Thursday, May 23, 2013
Thursday, May 23, 2013
November 2008
Katie Beilman started singing before she could walk. She had her first performance at the age of 4, started piano lessons at the age of 5 and singing lesson at the age of 10. Practice really does make perfect - just take a look at the 2008 winner of CSU Idol.
At 4 years old, Beilman’s favorite song was “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston. The song came on the radio as the family stopped for lunch during a family trip to the Lakes of Ozarks. Beilman sang quietly to herself when her uncle placed her on a nearby table. There she performed for her family and the entire restaurant.
“Ever since then I have been performing and singing,” Beilman said, “I can’t really say I ‘got into’ singing, it is just something I have always done and I can’t imagine life any other way.”
Even before coming to CSU, Beilman had already heard from her friends about CSU Idol, a spin-off of the popular show, American Idol.
Once she started school, the Residence Assistant of her dorm found out that Beilman liked to sing and hung a poster of the CSU Idol try outs next to her door. Within the next few weeks she auditioned but felt that her performance was not “Top 12” worthy.
“I had very few songs to pick from since I had left all of my karaoke CDs at home,” recounts Beilman, “I went to the audition and sang and I literally called my mom and told her that I’d have to try again next year.”
Soon after, Beilman received news that she had made it to the “Top 12.”
Throughout the competition, Beilman said she was very energetic and excited at the chance of getting to perform during the Homecoming halftime show. For Beilman, the performances were the easiest part of the entire competition.
Beilman toughest challenge was the songs. A band was provided for the contestants and they had already been practicing songs long before the beginning of the competition.
Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You’ve Been Gone” was assigned to Beilman and she was not pleased with the choice.
“I did not like that song going into the competition but I worked really hard to make it my own, and I ended up loving it when the whole thing was done,” says Beilman
Everyone around her was supportive. Her father, mother and sister would drive up, from Arvada, Colo., to every football game and watch her perform. When her friends could not come, Beilman would receive text messages filled with love and encouragement. Some of her close friends even made signs and held them up during games to show their support.
Beilman joined the competition because she loved to sing. But she also tried out because she wanted to help her family. Her parents were paying for her schooling and will also be paying for her younger sister’s the following year. She wanted to win the thousand dollar scholarship to help her family, the real reason why she tried out for CSU Idol in the beginning.
She is studying biology and hoping to attend nursing school and get her midwife credentials.
On Oct. 11, 2008, Beilman stepped onto Hughes Stadium, during half time, as she prepares to sing one last time for CSU Idol.
“Seeing all those people and the signs and hearing people scream my name, I really felt like I was famous,” says Beilman, “I can’t even explain to you how wonderful it was to be up there.”
Beilman gets approached by strangers who will ask if she is the “Katie who is the idol.”
Before the competition, she was afraid that her singing would annoy her hall mates, so she never sang. Now, she sings more and does more performances than she ever had. Performances range from singing the National Anthem and the Alma Mater at football games, to singing at the Ramskeller just for fun.
“I love performing,” Beilman says, “It is where I belong, when I look out and see all those people and I’m there singing, I know everything is right.”
Contact: Anh Ha
E-mail: Anh.Ha@ColoState.edu
Phone: (970) 491-1546
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