*
(camera shutter clicks)
Music is the most, the highest form of expression for humanity.
(camera shutter clicks)
Music just says what you have a hard time saying.
I can't imagine my life without it.
*
* Two, three o'clock, four o'clock rock. *
* Five, six, seven o'clock, eight o'clock rock. *
* Nine, ten, eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock rock. *
* We're gonna rock around the clock tonight. *
* Put your glad rags on and join me, hon, *
* gonna have some fun...
We move into these cities, right, and
we come in, we do a show, we connect with the
audience on a, on a face-to-face real level,
we shake hands, we, we hear their stories.
Imagine finding a group of people where we could
allow them to be in our show to learn something
about them and let them teach us what their
experience is with music in their community.
We have shows like American Idol and the
Sing-Off and The Voice.
People are looking at what is the quote unquote best
voice, or what's the recording artist voice?
And so that exists.
What we want to make is something that, that
highlights people who are telling the truth with music.
If we have the chance to participate in these
people's lives a little bit maybe and to see, you
know, how they interact with their community, how
they interact with their families or friends, or
how they, how they use music to make their lives better.
* Ba ba ba, ba ba be daba dah. *
*
*Oh yeh yeh, will you smile? *
*
And one of the reasons that I started Streetlamp
is because I needed three other dudes...
yeah...
to be on stage with me before I felt comfortable.
So you're among friends.
Okay, thanks.
I feel like it'll show others that they can do
whatever they want even if they come from a small town.
Don't stop dreaming.
If you stop dreaming, that's giving up.
You should never give up.
As a person on the autism spectrum, singing just,
it helps me, it makes me feel alive.
*
I'd like to find these folks.
Let's find the right folks and see what happens.
Let's do it.
*
(group chatter)
Just need your name here.
Do that.
(Christopher Kale Jones) We wanted this to be kind
of a microcosm of kind of just different social classes.
We chose these two counties in Indiana.
So I thought, well, what if no one shows up?
We're in some very small subs of the country.
What if we don't have anyone who comes and that
we've had thousands of people come to the website
and now we have a great number of people coming to
these auditions.
Then my second, third fear was, is anyone gonna be any good?
* Aaaaaaah aaaah... *
* un-defense my righteousness.... *
* ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah.... *
* my leaky boat.
* Why she had to go, I don't know. *
* O-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ah.
* It won't be long till I'm gonna need *
* somebody to lean on.
Basically you're trying to look for talent that, that
you feel can work with other talented people.
(Shonn Wiley) We're doing the show right here
in their community so their full community can come out and see
them do their thing, and then the
whole country's gonna see it.
* ....home, Mountain Mama, take me home, country roads. *
There's a commonality and a, and a good feeling when
everybody gets together through music.
Everybody ready?
Yep.
Okay.
(footsteps approching)
Let's do it.
Sweet pants on a frog I'm nervous.
(laughing)
Jerry Seinfeld has a bit about stage fright where
he says the number one fear in America is public speaking.
Number two is death.
So if you're at a funeral, you'd rather be in the
casket than giving a eulogy.
(laughing)
Well, I'm not, I'm not going for that.
I want to be outside.
I'm Megan Wilkerson.
I'm twenty years old, and I'm from Merrillville, Indiana.
My name is William Akins.
I am from Merrillville, Indian, and I am 21 years old.
Dave Sigler, I'm 64, and I'm from Lakes of the Four Seasons,
Crown Point, Indiana.
My name is Steve Burks.
I'm from Gary, Indiana, and I'm 46.
My name is Kinsey Mason.
I'm 15 years old and I'm from Crown Point, Indiana.
My name's Anna Mosoriak, I'm 19 years old, and I'm
from Highland, Indiana.
(Womans voice) And what are you going to
sing for us today, Anna?
I'm going to be singing When I Was Your Man
by Bruno Mars.
(Womans voice) Alright, anytime you're ready.
Okay.
*Same bed but it feels just a little bit bigger now. *
*Our song on the radio but it don't sound the same. *
*When our friends talk about you, all it does is *
*just tear me down. *
*My heart breaks a little when I hear your name. *
I mean the best thing that I saw that I saw all day
was Sierra Helton.
* I was wr-o-o-ong.
*Oh I know I'm prob'ly much too late to try and *
*apologize for my mistakes. *
*I just want you to know-oh-oh. *
Y'know, she's a singer.
Like she already is a singer.
*I hope he holds your hand and gives you all his *
*hours when he has the chance. *
I want to make songs that people will be able to
relate to, and if somebody is going through the same
problems that I'm going through, then I want them
to overcome their problems through listening to my music.
I, I gave, I gave Taylor definitely two thumbs up.
I thought she was great.
