Local aspiring singers have the opportunity to be a part of Season 15 of American Idol at the Battle for the Silver Ticket happening Saturday, September 5 at the Monterey County Fair. The singing competition, judged by Santa Cruz’s own American Idol alum, James Durbin gives local singers between the ages of 15 and 28 an opportunity to compete for an audition in front of producers for the last season of American Idol, which premiers on KCBA FOX 35 in January. This is a guaranteed audition and could be the first step for one singer toward attaining their dreams of becoming a star.
“It’s exciting to know that we could have an American Idol caliber talent right here from the Central Coast,” said Durbin. “We encourage everyone to sign up for auditions because being part of the show will definitely change your life.”
Joining Durbin on the judging panel will be Dale Ockerman, former keyboardist with the Doobie Brothers in the late 1980s to 1990s and current teacher at Musicschool in Santa Cruz. Ockerman is Durbin’s former music teacher. Reporter-Anchor with Univision Costa Central, Adriana Fredericks Sutton and JoJo Lopez, local radio personality round out the panel.
The Battle for the Silver Ticket is limited to only 60 contestants. Advanced registration is currently underway at kcba.com. Singers can submit information about themselves online along with a performance video. Thirty singers will be selected to fill the first 30 audition slots, with a further 30 selected the day of the event in a random lottery. Those interested in obtaining one of the second set of audition slots may begin lining up outside the main entrance to the Monterey County Fair at 9:30 a.m. The drawing takes place at 10:30 a.m.
We look forward to seeing another Santa Cruz resident perform for the star judges of American Idol, and who knows, it could very well be you!
Info: Battle for the Silver Ticket. Noon-4 p.m. Saturday, September 5. Monterey County Fair, Monterey County Fairgrounds. Photo: James Durbin via Facebook.
