Amy Davis 'American Idol' Interview
What was the toughest part of being on 'Idol'?
The toughest part for me was the pressure of how huge 'American Idol' is and the performance that they want from each and every contestant. It's a lot of pressure, and it creates a lot of anxiety and nervousness. It was very hard for me to channel that into some sort of productive or less distractive manner.
Were you surprised by your elimination?
I really didn't have a good performance so I wasn't surprised. I was actually waiting for Ryan to call my name. I've been using in ear monitor for the past two years consistently and the way my brain works, it's very mechanical. I just could not retrain my ears quick enough to stay on key. So it was just my "bad skill" that I could not improve quickly enough.
What did you learn from this experience?
One of the things I learned was how a huge television show was put together. I got to see all the behind the scenes of the people that do the work. The stage guys, the sound guys, publicity, legal, all of that. I have so much respect for them and it was just really cool thing, sort of like when you're a kid and you're watching Mr. Rogers and he goes into a manufacturing plant ... to show you how something is made, that's kind of how I felt about all the people making 'American Idol.'
Do you feel like the show takes a toll on you?
Absolutely. I cannot tell you how much this show takes out of you -- emotionally physically, mentally, spiritually. You are working so hard and so much for most of the time, with very little downtime. But 'American Idol' is so huge, the biggest platform for a musician or performer, that you've got to give every ounce of energy. It's a wonderful opportunity, but it absolutely takes a toll on you.
Did you bond with your fellow contestants?
I really became good friends with Amanda Overmyer. We're both from Indiana and she lives near Purdue University, which is where I did undergrad in college, so we knew a lot of the same areas and the same venues we performed at. We were able to connect on that level. She's great, I wish her the best of luck , I wish all of the contestants the best of luck and I'll be voting for all of them.
What surprised you about being on 'Idol'?
The most surprising part for me was to see celebrities. I'm from Indiana and you just don't see a lot of celebrities in Indiana. I saw <a href="http://television.aol.com/celebrity/kelsey-grammer/28139" target="_blank">Kelsey Grammer</a> and <a href="http://television.aol.com/celebrity/patricia-heaton/31449" target="_blank">Patricia Heaton</a> and I was completely starstruck. I think Patricia actually looked at me. The first time she made eye contact with me I had this look of, "Whoa there's Patricia Heaton and I watch her on <a href="http://television.aol.com/show/everybody-loves-raymond/51312/main" target="_blank">'Everybody Love Raymond.'</a>"
