'I Auditioned for American Idol and Survived'

Rebecca Perlmutter, a 19-year-old singer/songwriter from New York, arrived at what is now known as the Izod Center at the Meadowlands, in East Rutherford, New Jersey, two years ago to audition. While she didn’t make it to Hollywood, she enjoyed the first-hand idol experience.

“You see these people who seem kind of crazy on TV, and then you go to the audition and you see that they really exist,” she says. “It’s funny because half the people that seem to make it through are the ones dressed up in terrible costumes, the screechers and the screamers.”

Don’t forget your identification or the paperwork you brought with you as you registered, you will not be allowed to audition without these items.

After entering the venue, you will take your assigned seat and wait to audition in front of a panel of judges. As nerves build up (you may not bring an instrument to the first set of auditions and you must sing a capella), it is important to understand that during this first round of auditions, you will not face the wrath of Simon Cowell, you’ll have to work your way up to that.

“During the first round, I was in the venue with at least ten thousand other people,” Perlmutter says. “They’d call up groups of people by row and [the judges] would decide who would make it through to the next round.”

The judges will call each potential contestant up and allow them to sing for 3 to 5 seconds, Perlmutter recalls. Those few seconds can potentially determine a career.

“Most people don’t make it through the first round,” Perlmutter says, as she reconnects with the rejection she faced nearly two years ago. “I felt prepared until I found out that they only let you sing for a few seconds. At that point I changed the arrangement of the song and I guess that’s what threw me off.”

Prepare for up to three songs before you audition, as recommended on americanidol.com. Upon registration, Perlmutter adds, you may be assigned a few songs to memorize to sing as a group.

Depending on how far you progress in the early stages of the competition, you may have to extend your stay near the venue or arena, so plan accordingly.

For more details, please go to americanidol.com, and good luck!

Check out Part 1 of this story: Everything You Need To Know to Audtion for 'American Idol'.