*My heart was wrapped up in clover *
*the night I looked at you. *
*Oh yeh yeh yeh. *
I think those, I think those two women are the
strongest women we, strongest people we saw today.
-I concur with that.
Yeah.
I think I did good.
I was a little nervous.
Anyone sitting behind a table just wants you to be
the best that you can, and so seeing people that are
coming in here and despite their nerves pushing
through and singing for us, and doing some things
that are out of the box-we've heard some
Journey so far...
* Just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit. *
We've heard some music theatre...
*What's your concern? *
*Are you scared of hearing one thing new? *
* Happy to see you bly baresta stay. *
We've got some, some Sinatra-type stuff going on.
* I'll take time and borrow, give free to sorrow. *
That's been really kind of great.
*I loved you endlessly when you weren't there for me, *
*so now it's time to leave and make it alone. *
Music is, singing especially, has just
always been my second language.
Especially, it helped me, you know, cope with my
Asperger's syndrome.
I was diagnosed at age six.
Tanner used to watch Disney videos on TV,
etcetera, when he was very small and would memorize
them as soon as he'd see them, and would then
continue to sing them over and over and over again.
So it was something he couldn't stop doing.
I just want to say to the parents out there that
think that just because your kids have autism or
any type of mental disability, that it's not
the end of the world.
It's not a death sentence.
I really can't think of a day that my parents didn't
help me pursue the things that I love to do the most.
There's such a big stigma against mental illness in
this country that needs to be addressed.
And I think showcasing individuals like me with
autism or any other mental illness, what have you,
that we're people too, and that we have talents, we
have hopes and dreams.
Parents out there with children that are recently diagnosed or
they're just kind of floundering about what's
going to happen to my kid, I would encourage them to
get into music, theatre, the arts,
where every personality is embraced.
Is there, is there a specific song or a
specific type of music that, that really kind of
resonates with you and...?
I mean to me it really
doesn't matter what the genre is as long as the
music speaks to me and it has a story behind it.
My mother and I, we found each other through music,
because I was adopted when I was little and I did not
know that she existed.
But she saw one of my music videos on YouTube
and that's how she found me.
So it's helped me a lot in life as far as moving on
and forgiving people and forgiving myself.
*Maybe if I don't cry I won't feel any more stone *
*cold, baby. *
*God knows I try to feel *
*happy for you. *
*Know that I am, even when I can't understand. *
*I'll take the pain. *
*Give me the truth. *
*Me and my heart, *
*we'll make it through. *
Um, it's nerve wracking.
It's really nerve wracking.
But I think I did well.
I hope the judges like me.
Our challenge is going to be to match that story, if
you will, with talent that we obviously need.
And they all seem to be talented, and I think that
we got them to this point-we have done
something already and we should feel good about that.
Music has helped me drastically.
It helped me decide what I wanted to do with my lo-, life.
It helped me overcome so many obstacles in life of
discovering who I was as a person.
It also helped me, a self-discovery of only
growing up with my mom and not knowing who my father was.
And it's not going to be an easy task coming up
with the final list, but I think when we do we know
that every one of them-and beyond just the ones
here-I mean it speaks for the whole community and
probably the whole country, that music is a
healing force in their lives-and some of them
from the age of two to 75.
My name is LuAnne Pezel.
I'm 55 years old and I'm from Portage, Indiana.
I could honestly say I don't feel that I have
reached my capacity.
I hope I haven't.
Two and a half years ago, I had a quadruple bypass,
and, sorry.
You have to live every day one hundred percent.
And that's how I live.
One hundred percent.
Don't stop dreaming.
If you stop dreaming, that's giving up.
You should never give up.
* And life is like a song, oh yeah. *
* At last, the skies above are blue. *
If I can inspire somebody or if someone inspires me
that's the best thing to take away from this whole
experience.
What I didn't quite expect was to connect to these
people right when they walk on stage.
You can, you can see them coming alive when they,
they think about these, these songs and this music
and how they want to communicate it to us.
And I have to say I'm, I'm probably more nervous than
they are.
My name is Krystal Quagliara.
I'm 31 and I am from Hammond, Indiana.
Music is the language of the world.
You know, I think even if you don't know the words
to something or you can't understand the words to
something, there's something in the song-a
note, a chord, a progression-that can
really speak to somebody.
*Cause I need you by my side. *
*Can't you see that I'm lonely? *
*Rescue me. *
I was nervous but I think a little bit of nervous
energy is a good thing.
My love of music started to change my life with our son.
He's 35 now but when he was two he suffered a
brain injury, and he's not able to speak.
He has difficulty getting dressed and feeding
himself and so forth.
But he's always enjoyed music, even though he's
clearly a, a spectator to music.
It's always brought him joy.
It's a way that I can connect with him when we
get to spend time together.
What are some of your favorite style of music to sing?
