Miki Dela Cruz, 19, and Tanya Dela Cruz, 20, who are now living in Portland, Oregon, share their experience with Variety.
According to their mother, the girls began singing at the precious age of three. The two girls and their three younger sisters [that’s right, five daughters in total] all learned to sing from their mother.
“She’s our very own vocal coach! I don’t know how she does it,” says Tanya appreciatively.
While on Saipan, the girls wowed local audiences during Friends of the Arts productions, pep rallies, NMC Charter Day ’08 and ’09 Marianas Idol, a title which they have both claimed, Philippine Independence Day, PSS events, graduations, proms, weddings, anniversaries, Mt. Carmel Youth Choir performances, and so much more.
“We practice every chance we get, especially when we need a break from school,” they say. “In our bedrooms, while walking home from school, and even in the shower! It would be hard to start singing again with lack of practice.”
Registering
The girls describe the process they had to undergo to audition: “The registration process lasted for three days — two days before, and on the day of auditions. A release form had to be read, signed and turned in on audition day,” they explain.
“We registered on the second day and received wristbands and seating tickets to the auditions, including the people who were accompanying us.
We were each allowed one guest,” says Tanya. “I was lucky to have Yvonne Bennett [Saipan-grown track star] accompany me during the event before she headed back to Boise, Idaho from the Oceania Championships. Terrence Duenas who came down from Seattle, Washington, accompanied Miki.”
“It wasn’t hard deciding to audition for AI,” the sisters comment. “We thought it was going to be a fun experience and it’s not every year that AI comes to Portland, so we went for it!”
When asked what they were feeling throughout the whole experience, Tanya replied, “After hearing that America’s number 1 television show was coming to Portland for the first time, I was excited! I kept thinking, ‘What an experience this is going to be!’ I had a bit of an idea of what to expect since Miki had auditioning for AI back in ’09 in California.”
Miki’s first thought was, “It better not be in an open football stadium, or I won’t be going to auditions,” she exclaims.
“The first time I auditioned back in ’09, it must’ve been about 90 degrees outside and auditions were held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena,” the younger Dela Cruz explains. “As for the recent auditions here in Portland, it was fun compared to my first experience, because I surely did not enjoy sitting 8 hours in the California summer heat!”
Auditioning
“It was pretty nerve-racking during the auditions,” they describe.
“We had to wait for a couple of hours outside the venue (Rose Garden) very early in the morning before being allowed to enter. There were already hundreds of people who filled up the lines by the time we arrived. Also, once we got inside, auditions did not start until a couple of hours after we were seated. The way auditions worked were by fours in each booth. There were 10 booths with 1-2 producers of AI in each. Each person auditioning had 30 seconds to show the producers what they’ve got. It was either a final Yes or No. Those who made it to the next round, received a ‘golden ticket.’ Those who did not, had their wristbands cut.”
“We were lucky to be in the same group of four,” they continue.
“We got to hear each other sing, which was great. It gave us a chance to give each other constructive criticism.
For the audition, Tanya sang Wendy Moten’s “Come In Out Of the Rain” while Miki chose to sing Kelly Clarkson’s “The Trouble with Love Is.”
“The producers sent our group home saying we all are ‘good singers, but not what AI is looking for,’” says Tanya.“Now, we’re just glad we had the chance to experience something like this and in our convenience,” she adds with a smile.
“Other people have travelled from across the country just to audition for AI. It’s really amazing. Although we weren’t what AI is looking for, we will still definitely keep doing what we enjoy doing because we love singing!”
Memorable moments
The duo describes some crazy things they witnessed during the auditions: “Portland is well known for its ‘weirdness’ so we witnessed a bunch of unusual things. We saw women wearing neon too-toos and a person wearing a full-on bear costume with a t-shirt that said ‘Abearican Idol.’ What was funny was they made it to the next round!”
“The most memorable part,” they narrow down, “was sharing this experience with each other, our awesome accompaniers and family and friends back home!”
After it all
The girls were asked if they would go through it all over again.
“ If I had the chance, I would like to audition again, but I’d dress myself up in a wacky costume,” says the older Dela Cruz. “I’m just curious to see how it would work the next time around!”
“Yes, I’d definitely go for it again,” replies her younger sister. “I’d just tell myself — ‘You’ll never know if you’ll get a shot this time.’”
They were also asked what they would say to everyone back home to encourage them to be brave and go for their dreams.
Tanya replied, “I would say, ‘Grab the empanada while it’s still fresh. Don’t wait ‘til it gets cold!’ Whether it’s America’s number 1 television show or a small karaoke contest back home, go for it! You’ll never know what may happen until you try, right? Dedication and the willingness to experience new things is a step closer to reaching your goals and dreams!”
Miki responded with, “I agree with my sister that empanadas are good while they’re hot! My advice for people who’d like to go for their dreams is, set your mind to doing what you want to accomplish and the reality is, you absolutely will.”
These young vibrant ladies definitely gained a lot from this experience.
They remark, “We’ve gained confidence in trying new things, we made new friends and had an awesome weekend!”
Living abroad
The girls are both currently sophomores at Portland Community college. Tanya has declared a major in music, emphasis on performance and a minor in business while Miki is pursuing a degree in biology.
“I transferred out of college from Guam to Oregon in December 2010,” Tanya tells Variety. “It was a whole new experience for me because it was my first time to lay foot on America’s soil. This island girl still needs work on adapting to the cold weather, but as of now, I’m enjoying the summer heat. When I get the chance, I hope to travel more in hopes of more experience.”
As for Miki, she moved to Oregon in late August of 2010.
“It wasn’t that hard trying to get used to the living because I’ve travelled a couple of times before, mostly for International Thespian Society Festival [held in Lincoln, Nebraska], and I knew what to expect,” she smiles.
“The only thing that gets to me sometimes is being far away from friends, and most especially family. I was homesick for the first few months out here but I’m glad I have my sister with me now. It is so much better being with a family member, at least.”
The girls add, “Being thousands of miles away from home is the most difficult for us. We rely on FaceTime, Facebook, and/or Skype to communicate with our family and friends back home. It definitely keeps us sane,” they laugh together.
Their family and friends are eager to see what they have next in store for them.
