Jabari Frazier stood in a classroom at Smiths Station High School and belted out the lyrics to The Temptations’ classic “Get Ready” on Wednesday.
The high school senior is hoping that the song proves to be prophetic for the musical journey on which he’s about to embark.
Frazier, 17, a member of SSHS’s Chamber Choir, traveled to Florida last month to take part in a candlelight processional, a mass choir performance.
While performing there, Frazier and his classmates got to visit the Epcot Walt Disney World Resort, where they participated in the American Idol Experience, an attraction inspired by the popular TV series. The attraction allows park visitors to audition in front of audiences and representatives of the show.
Of more than 400 people to perform the same day as Frazier, the field was quickly trimmed to seven contestants who participated in preliminary competitions. Frazier ultimately emerged the winner, something SSHS choral music director Faye Haag and Frazier’s choir mates are thrilled about.
“With a show like ‘American Idol,’ you have to be able to sing a cappella on pitch, have a style all your own and take a song like ‘Over the Rainbow’ and make it new,” said Haag, who started SSHS’s choir 11 years ago. “And Jabari can definitely do all of that.”
After initially opting not to participate in the American Idol Experience, Frazier was encouraged by a classmate to give the attraction a try.
“After I performed the first song, one of the show’s producers just kept naming songs for me to sing,” Frazier said.
The songs ranged from country to pop. When Frazier was given the song “Get Ready,” he sang just a couple of verses before having trouble remembering the song’s lyrics. After being given a few minutes to memorize the song, his performance impressed the “American Idol” producer.
Frazier’s success at the American Idol Experience has earned him a “golden ticket,” which will allow him to bypass waiting in any lines to audition for season 10 in front of the show’s panel, which includes Simon Cowell. Season 9 begins in January on Fox.
“I think I’ll be fine performing in front of everyone except Simon,” Frazier joked. “If he says something mean to me, I’ll have to bite my tongue to keep from saying anything back to him.“
The idea of becoming the next American Idol isn’t something Frazier thinks much about.
“While I could get used to the idea of a career singing, I’m just going to do the best that I can,” he said.
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