I like rock n' roll stuff from the 60's and 70's
when I grew up.
I don't know why you'd like any of that.
Yeah, ain't that something?
(laughing)
Is there, is there like a 60's song that you'd like that
you know the words to that you'd be happy to sing a little bit?
Sure.
Maybe a little up-tempo?
Yeah.
Something that kind of shows a little personality?
Okay.
Yeah.
*If I should call you up, invest a dime.... *
*And you say you belong to me and ease my mind... *
*Imagine how the world could be so very fine... *
*So happy together. *
My name is Tim Hester.
I am from Wheatfield, Indiana, and I am 59.
It says here you're a pastor.
Is that true?
Sure.
How long has that been your career?
40 years.
Wow! Oh, that's all.
40 years?
Yeah, 40 years.
Since you were like 20?
Yeah, absolutely.
I started when I was 19, actually.
I'm an introvert and it's sometimes hard for me to
express myself in words.
But when it comes to a song, when it comes to
music; that opens me up in ways that the spoken word doesn't.
*We are the sons, we are the daughters of God. *
*No matter where we go, we're close to the *
*Father's heart. *
Hi, my name is Clarence Earl Smith.
I'm from Hammond, Indiana and I'm 20 years old.
I noticed that when I play music, people are happy,
like a big amount of smiles.
For lack of a better term, I see a million faces and
I intend to rock them all.
* So rock me mama like a wagon wheel.... *
*Rock me mama, any way you feel. *
*Hey, mama, rock me. *
*Rock me, mama, like the wind and the rain.... *
*Rock me, mama like a southbound train. *
*Hey, hey mama, rock me. *
Yeah, brother!
Yeah!
Wow!
Alright, just so you know, in that same spot Darius Rucker
stood there and sang.
Yeah!
Honestly?
It can go either way.
I just came here to have fun.
I think the journey of being in this group does
exactly what we're trying to do and maybe
someone-I'm just picking out names here-but if Adam
and Clarence, who might never meet each other
under normal circumstances, are there
and it changes Clarence's life, that's something I'm
really interested in.
My name is Adam Gawlikowski.
I am 73, and I live in Highland.
One of the things that I found out in business is
that I need to give back to the community that feeds me.
And what, what things stick out in particular
that impressed me; I was singing at one senior
living facility, and this was for a memory unit, and
there were 30 women and one man.
And I opened the set with You Are My Sunshine, and
every single person sang.
It was like a choir.
*
*You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.... *
*You make me happy when skies are gray. *
*You'll never know, dear, how much I love you.... *
*Please don't take my sunshine away. *
Everybody knows the lyrics,
where I wouldn't think they would.
They wouldn't necessarily remember who visited with them
yesterday but they sure remember all the lyrics to
one of these time-old songs.
Yeah.
Music can stay with people for a lifetime.
This opportunity is probably the closest I've
ever come, so I'm real excited-even more close
than it was when I hitchhiked out to
California in the 60's and sang at the Troubadour and
did all that stuff but then had to take a
Greyhound bus back home and get a job.
*You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. *
*Please don't take my sunshine away. *
Well, we don't like it.
(laughing)
That's....that's what's obvious.
That was awesome!
Well, they responded pretty well.
They sang along with me-that's a good sign.
So far, I've been actually surprised with the talent
that has come onto the stage.
My name is Dwayne Everett.
I am 27 years old and I'm from Merrillville, Indiana.
There was a time in my life where I was kind of
lost and didn't find, have a place in the world,
especially socially.
I didn't have very many friends.
I didn't feel a connection with other people.
But I always sang, I always had music.
So this was when I was in high school.
And I auditioned for one of the musicals that they
had there, ended up getting in the show, and
from there I was able to meet people who were like me.
*When the night has come and the land is dark and *
*the moon is the only light we'll see... *
*No I won't be afraid, *
*no I won't be afraid, *
*just as long as you stand, stand by me. *
There was, it was a really nice table, and it's
always nice to audition for people who appreciate
what you're doing.
We've asked these people to come here and be vulnerable.
They have the courage to do so.
And so I feel like we have to show up for them
emotionally as well.
We have to take care of their experience.
My name is Kristen Cowan.
I'm 24 years old from Valparaiso, Indiana.
*The night I looked at you *
*I found a dream that I *
*could speak to, *
*a dream that I can call my own. *
We're all theatre actors and singers and have
auditioned a million times and forgotten a million lyrics.
So you're not up here by yourself.
(Kristen) Okay.
And one of the reasons that I started Streetlamp
is because I needed three other dudes....
(Kristen) -Yeah...
to be on stage with me before I felt comfortable.
So you're among friends.
Okay, thanks.
Starting from the age of two I was in the car
singing just with my parents.
Starting at the age of four, too, I'd start
harmonizing with my dad and I didn't understand why.
