The air was filled with the scent of garlic and defeat. The
garlic was delicious, the defeat was heartbreaking.
By Betsy Avelar
The air was filled with the scent of garlic and defeat. The garlic was delicious, the defeat was heartbreaking. As one of the first 50 to register for the Garlic Idol competition at the festival, I was given a chance to audition again after trying on the radio all last week, where I made it as a semifinalist, but was not voted in a finalist.
Before Friday’s audition at the festival, I signed up to sing “I will Survive” in the style of Tina Turner to warm up. In retrospect, I should have sang that song for my audition, according to some colleagues and friends who said the crowd and judges enjoyed it. Instead I chose “Sweet Surrender” by Sarah McLaughlin, a much slower song.
In an atmosphere like the Garlic Festival, it may not have been the best choice.
But something interesting happened during my audition. Only two lines into the song, the speakers made a loud “thud” sound and the power went out. Organizers immediately scrambled to get the generator on while I waited patiently on stage looking out into the crowd and smiling shyly, which was great because at that moment I had forgotten the next verse of my song.
Before the audition, I made a joke about eating garlic ice cream, and how I was now ready to sing. Once the power went out, some of the organizers blamed it on my garlic breath. Hey, we’re at the Garlic Festival for cryin’ out loud! What did they expect?
A 3-year-old girl came up to me and asked me if I was going to sing while I waited. I smiled and asked her if she liked the way I sang. She looked up at me and nonchalantly said “no.” I thought this sweet girl was going to cheer me on. Perhaps she was sent undercover by another contestant to break my spirit. It only made me laugh and relax.
Once the power was back on, I sang and waited for 19 others to audition before the five finalists for the day were chosen. One of the contestants sitting next to me had just finished her song. She looked so proud of herself as she walked down from the stage, and asked me, “Do you think I have a chance?” It was a moment of dread as I knew the people sitting to my right were laughing at her performance and many in the crowd too. I told her the truth: “The judges will decide whether you are good enough.”
The names of the five finalists were announced. Mine was not one of them. I suppose I did not meet the criteria of the three judges – it must have been the garlic breath.
It was disappointing, but not spirit-breaking. I am now stronger to accept defeat. Take Abraham Lincoln for example, he was rejected numerous times before he became the President of the United States. Albert Einstein did not have a secondary school certificate, but he was one of the most brilliant men alive.
“At fist I was afraid, I was petrified” when I stood on stage, but with this experience I know that “I will survive.”
