Destin woman takes a shot at 'American Idol'

DESTIN - Jessica Shultz isn't too disappointed she wasn't considered the best singer in America, but she's ecstatic she wasn't the worst.

Shultz, 26, returned home from "American Idol" auditions in Jacksonville on Wednesday, confident in her abilities as a vocalist.
"It was really different from what you see on TV," Shultz said.

More than 12,000 people auditioned in Jacksonville. Shultz said she and the other hopefuls were divided into groups of four and each sang for two producers. Twelve producer booths were set up to make the process move along.

"About one out of 150 people were chosen for the next round," Shultz said. "They tend to choose the more interesting people."

People with pink hair and crazy outfits seemed to be noticed, she said, but the attention might not turn out to be positive.

While there were lots of auditioners with powerful voices, producers told the vocalists they were looking for both good and bad singers.

"I was pleased with how I did," Shultz said.

She sang "Mercy," a soulful and sassy pop piece by British singer Duffy.

"I'm not sure what they were looking for," Shultz said. "There were plenty of amazing singers that went out the same door I did."

Although she didn't get to meet judges Simon, Paula and Randy, she did get a moment with "American Idol" and "America's Top 40" host Ryan Seacrest.

"They had us do crowd shots and crowd songs," Shultz said. "So you may still see me on TV."

Shultz, who is a singer for Shoreline Church's band, said even though she wasn't chosen to take the stage in Hollywood, she'll continue to sing in church and at weddings.

"Overall, it was a fun experience," she said. "You only live once, so why not?"