I'd say, "Dad, well what am I doing?
Why am I not singing what they're singing?"
And I didn't understand.
And he said, "You have a gift.
You're harmonizing.
You'll understand when you're older."
I think I did a good job for this being
my first audition alone.
I had fun.
I tap danced.
That was cool.
How long have you been tap dancing?
Probably age five to 17.
Yeah?
I mean that's a decent amount of time.
Do you want to jam a little bit?
(Kristen) Yeah.
Yeah?
(Kristen) Sure.
(Charlie Blum) There you go.
(Kristen) In these?
Yeah, right, I know.
Do you, you've got proper shoes?
(Michael Ingersoll) That's fine. Shonn's in loafers.
I'm in loafers so it's, it's a...
(Charlie) No, Shonn is a loafer.
I am, I am not a loafer.
Rose, come over here in the light.
So it's like, maybe do a little shim sham.
Okay.
You know shim sham.
And a one, and a two, and a three, and a four.
Oh.
One, and a two, and a three, and a four.
I just remember time steps.
Time steps?
Five, six, seven, and a one.
And a two.
(Charlie) There we go.
(Shonn) And a three.
We had hoped that this area would provide a
microcosm of the, the nation and the world in
general, and I really think it is.
These, these, you know, we said early on in one of
our bits of dialogue-I think Michael was the one
who said it-that you don't have to dig too hard into
any person's life to find an interesting story.
And we are finding that all over the place here.
My name is Sylvia Nava.
Although I don't typically reveal my age, I'll tell
you I'm the double five.
-Whoo!
But inside I'm 28 and still a rock star.
-Yeah!
-Awesome.
So I'm a cancer survivor.
I was diagnosed twice-in 2001 with multiple myeloma
I was told three to five years.
Then in 2010 I was given a second diagnosis
of breast cancer.
And those are the words you don't necessarily even
want to hear one time, let alone twice.
I really think that I'm here and God has a reason
for me here, and I'm, and I'm hoping that music is
one of those reasons.
*Strummin' my pain with his fingers.... *
*Seein' my life with his words... *
*Killing me softly with his song... *
*Telling my whole life with his words... *
*Killing me softly with his song. *
My name is Michelle Stratton Dale.
I am 50...
-Whoo! Whoo!
...years old.
Yah!
And I am from...
Thank you...
I'm from Lake Station, Indiana.
If I was chosen for the super group it would
fulfill a childhood fantasy that I had of
becoming a singer-not necessarily on TV, not
necessarily to be famous, not necessarily for any of
those things other than to sing and be in front of
people to make them happy, to make them feel some
kind of emotion.
*Your love keeps liftin' me higher *
*than I've ever been lifted before. *
*So keep it up, *
*quench my desire *
*and I'm by your side forever more. *
By sharing my gift of music, I feel like I'm
giving back to my community.
Where I work, I work with children, and children who
have not necessarily had the greatest lives.
Everyone it together when, when you sing.
Music brings people together.
And by my singing, it makes everyone more
comfortable.
You know, I can, I can sing a song by Bruno Mars
that's playing on the radio that all the kids know.
You know, and
* doh doh, doh doh, doh doh, doh. *
* Girls hit your hallelujah, whoo! *
*Girls hit your hallelujah, whoo! *
*'Cause uptown funk gonna give to ya. *
*Saturday night, we in the spot. *
*Don't believe me, just watch, oh! *
We're all singing together and we're all having a
good time, and before you know it everybody's
laughing, everybody's singing.
I had ten kids come to me just to show me their report cards.
We know these kids.
We know that, what their abilities are, and when
they bring that C up to a B, or they bring that D up
to a C, or that B up to an A, they come to us.
Honestly, if you've never been hugged by twenty or
thirty kids when you walk in the door, you haven't lived.
Oh!
Hi, Ray!
(Child) Best day ever!
My name's AmberLyn Macchia.
I just turned 27, and I'm from Crown Point, Indiana.
When I get to sing in church, I get to bring the
message of Christ's love, Christ's salvation, and I
get to tell people that, and they get to hear those
words in a different and very powerful way.
*And without You, I fall apart. *
*You're the one that guides my heart. *
My name is Kelly Bourget.
I am 23 years old and I'm from Schererville, Indiana.
(singing opera in a foreign language)
I was, you know, bullied a lot when I was a kid because
of my weight and stuff, and I ended up really
falling in love with singing and I let that
become what defined me-not my weight, not anything
else that they made fun of me for, and I really let
that grow.
And I eventually, you know, went to school for
it and then went to college and graduated with
a degree in Opera Performance, which was
really great.
I'm studying opera music and classical at college,
and what I've learned through the past year
cause I just finished my freshman year-it requires
a lot of discipline.
