Elise Testone, of Charlestown, S.C., received mixed reviews from the judges after both performances, and landed in the infamous Bottom Three once again, this time marking the end of her Idol journey.
Still, she is proud of her performance. "As an artist, I'm trying to convey the message of the song, and bring the lyrics to life, and I did that, so I feel successful," Testone said.
So, what is next for the sixth place contestant: a duet with Stevie Nicks? Will she go back to teaching voice lessons? Is an album already in the works? Find out in this edited conference call. Some questions and responses have been abbreviated for clarity:
What made you decide to audition for Idol and why now?
I did audition one time when I was younger, and that didn't work out, but I always felt I wouldn't be ready for a responsibility of the fame until I was older and kind of learned those life lessons, you know, knew who I was more before throwing myself into the hands of others. I was very, very much inspired by the students that I teach at the school to be a role model for more people, seeing how I played a role in their lives.
What kind of album do you see yourself making?
Throughout Idol I definitely learned my forte is the rock genre, but I definitely will have the elements of blues, jazz and soul รข€" and funk.
What's next for you after you come home from the tour?
After the tour and during the tour I will be writing songs and really kind of constructing a plan to get my album ready. I've been waiting my whole life to release an album. It's not going to be something I want to rush, so I'm going to take my time and experience it, and put it into those songs, and figure out who's going to be the guests on this album, and who I want to help produce it and all of that. That'll be my main focal point. I will also hope to perform as much as I can.
Who would you like to do some duets with?
I would love to do something with Stevie Nicks, since she mentioned it. I would love to have Brian May play guitar, as well as my guitarist, Wallace, from my band. And Steven Tyler would be a great duet.
Do you have a theory as to why maybe you weren't connecting with viewers, finding yourself in the Bottom Three?
I think that the huge majority of voting comes from Middle America, so if I can't win them over, it's just not going to happen, you know? That's just a theory. I really don't know. I felt like I was honest and sang with my heart, and passion, and that's the best I could do.
You don't think it was a younger demographic possibly?
I mean, that could be true. I feel like I still connect with them. Maybe that's wrong. As a teacher, I had a lot of younger students, and I felt probably closer to them than people my age, but I don't know if [the voters] saw that, given the little time they could see me on the air.
Were you given any great advice from either one of the judges or Jimmy [Iovine]?
Being reminded of really capturing the essence of the song, and being in the moment of the song was great advice. That's something I know, but you always need to be reminded of that. I did king of let that slip away sometimes, thinking about pleasing people, thinking about being judged, trying to fit in some sort of line, when really I'm kind of a singer who sings outside the lines.
What are you most excited about for the tour?
I'm really excited to see all the different landscapes and get on the road, and just travel and get some fresh air, and really just excited to sing and rock the sage. Whole songs, I keep saying that, but just singing the whole song and not just an edited version of the song. I shine best when it's real and I have time to get into it, and to see the fans, all the people that have been supporting us from the outside.
Jimmy said you made two bad song choices on Wednesday during the performance night, and the judges seemed to agree with the Jimi Hendrix song. What made you choose those songs? Are you offended, or did you agree what the judges said about the song choice?
Personally, I don't agree, because those were the best choices for me, and I believed in it. It's everyone's definition of what's right is different. I guess they think what's right is what's the majority of people going to take a liking to. I think what Steven was saying, he said he loved the song and was a fan of it, but maybe what he meant was that the melody wasn't one that people could sing along to at home. Probably the majority of people want to be able to sing along to a song. As an artist, I'm trying to convey the message of the song, and bring the lyrics to life, and I did that, so I feel successful.
How much do you think being out on tour with your band before the show helped you when it came to working on the arrangements and dealing with the band on the show?
A lot, I probably spoke up the most out of anyone, "oh no, there's a drumbeat here that' missing, or "I want the back-up singers to do this," especially with the first live performance I did the Adele song. I arranged that myself, and I added actual responses that the back-up singers sang. More so than playing with just my band, I arranged so many shows in Charleston, so I was familiar with the process, and that helped me a lot in putting the songs together most weeks on Idol.
Did you have much of an opportunity to write music?
No, not really. I just actually realized I wasn't doing that at all. I've been writing things in my head, but I don't know if I remember them now. I'm carrying around a journal now, so I'm going to get focused on that a little bit more.
Are you going to continue to be a vocal coach, and if so, what do you think Idol is going to do to change your students' view of you?
I think that they probably will look up to me a little bit more. I just formed such great bonds with the students I had in Charleston, and some I had been with for three years, and I just watched them blossom. The thing that I enjoyed most about that process was just having someone come in totally closed off in their shell and watching them come out of it. That was one thing the parents always tell me, "We don't care if they sing, they're just so much more confident now! They can't wait to see you! They're so happy when they come out!" I would like to continue doing that somehow, whether it be one on one me going to them, or even opening my own place. I'm not really sure, just throwing this out there. I definitely would like to continue doing that and make a difference in their lives.
