After days of waiting, the list was finally posted and freshmen Lauren Brown and Komal Karumuru saw their names on it.  A rush of excitement coursed through them.  This would surely be the highlight of their freshman year at Marcus.

When news broke of the annual Marcus Idol, Lauren Brown, a Marcus ninth grader, saw it as an opportunity to sharpen her skills for the future.

“I just thought it would be good practice in singing in front of people,” Brown said.  “It helps with everything, like speaking to people, and it also gives you practice learning how to control your nerves.  It also can boost your self-esteem.”

Of course, the nerves didn’t bother Brown.  Because of her three-year choir experience in middle school, Lauren knew what was right for her.

“I usually just focus,” said Brown.  “I get into my zone and then just go through the song in my head. I was very nervous, but I felt really good about myself because I practiced it a lot. I was confident going into the audition.”

Along with tricks to calm her nerves, Brown credits her mom in helping her along the way.

“She always encourages me to try out for whatever,” said Brown. “She always told me, ‘It’s always better to try and not make it, than to not try at all.”

Regardless of the occasion, Brown sings for many reasons, fun, relaxation, and for a brief escape from the reality of life and school.

“Music is the one way I can really express how I feel,” Brown said.  “It just calms me and is my getaway.”

Karumuru has had a passion for singing since a very young age.  Since then, she has been introduced to the world where famous musicians stand as an inspiration.

“I started at around 3rd grade, Karumuru said. “ I’ve always seen those famous singers and thought, ‘Whoa, they are pretty cool. I started singing and instantly liked it. All those strong, vocal singers, I always wanted to be like them.”

Karumuru uses her gift and love of singing to help her in life.  She credits this gift in making her who she is today.

“It’s a way for me to express myself not only through words,” said Karumuru. “It makes me feel like I have my own gift and it represents just who I am.”

Despite the many upperclassmen at auditions, Karumuru was not intimidated. Keeping the humble spirit, she felt privileged to be among people with more experience than her that she could learn from.

“I know that I am not going to be the best singer out there,” said Karumuru. “There’s always going to be someone better than me. I actually think that it would be an honor to work with people with so more experience than me.”

After the results were posted, Karumuru was overjoyed.  She knew, at that moment, all her hard work over the years have paid off.  That hard work earned her a spot on Marcus Idol.

“I was freaking out and was so excited because it is really hard to make it in to Marcus Idol,” Karumuru said.

Recently named the 2014 Marcus Idol, Karumuru insisted that she would try out again next year.

“I think it is a great experience and I love performing on stage, so any chance I get to sing, I’ll always go for it,” Karumuru said.

Mr. Wesley Davis, a choir director at Marcus High School and organizer of Marcus Idol, looks forward to Marcus Idol every year.  He considers it a great event to showcase the diverse voices of Marcus High.

“When you come in it’s a chance for you to see all the different singing talent we have at Marcus, and it’s an opportunity for us to get to recognize all of our singers here in the school, outside the context of choir, band, and things like that,” Davis said.

Davis also views Marcus Idol as a chance for students to feel good about what they accomplished and build self-confidence from their talent.  The latter, he considers his favorite part about Idol.

“My favorite thing about Marcus Idol is getting to see kids get really positive feedback from the audience that they may have never had before,” Davis said.

He also encourages many students to get out there and let their talent shine for all to enjoy.

“You never know what’s going to happen until you get out there and do it,” Davis said.  “If you never take that chance, you will never find out.  Yes, those nerves are killer and it’s scary, but usually, the best things come from scary situations.”