*It was not to be... *
* Harsh necessity
*brought me to * this gilded cage.
*Born too higher things. *
*Here I drop my *
*wings, Ah-ah-ah-ah. *
Opera is just like such, such a different art form
that not a lot of people are exposed to.
It's like such a mystery.
It's in different languages.
The orchestrations are out of this world.
The composing is insane.
And so it's just, like not a lot of kids my age are
interested in that.
So I'm, I'm really interested in like
exposing more people to that type of music because
it's so different.
Music has definitely made me who I am today because
I am known as the little girl with the big voice.
*I will leave my heart at the door. *
*I won't say a word... *
*They've all been said before, you know. *
I can't wait to learn more about the people we
select, going forward, to learn about what gives
them the courage to step out of their normal lives
and walk on stage.
When I sing, it's just something that tells me
like, you have to keep singing.
It makes me happy.
That's what I have to do.
I always think about if I was not able to sing,
I don't know how I would deal with all the hard
lessons that life has to teach you because I'd
probably make wrong decisions; I'd probably go
down the wrong path.
But music fortunately, it's, it's a guiding hand to me.
It helps me more forward.
Sometimes you can get beat up by life.
But you know, music patches you back up and
tells you to get back out there.
Music just says what you have a hard time saying
and you can't say easily.
I think it's a really good way to tell someone, this
is, this is what I'm feeling; like please
listen to this and please hear that there is more
than what you see.
Music speaks louder than my words cause I'm not
much of a good talker, so when I sing, it speaks for me.
*And if please may I once again... *
*So that you too will understand... *
*There's a ribbon in the sky for our love. *
My name is David Tamez, yeah!
(Judges) -Yeah!
Yeah!
And I'm from Northwest Indiana, and
I am (mumbles) years old.
*Nothin', nothin', without a woman or a girl, *
*yeh, yeh, yeh. *
What do you do for a living right now?
I started out doing stand-up comedy here at
the Holiday Star Theatre in 1984.
I was gonna ask if you were a comedian.
(Brandon Wardell) Can you tell us a joke?
What do you call a fly with no wings?
(Charlie Blum) I give up.
A walk.
Ah.
Ooh.
(laughing)
Theodore McClendon, age 58.
*People all over the world, they join hands.... *
*So join a love train, a love train... *
*People all over the world, join hands... *
*Start a love train, a love train. *
The musical director sitting over here is the
musical director for the O'Jay's, and I just saw
him get his phone out and call Walt and Eric.
I have an iron clad contract in my bag there.
(Shonn Wiley) How are you this morning?
I'm so excited.
(Judge) You think you're excited.
Sorry.
I'm Anastasia Rauch.
I'm 18 and I'm from St. John, Indiana.
*Jamie arrived at the end of the line. *
*Jamie's convinced that the problems are mine. *
When I was in middle school around seventh
grade, I really, I was picked on a lot, like I
wasn't an ideal look.
I didn't act ideal for everyone.
I was a little quirky, I was weird, and I feel like
that didn't really sit well with people.
I didn't have a place where I really fit in that well.
And in eighth grade I joined choir and that, I
had people like me, just trying to fit in somewhere.
And I joined theatre in eighth grade, and just all
of that together was, it kind of created like a
safe spot, like a home kind of thing.
When I'm sharing my gift of music, I hope it could
have an impact on the people around me who are
going through the same things that I'm going
through, that like they could do it, too, and it
doesn't have to be some, like you don't have to be
like a superstar to do it.
You can just, you can just be a normal person.
*I dreamed a dream in time gone by.... *
*When hope was high and life worth living. *
*So darlin', darlin', stand by me. *
*Oh, stand by me. *
My name's Michaela McGarel I'm sixteen years old and
I am from Crown Point, Indiana.
*Don't know how to love him.... *
*What to do, how to move him. *
* He's a man
* He's just a man.
Maybe I was a little too excited so my nerves kind
of got to me.
But I think I did pretty good.
My name is Sarah Denton, I am 30 years old, and I'm
from Highland, Indiana.
*Watching as the days hurry by.... *
*When you're in love, my, *
*how they fly. *
*Blue days, all of them gone... *
*Nothin' but blue skies from now on. *
My name is Stephanie Stalbaum.
I'm 34 years old and I'm from Hebron, Indiana.
*Prove that you love me and buy the next round.... *
*Oh, Lord, won't you buy me a night on the town. *
Everybody!
(Judges) Yeah!
I was a little more nervous than I anticipated
but I gave it my best.
I'm Peyton Tinder.
I'm 18, and I am from Highland, Indiana.
* It's wilting the quilting on my maiden form. *
Well, you know, I think, I think I showed what I
needed to show.
I think it went well.
My name is Steve Burks.
I'm from Gary, Indiana, and I'm 46.
