A Frost School of Music student is competing in the Hollywood round of “American Idol,” the venerable singing contest show currently in its 23rd season. The surprising part is that Santina Madden, a 21-year-old music education major, didn’t even consider herself a singer until now.
Nevertheless, Madden earned a coveted “golden ticket” to Hollywood with a performance of the Lady Gaga/Bruno Mars hit “Die With a Smile.” Her “American Idol” audition was shot last fall in New York City, but it didn’t air until March 30, this past Sunday. Keeping the news to herself for so long was a challenge.
“It was almost impossible,” says Madden, a junior from Yonkers, New York. “I brought 12 family members to my audition, so at least they all knew. But none of us could tell anyone else.”
Madden’s road to “American Idol” began last summer when her sister shot a video of Madden singing to her dog, Duchess. It picked up millions of views on TikTok, enough to encourage Madden to begin posting more videos of herself singing. Madden’s primary instrument at Frost is actually the violin, which she played while singing at her “Idol” audition. That impressed the panel of celebrity judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Ritchie, and Carrie Underwood.
“Carrie said something afterward about the violin being my superpower, which was cool,” says Madden. “Before this, I would barely sing at all in front of my own family, let alone celebrity judges. Violin has always been my principal instrument, something I’ve taken very seriously.”
Madden was among 62 contestants to make the Hollywood round out of a field of 144 hopefuls in three audition cities. Those who made it through the audition gauntlet will face more cutdowns on Sunday and Monday’s shows on ABC. The judges decide who stays and who goes until viewers start voting later in the season.
It’s a high-pressure atmosphere. But studying at the Frost School turned out to be good preparation for advancing in one of television’s most high-profile musical showcases.
“The Frost School is no joke; it’s intense,” says Madden. “Even just violin lessons and schoolwork, there’s pressure, and I am surrounded by such talented musicians every day. So, this audition experience was not unfamiliar. I could tell myself, ‘You’ve been under pressure before,’ and I have been with juries at the end of the semester. ‘It’s just another performance like you’ve done before.’”
“American Idol” has launched numerous contestants to mainstream stardom over the years, including Underwood (who won the 2005 season four), Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia, and Scotty McCreery. Even if Madden’s ride on the show ends this weekend, she says that it’s been a great experience.
“I’m so beyond grateful for this, and it’s something I’ll never forget,” she says. “I met so many great people there. Right now, finishing my degree and graduating is my main priority. But I also want to look into doing more singing and writing my own music. I love violin, but it would be stupid not to try some new things, especially with singing.”
