Marcee and Tammy woke up at 5am to prepare themselves for their impending audition.At 6am,they were out the door and walked about seven very long blocks on a very unusually cold morning.They got to The Bagel Bakery where they were to meet their friend,Michelle Harris(UF student),for a ride to Orlando by 7am.Tammy needed some pants & sneakers for her audition and Marcee needed earrings,so they made a stop at Walmart.After that,they were on their way to Universal in Orlando.They arrived at Loews Royal Pacific Resort around 9am after parking in a garage and taking a shuttle bus to the hotel.Hundreds of people were already waiting in line.It was exceptionally cold for Florida.Marcee and Tammy waited in line while surrounded by people complaining that they couldn't feel their feet and/or hands as cold as it was that day.Five hours went by very slowly as everyone was chilled in the line,including Marcee,Tammy,and their friend,Michelle.Marcee & Tammy had been out in a cold downpour of rain,the day before,waiting for a bus.About 2pm,they got inside the hotel,gave their paperwork to AGT staff,and went into the Pacifica Ballroom.Marcee had been sneezing outside in line but once she was inside,she began to get hot on her forehead.She bought some tea with lemon & honey to try and ward off what she knew was coming."I prayed that the tea would work because I wanted to do my best and I was already feeling so under-the-weather at this point.However,I put my makeup on although I felt naturally flushed.I've always remembered the saying that the show must go on and I was determined to go in there and pretend as if nothing was wrong with me.Tammy was feeling fine and not at all nervous.I wasn't nervous,just feeling yucky and a bit faint.But I wanted to go into the audition room and do such a great job---that's what I was pushing myself to do! I didn't want to wait until next season because of the stupid weather and getting sick at the worst time ever."At 7pm Marcee,Tammy and a few others entered an audition room to sing for a producer of AGT.A few people went before Marcee."I wasn't nervous at all but I was feeling very faint.I did my best to look as if everything was ok,but it wasn't.My daughter knew what I was going through and just before it was my time,we held hands as a gesture to say GOOD LUCK to each other.When it was my time,I stepped up to the mark on the floor where we had to stand,told the producer my name,age,where I was from and that I was a published poet with my own book(which I held up to show),then I said that I was going to sing"Bridge Over Troubled Water"written by Paul Simon.The producer said,"Whenever you are ready". I began the song from the 3rd verse to the end since we only have 90 seconds for a song. I was singing beautifully at first and I saw the producer lean forward to hear even better--I think he liked it but then something I didn't expect happened.I was at the very end reaching for the high note that any other day I could make---and my voice cracked.I didn't stop at that point but continued to finish the song since I was right at the end.It was an absolute fluke---it had to be because I wasn't feeling well.I always hit that note!When my voice cracked,I immediately thought that I had let my daughter down.I went back into the lineup ,kicking myself inwardly.Simon Cowell always says"never beg"and I made no excuses to the producer.I don't know if it would have made a difference if he had known that I was not feeling like myself after I arrived there.After being in the rain the day before and then standing in the cold for hours on Saturday,the weather took its toll on me.Tammy was next and took her place on the mark,gave her info and proceeded to sing "Fireflies"by Owl City.She did what I had not been able to do that day.She did fabulous!Nice voice,no nerves.I was so proud of her!We hugged after she was done and I told her how proud I was of her and how sorry I was to let her down.She told me that I didn't let her down." When they got back to Gainesville,they took a pizza home and then Marcee went to bed right away.When asked how she was feeling now,she said"I'm getting better but I did have flu symptoms for 3 days". When asked what she and Tammy will do next,Marcee said"There is a charity concert being planned at the University of Florida for Haiti relief.Tammy and I are going to sing at this concert and I will have a hand in the planning also.I believe we will get some footage of this on Youtube after the concert.We will continue to get more videos on Youtube as well and I will finish up my 2nd book"POVERTY REVOLUTION:Part 2--In The Depths" and get it published this Spring." So I just had to ask Marcee and Tammy a question that was burning inside of me.I wanted to know what each of them would say to Simon Cowell,the Executive Producer of America's Got Talent,if they had the chance.Marcee went first"Hello Simon.I do admire you and I know that anyone who wants to be anyone in the music business had better heed your advice.I do pay attention to everything you say.I have seen you take Susan Boyle from an unknown talent to the talk of the whole world.You could hold my life in your hands and I would let you because I am very serious about recording in studios,traveling the world to do concerts,whatever it would take---I am prepared to work hard for long hours.My videos on Youtube prove that I have the voice.I'm singing a'capella in a room the size of an office cubicle with no acoustics and still managing to sound good.With music added and an acoustically correct room,I'm sure my voice would shine.Finally,Simon,I think you are very nice and truly care about the plight of the Haitians and have done a fabulous thing by producing the charity single"Everybody Hurts".Then Tammy said,"I love Simon Cowell.If he entered the room,I would get so excited.I want him to know that it was an honor to audition for America's Got Talent--even if I didn't get to meet him yet".Marcee and Tammy won't know if they made it onto the Season 5 show of "America's Got Talent" until April.