*And so long... *
*May I touch your hand.... *
*So that we two will once again... *
I think it went well.
Musically well.
Lyrically-not well.
So, but other than jacking up the words I, it went well.
*
We gotta know if they can sing together-sing in
harmony, hold their parts.
Harmony is a tricky thing.
You know, you may have been used to singing your
whole life.
You may have sung along to your favorite artists, you
maybe even sung in church or in school or something
like that.
But when you sing with another person it can pull
you off of what you're supposed to sing very easily.
So that's what we're gonna be looking for after we
get to hear everyone's individual voice because
sometimes you may have a great voice but if you're
singing next to someone, you just get drawn to what
they're singing, and that can be tough.
So how do we do that in callbacks, do you think?
Well, I think what we're gonna have to do is we're
gonna have to pick something that we sing.
We're going to have to define probably four
different parts....Yeah....because
we're looking for a group that's gonna be covering
four parts with probably four people in each
part...Yeah.
And then we're gonna have to teach them those four
parts and then we're gonna have to get groups of
maybe one each so that we know that they can, on
their own, hold a part with three other people
singing three totally different things, and we
should switch them up probably.
Yeah, you're gonna have to move them around and...see
who sounds good with other, you know, well this
person sounds really good with these three people.
It also will let us know who can sort of pick this
up quickly because we're going to have to do this
in a really short amount of time.
-Sure.
I mean we've only got a few weeks that we can take
off from touring, and these people have jobs and
school and, and life.
I mean...A couple of hours a night-that's what we're
talking about-probably a couple of days a week
until we get to...
(Michael Ingersoll) For a couple of weeks maybe.
Well, until we get to that final week where we're
just gonna, if you really want to do this, you're
gonna have to make that commitment.
-Yeah, right, right.
And I think that they, I mean I think they, they
would be up for that.
(All singers) Good morning!
Haha!
How are we all doing today?
Good.
Wonderful.
Well, first of all we wanted to say thank you
for being here this morning.
We are so excited to have you here, and
congratulations on making the callbacks.
Whoo! (applause)
Now, we're gonna have a lot of fun today, so I
just want everybody to keep that in mind.
This is all fun, right?
Yes.
Yep.
Alright.
Good. Good.
Okay.
Now, we've all heard you guys as soloists and we're
very excited to be singing with many, many of you
guys here, hopefully in the, in the choir at the
end of this.
But right now what we need to hear is each of you
singing in harmony.
So for, that's what we'll be doing for the rest of
the day, is hearing you guys holding down your
harmony part along with us.
We know what it feels like to be at a callback.
We've been at dozens.
We've, we're actors, singers-we've been through
this a lot.
We know the kind of courage it takes to show
up and continue to do this.
We're very, very grateful.
So we also wanted; we've been, we've been hearing
you sing for the past couple of days.
We thought it was only fair if we ponied up and
sang a little bit for you, too, if that's something
that you guys are alright with.
Alright?
Yeah!
Okay, let's warm it up.
Okay.
So we're gonna sing one of Michael's solos from the
show so that you guys are aware that the talent
level for soloing is right here.
(laughing)
We like to set the expectations low by
ah...alright, Doc, here we go.
Please don't boo and or throw things.
(laughing)
*
*When this old world starts gettin' me down and people *
*are just too much for me to face.... *
*(Up on the roof) *
*I climb way up to the top of the stairs *
*and all my cares just drift out into space... *
*(Up on the roof) *
*On the roof it's peaceful as can be *
*(aaah) *
*And there the world below don't bother me *
*(aaah)... *
[cheers]
So given, you know, given
where we've set the bar, you guys are gonna be amazing.
That's right.
(laughing)
So, now we're gonna divide you guys into groups and
learn these parts, and I get the pleasure of
singing Wonderful World with you, so I'm looking
really forward to that.
Let's do it.
Let's take a stab at this and see if we can make
this happen.
I'm sure it'll be good.
One, two, three, and....
*Don't know much about history. *
*Don't know much biology. *
*Don't know much about a science book. *
*Don't know much about the French I took. *
*But I do know that I love you. *
*And I know that if you love me, too. *
*What a wonderful world this would be. *
(Dennis "Doc" Williams) Now I wanna hear it in
the back of the room.
*Don't know much about.... *
(Shonn) When you call people back and
you're not really sure if they're, that they can hold
harmony parts and sing as a group and, and so there's
that, there's that anxiousness about that, and then you
start teaching them, and then everybody's picking it up,
and some might take a little bit longer and then, but
then, then you make an adjustment and Boom!
They've got it.
-Yeah, that's true.
And then you're running all these people together
and it's just like, I don't want to, I don't
want this to be a competition.
