SMC senior auditions for second installment of "American Idol"
By ANDREW THAGARD
Assistant News Editor
Move over Kelly Clarkson, Renee Tem's vying for a spot on "American Idol," Fox's second installment of the hit summer series that is part-reality T.V. and part-talent search.
The Saint Mary's senior finance major made the preliminary set of auditions held in October in major cities throughout the U.S. She left for Los Angeles Monday for the second phase in which the group of 200 young adults will be narrowed down to 32 during a week of intensive tryouts.
"It was crazy," Tem said of the auditions held in Detroit over fall break. "They said between 10,000 and 12,000 people came. God gave me a little place."
Tem, however, is not the stereotypical "American Idol" contender. The Chicago native, in fact, did not watch the first run of the show nor does she listen to pop music. Tem is unassuming at first glance and her speaking voice has a raspy sound to it. She never had voice lessons and waited until last year to join the Notre Dame/ Saint Mary's Voices of Faith Gospel Choir.
But Tem has a secret weapon — a rich, captivating singing voice. She sings both alto and soprano.
"It's like … perfect," said Dawn Hogue, Tem's best friend of 10 years.
That voice, in fact, brought a fellow contender to tears during the preliminary tryouts in Detroit. While Tem was warming up by singing "O Holy Night," the girl next to her began to cry, amazed at the sound of her voice.
"You should have seen her face," Tem said. "I've never had anything like that happen to me in my life. When I sing it's like God gives me a whole new voice. You don't realize how huge your blessings are until they're laid out before you."
Despite her talent, Tem is humble. Deeply religious, she regards her voice as a gift from God and plans to practice in a corner by herself to avoid a similar incident.
When Tem started college, the girl who had been singing since she could talk stopped performing in public, afraid that people wouldn't be impressed.
"I lost my confidence," she said. "I don't know why. I was too worried of what people would think of me. I couldn't hide it for very long. I think it's because God didn't want me to hide it."
Tem reentered the spotlight last year when she joined Voices of Faith. She said she enjoys the opportunity to perform and the friendships that the choir provides.
"I'm doing it; I'm loving it. It's like going to Church," Tem said. "They're really excited [about American Idol]. They're encouraging me to go and be a witness.
Pop star Paula Abdul, BMG Record Executive Simon Cowell and former music company executive and industry expert Randy Jackson, the show's three judges, were also impressed during her tryout, Tem said.
"My voice was almost gone. I just prayed and got my song out," Tem recalled. "Randy and Paula were sitting there looking at me with these big similes on their faces. They both threw their hands up in the air when I was finished."
Cowell, notorious for the bluntness of his criticism during the first season, had his arms crossed throughout the audition, Tem said. When she was finished, Tem said he said, "Fabulous," but warned the Saint Mary's student that her voice had a 1940s sound and her image "sucked."
Since October, Tem has been working on improving her image, shopping for a new style. Her love of God, however, is unchanging, she said.
"My faith in myself is zero, but my faith in God is 100," Tem said.
She described her feelings about the competition in Los Angeles as a mixture of happiness and nervousness. Tem isn't overly concerned about the selection process, however, because she knows the outcome will be part of God's plan, she said.
Tem attributes her success to God and to the support of her family and the Notre Dame/ Saint Mary's communities.
It was Tem's mom who first suggested she try out for the show, and her mother and grandmother are more excited about the process than she is, she said.
Tem said that her professors have been very understanding and that she thrives on the Christian atmosphere that Notre Dame and Saint Mary's offer.
"I love being surrounded by Christians," she said. "It makes it easier for me to pray."
If Tem is selected among the top 32, she will return to California and advance to the next level. She plans to put school on hold if this happens. If she doesn't make the cut, it's not the end of the world either, she said.
"It's just like last time, I'm going on faith," Tem said.
The two-part season premiere of "American Idol", based on the hit British T.V. series "Pop Idol" will air on Fox on Jan. 21 and 22. The show's winner will receive a record contract that could, according to Fox, be worth millions of dollars.
All News Stories for Wednesday, December 11, 2002
