American Idol season nine winner Lee DeWyze clearly remembers that auditioning for the show was not a top priority when the opportunity presented itself to him. 

“At first I didn’t think it was for me; not my thing,” DeWyze said. “But then I was like, ‘why not?’ What would it be like putting myself out there? I look back and can’t believe I did that.”

DeWyze will be hosting Cyclone Idol at 7 p.m. on April 18, 2013 in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union for Veishea. The singing competition, based off the hit show, will feature performances by ISU students in front of a panel of judges.

“It’s a very similar format compared to Idol,” Dewyze said. “The pressure is the same, being in front of so many people.”

That same pressure, Dewyze said, is quite a bit different for contestants. Instead of being in front of TV and live studio audiences, it’s in front of your peers and faculty. Despite that pressure, DeWyze had one tip for performing students to calm their nerves:

“Being in front of peers and teachers, contestants automatically think they are there to watch you fail. This is a college campus — these people are here to have fun, and they want you to succeed,” DeWyze said. 

Not all students feel they are going on stage to be judged. For James Hitchings-Hales, a study abroad student from Cardiff, Wales, it’s about the unique experience the competition provides for him.

“As someone who enjoys to perform a lot, I haven’t had the opportunity to put myself out there since I arrived in America,” Hitchings-Hales said. “It’s kind of my last way to have a laugh, a good time before I go home.”

If you ask Hitchings-Hales if he’s nervous, you’re going to get a smile and a surprising answer.

“I’ve performed quite a lot, so it’s more like excitement,” Hitchings-Hales said. “It’s like ‘British guy doing rock and roll.’ I imagine that many contestants will have a great voice, but have limited performance experience. I just hope the judges appreciate my performance.”

While he admits he has some practicing to do before the show, he looks forward to performing at Cyclone Idol, completing the performance with an outfit that consists of “white tanktop, slick hair, black jacket; kinda like Elvis.”

Before contestants take the stage, they must have a song chosen, something DeWyze has had experience with on Idol and his career after winning the show.

“For song choices, be original,” DeWyze said. “Have personality. It’s not always about the big high notes, it’s about letting each moment of the song count.”

DeWyze suggested that songs chosen by contestants should make sense to them. An example he gave was a R&B singer shouldn’t sing Mumford and Sons as it is. He also added that it has to be something the audience can get in to. That was the first thing Hitching-Hales thought of when choosing his song, a cover done by The Baseballs of Katy Perry’s “Hot and Cold.”

“The Baseballs are kind of like an old-school rock band sound that covers new artists,” Hitchings-Hales said. “It’s going to be fun.”

Contestants have the option of singing a capella, off a track or with one keyboard or guitarist arranged by the performer. According to Veishea’s rules for the competition, contestants “will be judged on music ability, use of accompaniment/a capella and presentation. This includes enthusiasm, stage presence, crowd response, attire.”

While students are asked to be respectful to all performances, they are encouraged to cheer their hearts out for their favorite performers.