*Don't know much about a science book. *
*Don't know much about the French I took. *
*But I do know that I love you. *
*And I know that if you love me, too. *
*What a wonderful world this would be. *
One more time.
And two, three....
*Don't know much about history. *
*Don't know much biology.... *
You know, one of the things we're
looking for that sometimes
is even trickier than pitch, is having everybody
sing rhythmically all together.
You know, sometimes you can sing the right chord
but if it's, if they're not singing together on
each beat, gosh that's something that's tricky to
even teach in a short period of time.
(Dennis "Doc" Williams) I need a little more on
that tenor. Sing it out.
One more time.
*Don't know much about history. *
*Don't know much biology. *
*Don't know much about a science book. *
*Don't know much about the French I took. *
*But I do know that I love you. *
*And I know that if you love me, too. *
*What a wonderful world this would be. *
-Good.
-Fantastic!
*But I do know that I love you. *
*And I know that if you love me, too. *
*What a wonderful world this will be. *
(Shonn) Let's do that one more time.
Kinsey, can we have you sing out just a little bit?
(Michael) That was exactly right.
Do that again.
(Brandon) I can tell that Mickey is just
trying her hardest to hold this part down, and we're going over
it and over it, and then, and sometimes she'll get
it with me and then just like, just like what
happens with us sometimes-she's, gets in a
group and then the pressure's on and the part
just leaves.
*But I do know that I love you. *
*And I know that if you love me, too. *
*What a wonderful world this will be. *
Some of these people where we've, we've already heard
part of their story and we empathize and we've fallen
in love with them, and today for some of these
people was a process of we just want to get you to
the level so you can be in this choir and perform at
the level we think we need to have at a minimum for
the concert-and some people got so close but
didn't quite make it, and others were like,
surpassed our expectations.
But it's hard because we're gonna say goodbye
today to people that we were hoping to have a
longer relationship with.
This has still probably been an ideal vehicle for
some of these same people that we saw to express
themselves, to be seen, to be heard...Yeah.
It's probably the opportunity of a lifetime
just to, just to have made this, this audition.
Let's try this.
Yeah.
Let me take a group of about...
-Do what you want to do, man. The floor's yours.
Do what you want.
Alright, it's up to Doc now so I have no idea what
y'all are gonna do.
Call the Doctor.
I wanna take o-o-o-one, two.
I'm not sure yet but I think it's gonna be three,
four-the four of you.
I want you and Darius Rucker.
(laughing)
I like braids.
You two ladies with...Dreads....Dreads
and all this.
If I call them braids you're not comin'?
Oh, I'm...I thought you said braids.
No, the two of you.
You and...As altos?
Yeah, you and the minister.
Hey guys, right in the center.
(Michael) You know what we're definitely
not missing here today, is enthusiasm.
Yeah.
These folks are so committed.
Yeah.
I mean it's just a joy to watch them jump in and
just do it.
It takes a lot of courage.
I really take my hat off to these folks.
*
Here we go.
One, two...
*Don't know much about history. *
*Don't know much biology. *
*Don't know much about a science book. *
*Don't know much about the French I took. *
*But I do know that I love you. *
*And I know that if you love me, too. *
*What a wonderful world this would be. *
Now shout it!
I want to hear it across the, the hotel.
* Don't know much about history.*
That's it!
* Don't know much biology. *
*Don't know much about a science book. *
* Don't know much about the French I took. *
*But I do know that I love you. *
* And I know that if you love me, too. *
* What a wonderful world this would be. *
I like that.
Brandon, how are we gonna, how are we gonna tell
people this afternoon?
I have no idea.
I was so close to them, and I'm seeing people in,
in their, in my face, and you guys showing them
their parts, and they do it and they do it over and
over, and after....
We're gonna leave that to the producers.
(laughing)
And there were, you know, I think, I think everyone relaxed.
And at that time I'm like, "Okay, let's just take
everybody." I really don't...and I really
wanted, I wanted to change the rules...Yeah...And we
just can't.
I'd say we did that and just take everybody.
I hope the folks that, that won't be in our group
but that participated in callbacks, I hope they
enjoy seeing themselves on TV.
I hope they, I hope they feel good about the
portions of their story that will air, that will
contribute to, to the unity and to the good that
we're trying to create here.
And we've all lost.
We've all been cut, we've all...Yeah....not been
called back.
We've all lost jobs that we thought were going to
be dream jobs.
I mean I know exactly how that feels because I've
been there...it's so familiar...so many times.
I know everyone's gonna feel, who doesn't make it,
is gonna feel rejected this afternoon.
But I, I hope, I hope that everyone feels honored.
*
Will the following people please step forward to the
white line?
Kelly Bourget,
Taylor Carter,
Kristen Cowan,
Dwayne Everett,
Adam Gawlikowski,
Sierra Helton,
Tim Hester,
AmberLyn Macchia.
