holley. "And never will again." That includes recording the full version of their songs for iTunes, stage
rehearsals and the infamous group number, which they record with musical director Rickey Minor on Monday evenings.
Then, finally, it's showtime. By Tuesday, the coaches can be more nervous than the contestants. Says Byrd, "You can't help them. You can't save them. It's a horrible feeling." But it's also the day that makes the hard work and the long hours worthwhile. "When the contestant has an amazing performance, and the crowd's going nuts, I feel like I was a part of that," says Rohde. "It's a pretty cool thing."
They've got only five days to perfect their song for the week, so just like a physical trainer puts contestants through their paces on other
reality shows, the Idols are pushed and prodded along by the show's vocal coaches. That coaching quartet—Debra Byrd, Dorian Holley, Michael Orland and Matt Rohde—recently gave TV Guide Magazine a peek at their week behind the scenes.
"Thursday is our Monday," says Holley, who coaches with Orland. That's the day when everyone starts from scratch and each Idol gets an hour with a coaching team to narrow down song choice. If a contestant can't choose quickly enough, the coaches will kick them out of the room and it's back to the drawing board.
"It's an overwhelming process," says Byrd, who partners with Rohde. "I've had people go into fetal positions because they couldn't figure out what to sing." Siobhan Magnus has taken to heart their advice about making decisions. "People were nay-saying my song choice and Dorian said, 'What matters is, do you dig it?' He reminds you that's what it comes down to."
The next day, the Idols return to the coaches for 30 intensive minutes, where everyone's needs are different. For instance, Andrew Garcia (who was just voted out) looked to Rohde for help with his arrangements. "If I'm playing a chord, he'll show me another chord that's way better." For Casey James, it's more about moral support. "I'm doing exactly what I've been doing for 11 years," he says. "Dorian and Michael get me in the place I need to be spiritually and mentally and get me prepared." Michael Lynche, meanwhile, gets help exercising control. "[Matt and Byrd] really keep me harnessed in," he explains. "I hear a lot of stuff in the song and I tend to try to sing it all, so they keep me from over-singing it and finding the true heart of the song."
On Saturdays, the celebrity mentors arrive, but that doesn't mean time off for the coaches. They are always there, in case the musical number changes. "It's actually fun," says Orland. "The last couple of mentors we've had say the exact same thing to the contestants that we say all week. But in the rare case we change something, they've been good changes."
Aaron Kelly has embraced this process of making a song his own, and credits his improvement to the advice from Holley and Orland. "Michael and Dorian always teach us to add personality to the song," he says. "They help me out a lot."
The coaches get one day off on Sunday, when the contestants shoot their Ford commercial. Mondays and Tuesdays are all about perfecting the song, and the coaches make sure the singers don't go overboard at rehearsals. "It took weeks for them to realize you can't give the best performance at sound check," says Orland. That, he says, is how the Idols lose their voices.
"They don't realize they've never sung as much as they're about to sing now," adds Holley. "And never will again." That includes recording the full version of their songs for iTunes, stage
rehearsals and the infamous group number, which they record with musical director Rickey Minor on Monday evenings.
Then, finally, it's showtime. By Tuesday, the coaches can be more nervous than the contestants. Says Byrd, "You can't help them. You can't save them. It's a horrible feeling." But it's also the day that makes the hard work and the long hours worthwhile. "When the contestant has an amazing performance, and the crowd's going nuts, I feel like I was a part of that," says Rohde. "It's a pretty cool thing."
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