WIESBADEN, Germany - There were some missed notes and forgotten lyrics, boos from the audience and moments when the judges were simply lost for words - everything you'd expect at a singing competition.
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Wiesbaden's 2009 Rising Star Competition kicked off Aug. 28 with 16 contestants who sang music a cappella - meaning without instrumental accompaniment - that ranged from opera to country and Spanish to R&B.
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But is the next Army-wide winner of Operation Rising Star in the mix'
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You never know, said the judges - Wiesbaden garrison's Equal Opportunity adviser Master Sgt. Mark Jordan, Wiesbaden Fitness Center personal trainer Maria Diaz and AFN Hessen's Liz Kinsella.
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"I think you're going to be hard to deal with," Jordan told Samantha Werner, who sang Sugarland's "Stay."
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But the twangy rendition wasn't the only performance to wow the judges. The night ended on a high-note with LaLa Almonte singing Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child."
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Diaz noted that Almonte's performance set just the right tone for an intimate evening at home.
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But the competition wasn't without its moments of stage fright. A four-letter expletive left Andrew Mullet's mouth as he stood on stage.
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"I'm so sorry," he said. "I completely spaced on the lyrics."
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As each contestant took to the stage, Leslie Gaylord of Family and Morale, Wellness and Recreation's marketing office asked how far each wanted to go in the competition. Most replied, "All the way."
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Showcased as a contest to find one extraordinary singer to win the grand prize of recording his or her own demo CD, Rising Star is only open to members of the active duty military, reserve and National Guard and military family members.
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Last year was the first year the competition allowed family members to compete. The 2008 Rising Star winner was 24-year-old Joyce Dodson, a military spouse from Bamberg. Dodson's strong voice and gospel-style set her apart from her competition.
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At the installation-level, Jordan said he is looking for a contestant who can show diversity.
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"Music is the common language of all cultures, and it gives one the ability to transcend mind and hearts to one beat," he said. "I am looking for an artist who has the ability to connect with the audience that way."
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The Wiesbaden area contest continues Sept. 11 at the Community Activity Center starting at 7 p.m. The final installation-level competition is Sept. 18. Family Readiness Groups and unit-level organizations can also cheer on their favorite singer and compete for a $300 Spirit Award. The winning singer receives a $500 prize and advances to the Army-wide finals by submission of a video of his or her performance. A winner from each of the 47 competing installations will submit an entry.
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Twelve finalists will be selected from the videos and move on to the live finals at the Wallace Theater at Fort Belvoir in Alexandria, Va. The grand prize includes an all-expense paid trip for four to Los Angeles and time in a recording studio for the creation of a demo CD. The trip also includes vocal coaching, professional arrangement, sound engineering and tickets to a late-night talk show.
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