Marcee and Tammy woke up at 5am to prepare themselves for their impending audition.At 6am,they were out the door and walked about seven very long blocks on a very unusually cold morning.They got to The Bagel Bakery where they were to meet their friend,Michelle Harris(UF student),for a ride to Orlando by 7am.Tammy needed some pants & sneakers for her audition and Marcee needed earrings,so they made a stop at Walmart.After that,they were on their way to Universal in Orlando.They arrived at Loews Royal Pacific Resort around 9am after parking in a garage and taking a shuttle bus to the hotel.Hundreds of people were already waiting in line.It was exceptionally cold for Florida.Marcee and Tammy waited in line while surrounded by people complaining that they couldn't feel their feet and/or hands as cold as it was that day.Five hours went by very slowly as everyone was chilled in the line,including Marcee,Tammy,and their friend,Michelle.Marcee & Tammy had been out in a cold downpour of rain,the day before,waiting for a bus.About 2pm,they got inside the hotel,gave their paperwork to AGT staff,and went into the Pacifica Ballroom.Marcee had been sneezing outside in line but once she was inside,she began to get hot on her forehead.She bought some tea with lemon & honey to try and ward off what she knew was coming."I prayed that the tea would work because I wanted to do my best and I was already feeling so under-the-weather at this point.However,I put my makeup on although I felt naturally flushed.I've always remembered the saying that the show must go on and I was determined to go in there and pretend as if nothing was wrong with me.Tammy was feeling fine and not at all nervous.I wasn't nervous,just feeling yucky and a bit faint.But I wanted to go into the audition room and do such a great job---that's what I was pushing myself to do! I didn't want to wait until next season because of the stupid weather and getting sick at the worst time ever."At 7pm Marcee,Tammy and a few others entered an audition room to sing for a producer of AGT.A few people went before Marcee."I wasn't nervous at all but I was feeling very faint.I did my best to look as if everything was ok,but it wasn't.My daughter knew what I was going through and just before it was my time,we held hands as a gesture to say GOOD LUCK to each other.When it was my time,I stepped up to the mark on the floor where we had to stand,told the producer my name,age,where I was from and that I was a published poet with my own book(which I held up to show),then I said that I was going to sing"Bridge Over Troubled Water"written by Paul Simon.The producer said,"Whenever you are ready". I began the song from the 3rd verse to the end since we only have 90 seconds for a song. I was singing beautifully at first and I saw the producer lean forward to hear even better--I think he liked it but then something I didn't expect happened.I was at the very end reaching for the high note that any other day I could make---and my voice cracked.I didn't stop at that point but continued to finish the song since I was right at the end.It was an absolute fluke---it had to be because I wasn't feeling well.I always hit that note!When my voice cracked,I immediately thought that I had let my daughter down.I went back into the lineup ,kicking myself inwardly.Simon Cowell always says"never beg"and I made no excuses to the producer.I don't know if it would have made a difference if he had known that I was not feeling like myself after I arrived there.After being in the rain the day before and then standing in the cold for hours on Saturday,the weather took its toll on me.Tammy was next and took her place on the mark,gave her info and proceeded to sing "Fireflies"by Owl City.She did what I had not been able to do that day.She did fabulous!Nice voice,no nerves.I was so proud of her!We hugged after she was done and I told her how proud I was of her and how sorry I was to let her down.She told me that I didn't let her down." When they got back to Gainesville,they took a pizza home and then Marcee went to bed right away.When asked how she was feeling now,she said"I'm getting better but I did have flu symptoms for 3 days". When asked what she and Tammy will do next,Marcee said"There is a charity concert being planned at the University of Florida for Haiti relief.Tammy and I are going to sing at this concert and I will have a hand in the planning also.I believe we will get some footage of this on Youtube after the concert.We will continue to get more videos on Youtube as well and I will finish up my 2nd book"POVERTY REVOLUTION:Part 2--In The Depths" and get it published this Spring." So I just had to ask Marcee and Tammy a question that was burning inside of me.I wanted to know what each of them would say to Simon Cowell,the Executive Producer of America's Got Talent,if they had the chance.Marcee went first"Hello Simon.I do admire you and I know that anyone who wants to be anyone in the music business had better heed your advice.I do pay attention to everything you say.I have seen you take Susan Boyle from an unknown talent to the talk of the whole world.You could hold my life in your hands and I would let you because I am very serious about recording in studios,traveling the world to do concerts,whatever it would take---I am prepared to work hard for long hours.My videos on Youtube prove that I have the voice.I'm singing a'capella in a room the size of an office cubicle with no acoustics and still managing to sound good.With music added and an acoustically correct room,I'm sure my voice would shine.Finally,Simon,I think you are very nice and truly care about the plight of the Haitians and have done a fabulous thing by producing the charity single"Everybody Hurts".Then Tammy said,"I love Simon Cowell.If he entered the room,I would get so excited.I want him to know that it was an honor to audition for America's Got Talent--even if I didn't get to meet him yet".Marcee and Tammy won't know if they made it onto the Season 5 show of "America's Got Talent" until April.