Theodore McClendon,
Anna Mosoriak,
Sylvia Nava, and
Tanner Ollo.
And I have the easy job.
LuAnne Pezel,
Clarence Smith,
Tyreak Thomas, and
Megan Wilkerson.
(sighs)
Now for those of you whose names weren't called,
I hope that you'll be proud to watch yourselves on television.
I hope that you'll be proud to see yourself
singing on television.
I hope that you'll be proud that your story will
be told.
We all know what the moment feels like when
we're not allowed to be included because of plenty
of reasons that aren't within our control.
But for now, we're going to have to say so long
till next time and we're very, very grateful that
you were here.
So thank you.
We'll see you for now.
[clapping]
So congratulations and welcome to
Harmonies for Healing: Under the Streetlamp.
You're all gonna be in the concert with us, and we're
looking forward to working with you.
Woo! (clapping)
I think this will work.
*
Here we go.
*Sometimes in our lives... *
*We all have pain, *
*we all have sorrow... *
*But if we are wise, *
*we know that there's *
*always tomorrow. *
*Lean on me when you're not strong *
*and I'll be your friend *
*I'll help you carry on... *
*For it won't be long till *
*I'm gonna need somebody to lean on. *
*Please swallow your pride... *
*If I have faith *
*you need to borrow... *
*For no one can fill those of your *
*needs that you won't let show. *
*You just call on me, brother, when you need a hand.... *
*We all need somebody to lean on. *
*I just might have a problem that you'd understand... *
*We all need somebody to lean on. *
*Let it rip! *
*Call me.... *
*When you need it. *
*Call me... *
*Oh, call me, friend... *
*Call me.... *
*When you need a friend... *
*Call me... *
*If you need a friend... *
*Oh hear me now...Oooh-oooh! *
*Call me... *
And then we have to figure out how we're gonna
present it on stage.
Is that, you can do that.
Yeah, right, you're gonna, you're just gonna direct,
direct traffic like you, like you always do-make
the pretty pictures.
Make sure, you know, Michael
You can leave your whip at home, though.
(Shonn) Are they on the stage?
You know, so those are, those are some things that
we'll have to think about, too.
Right.
Totally.
Okay, this is a lot.
Let's turn back.
(Shonn) No!
(laughing)
(Shonn) Not at all, man.
Let's put our heads down and let's go for it.
I think it's, I think it's gonna be awesome.
Really sweet.
* O-o-o-o-o-o-oh!
Yeah!
[cheers]
Next on Harmonies for Healing: Under the Streetlamp.
*Ah ah ah ah. *
Same note.
Thank you.
That's what I do.
Then he does the first two lines, to blah blah blah blah.
Okay?
Ready and....
* People all over the world join hands. *
*Start a love train, love train. *
*Don't you wanna ride this love train? *
The group sounds absolutely fantastic
when we all have such power together.
We have a shared love of music, we have a shared
love of performing, we have a shared love of
touching people.
* But I know that one and one is two. *
* And if this one could be with you. *
*What a wonderful world this would be. *
*Now I don't claim to be an A student... *
*But I'm tryin' to be. *
*Maybe by being an A student, baby, I can win *
*your love for me. *
Well, growing up my house was always filled with music.
We, you know, we had a three bedroom, and one of
them was totally full of my dad's instruments.
It gave us something to sort of joke about because
he obviously grew up in a different generation than
me, and his idea of what great music was at the
time was not exactly what mine was.
I was fortunate enough that although neither of
my parents were singers, they were both artistic.
My mom had actually put herself through college by
teaching ballet.
And I learned later in life that my dad actually
had studied some acting and done some acting in
college, but it was understood in his family
that that's not what you did.
122.
So we got 103 on what's Going On .
Right.
We got 122 on...
And I'll Be There
And the slow I'll Be There we've got 91.
* Togetherness, well *
*that's all I'm after. *
It's a, it's a major event that you're getting ready
to do, and I think you're prepared for it.
We're gonna keep the pedal to the medal and keep it
rollin' and I think it's gonna be a great show.
(applause)
*
*Well....She's the devil with the blue dress, *
* bluedress, blue dress... *
*Devil with the blue dress on. *
*
*Fee fee, fi fi, fo fo, fum. *
*Look at Molly now cause here she comes.*
*Wearin' her wig hat and her shades to match. *
*She's got high heel shoes and an alligator hat.*
*Wearin' her pearls and diamond rings *
*Bracelets on her arms now and everything. *
*She's the devil with a blue dress, blue dress, *
* blue dress,devil with the blue dress on. *
*Here she comes now. *
*Devil with the blue dress o-o-o-o-o-on. *
To learn more about
Harmonies for Healing: Under the Streetlamp,
Visit Harmonies4healing.org