Since you were older than most of the contestants, did they come to you for advice or treat you any differently than the younger contestants?
They definitely would come to me for advice, which I admired, I was really excited about that. I also went to them, so it was a two-way street. When we [did] group stuff, I felt like a natural leader in that sense, just because I have arranged shows before, so I know what needs to happen and what could make something sound really great, and what would be missing. Whenever they were unsure, I could always see their eyes shifting over to me, like looking at me "Is this right?" "What should I do?" Sometimes they didn't even have to ask. I'm sad about leaving for that.
What advice did you go to them for?
I'm not shy about anything I'm feeling, about speaking my mind. If I felt like something sounded like crap, I would just ask them. "Listen to this" or "what do you think," even just anything, even just life.
How did you feel with the pressure of continuing to be placed in the Bottom Three in recent weeks?
I never really thought about the results show. It always hit me a half hour before the show. All of a sudden, the make-up artists and hair people were like, "She's feeling it." I would always go to them like "oh no." I guess I don't really prepare myself too much, I just try to go with the flow and have fun and stay calm the whole day and think about it when I have to. It is a stressful time for everyone. I'm not only worried for myself, but I worry for everyone else. It's a lot of hard feelings, and I feel like I can handle that, but it's hard.
Were you surprised to be eliminated? Or did you somewhat see it coming beforehand?
I was a little bit surprised because in my heart I didn't feel like it was time to go, but it wasn't a total shock, because I've been in the Bottom Three that many times, it's kind of inevitable it was going to happen sometime. I guess I just felt sort of like a fighter and that I was going to push through.
A lot of viewers have suggested that the judges were hardest on you and Hollie [Cavanagh] so far throughout the season. Could you talk about that a little bit? Did the judges comments help you in the end or wear on your confidence overtime?
It didn't wear on my confidence. Some stuff I thought was really great, but some stuff I didn't agree with, I think that's what was frustrating about it. People are getting to know me, and this is their first impression of me, and I felt like sometimes the criticism didn't line up or was discrediting to the things I have achieved and worked hard to achieve. That was hard. I'm confident in myself and that's why I did speak up sometimes. I believe in certain things, and I don't want to just keep my mouth shut and smile. I was never trying to be rude or argumentative, just honesty.
Was there one contestant you were closest with throughout the competition?
I was definitely closest with Phillip [Phillips]. We have really nice talks and we're kind of on the same page.
Who do you think has the best shot of winning the competition now, if you had to pick?
I have no idea. I just hope whoever it is has the mindset that they're in it and they're going to be responsible with the title, and be a role model and inspiration, whoever that person is.
Is there anything you would have done differently during the competition, if you had the change to go back? Would you change anything?
I've been saying that I wouldn't, and I believe that, but just earlier today I was thinking I would've sang The Greatest Love of All by Whitney Houston, because then right off the bat, it would've been a better first impression for America, I guess that's the true answer. But, also maybe doing that [other] song helped me in some sort of weird way. Who knows? You don't really want to mess with what happened, because you never know how it would have affected you or changed you.
Was there any week in particular you felt was the hardest for you?
The second week, Whitney Houston week was probably the hardest. It was still sort of the first impression. I felt like I was misunderstood or taken the wrong way, and I didn't like that. Being misunderstood is probably the worst feeling that I ever have.
A lot of other competitors said the judges confused them a lot. Did you ever get that feeling from them?
Sometimes it would be contradicting from song to song. Also, that contradicting thing could be mistaken for us not finding the balance.
Are you planning on doing anything with your band after the tour?
I would love to have some of my band mates record on the album with me, and hopefully do a show again together, but I'm not sure exactly what is in store or what I'll be able to do, but I absolutely miss them to death, and I had some of the best shows ever with them.
On the tour can we expect you to team up with Phillip Phillips on a duet?
Hopefully! I still haven't seen that song list, but I'm definitely going to put a strong request for it.
Next week is British Week, what were you planning on doing?
I was planning on singing either a Jessie J song, Who You Are, or Joe Cocker, A Little Help from My Friends.
Throughout your Idol journey, what was the most valuable thing you think you took from the entire experience?
The most valuable thing is to always follow my gut, my heart, my intuition and just stay true to that.
What inspires you most in songwriting?
It's just this thing I have to quench. A feeling that I can't exactly touch, you just have to put out there into a melody. Sometimes the best songs come from moving my mouth, singing sounds and they turn into words because your subconscious just makes it happen.
Closing Remarks
I just want to say thank you to everyone for taking time to talk to me and showing an interest, and also the people who have inspired me to be here, thank you so much for their support.
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