Audition Nerves : from Panic to Passion 

Jannine, Sandra Hillawi’s Manager, was also part time cabaret artist. She loved singing and performing and had entered South Coast Idol singing contest. Jannine tells her story...

"After 4 hours of queuing to audition among 300 hopefuls I got through the first round to the top 35 who were called back for a second audition. We all had to sit in a room together and we were all nervous. My audition was second to last which made it even worse because I was seeing everyone else coming out saying how bad it was. About 15 minutes before my audition my nerves started to turn into panic and I was almost shaking. This was my one chance to show what I could do and I didn't want to mess it up. So I phoned my boss, Sandra Hillawi , for some EmoTrance on the phone! All concerns about what anyone else would be thinking as we did this by phone went out the window, as this was so important for me.

"Sandra asked me 'where do you feel all the panic in your body?' It was really really hot in my chest. She told me to focus on the energy in my chest and think of it softening. It wouldn't soften! I was feeling even more panicky now. Then she asked me to tap on the karate chop point on the side of my hand saying 'even though I'm feeling all this panic and it's not softening I love and accept myself.' Suddenly it all started to flow upwards into my throat. The heat shifted into my throat, through my cheek and.... out through my ear.... how weird is that?! My friend Dawn said she could see my skin going red moving up my chest to my throat and into my cheeks. When all the energy had left I felt brilliant and my confidence was a 9/10. I was ready to go, but that wasn't good enough for Sandra. We did some more EmoTrance until I was totally confident. I went in and I sang One Day in Your Life by Anastacia and I admit I was fantastic and I loved it. One of the judges even clapped. The voice coach and second judge said I really stood out because I was the only one who didn't have any nerves and was able to be herself. My boss, Sandra, got a box of chocs and a bunch of flowers as I'm now off to a recording studio to make the singing clip that the general public gets to vote on at South Coast Idol's website, which makes up part of the score in the grand final!"