'American Idol' finalist serenades Rye crowd on Fourth
got this from seaocastonline.com
RYE — At the Fourth of July festivities Friday night in town, at least one person made some fireworks of her own.
Ayla Brown, an "American Idol" finalist in 2006, gave her many fans in her summer home of Rye a sampling of why she made it to No. 13 in the country on the popular television show.
Video - images set to Ayla Brown's song "Forward (Unplugged)"
Singing not only one of the tunes from her album "Forward" in her clear, strong voice, Brown also unveiled her newest single, "Absolutely Everybody," which had young and old alike dancing.
A tall, slender, attractive young woman, she was clearly very comfortable on the small stage at Parsons Field. And she had a blast, too, calling up many small children onto the stage with her, getting them rocking, bringing a sea of small arms up high into overhead claps.
"Good job, guys," she said to them. "You did an amazing job dancing."
For Brown, it doesn't get any better than being in Rye on the Fourth.
"I've been coming to the fireworks every year since I was in first or second grade," she said. "I love it. I had offers to hang out with friends, and I said, 'No, no. I'm going to the fireworks. You can come with me if you want to.'"
That she was a participant and not only a spectator at the fireworks event should come as no surprise to anyone who has been following the career of this young woman from Wrentham, Mass.
Her post-Idol life has been one of dedication, drive and what has to be boundless amounts of energy as she juggles the rigors of NCAA Division 1 basketball at Boston College with her academics, a demanding schedule of singing performances, and a new passion — ballet.
Brown just finished a run as the narrator in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at the Reagle Players Theater in Waltham, Mass.
"When I was approached about doing a musical, I was skeptical because I'd never done one before," she said. "I am a perfectionist. I didn't want to do it if I didn't think I could do my best. But I ended up loving it. I am shocked."
So taken was she by her experience on stage that Brown is adding ballet to her academics this fall. A communications major, she still has plans to become a television journalist like her mother. But ... like many 19-year-old college students, she's now hedging her bets a little bit.
"I see so many more opportunities and things I love," she said. "I don't know if this is where my future will lead me, but I definitely want to learn more."
She was able to perform in the musical because rehearsals started after college ended but before the recent start of a mandatory summer school/scrimmage/workout schedule imposed by Boston College on its fall sports team members.
"I don't get much sleep, but I love to do it," she said.
Now she's back into basketball mode, and its basketball, as her "American Idol" fans will remember, that is of such importance to her. A recent Sports Illustrated Intern of the Week who garnered All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors as a freshman, Brown is passionate about the game.
During the season, she said, the pace can be grueling. Boston College is in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and most of the teams it plays are in the South.
"There's nothing like doing your homework on an airplane," she said. "You've just played a game and showered, you drive to the airport and get on a plane and don't get to campus until 1 a.m. And then they expect you to class at 9 o'clock the next morning."
But she's not complaining.
"I don't mind it, to tell you the truth. The types of people I get to play against every day are unbelievable. The best women who play basketball are all in this conference," she said.
She has to make sure she doesn't break NCAA rules of promoting herself or her CD while she's in college. But she still manages to sing for all the Boston major league teams — including arguably her favorite, the Celtics. She said every time she sings at one of their games, they win, so they consider her a lucky charm.
"I was going to sing at Game 7" of the NBA championships, but obviously didn't need to. "Shucks."
Being on "American Idol" was life changing, she said.
"My singing like this never would have happened without it," she said. "I never sang publicly anywhere before. Maybe the national anthem here and there, but I never thought I'd sing publicly. I just wanted to be a basketball player."
Meanwhile, Boston Herald fans can expect her to return to her "American Idol" column once the season starts. She enjoys the column because it "gives me an excuse to have some time alone, just me and the television."
"I know exactly what they're going through," she said. "Those of us who have been on the show call it the 'American Idol bubble,' and we're all inside it. We know them," she said, speaking of contestants from subsequent years. "Even if I've never met someone before, I'll give them a hug. I know what it's like."
RYE — At the Fourth of July festivities Friday night in town, at least one person made some fireworks of her own.
Ayla Brown, an "American Idol" finalist in 2006, gave her many fans in her summer home of Rye a sampling of why she made it to No. 13 in the country on the popular television show.
Video - images set to Ayla Brown's song "Forward (Unplugged)"
Singing not only one of the tunes from her album "Forward" in her clear, strong voice, Brown also unveiled her newest single, "Absolutely Everybody," which had young and old alike dancing.
A tall, slender, attractive young woman, she was clearly very comfortable on the small stage at Parsons Field. And she had a blast, too, calling up many small children onto the stage with her, getting them rocking, bringing a sea of small arms up high into overhead claps.
"Good job, guys," she said to them. "You did an amazing job dancing."
For Brown, it doesn't get any better than being in Rye on the Fourth.
"I've been coming to the fireworks every year since I was in first or second grade," she said. "I love it. I had offers to hang out with friends, and I said, 'No, no. I'm going to the fireworks. You can come with me if you want to.'"
That she was a participant and not only a spectator at the fireworks event should come as no surprise to anyone who has been following the career of this young woman from Wrentham, Mass.
Her post-Idol life has been one of dedication, drive and what has to be boundless amounts of energy as she juggles the rigors of NCAA Division 1 basketball at Boston College with her academics, a demanding schedule of singing performances, and a new passion — ballet.
Brown just finished a run as the narrator in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at the Reagle Players Theater in Waltham, Mass.
"When I was approached about doing a musical, I was skeptical because I'd never done one before," she said. "I am a perfectionist. I didn't want to do it if I didn't think I could do my best. But I ended up loving it. I am shocked."
So taken was she by her experience on stage that Brown is adding ballet to her academics this fall. A communications major, she still has plans to become a television journalist like her mother. But ... like many 19-year-old college students, she's now hedging her bets a little bit.
"I see so many more opportunities and things I love," she said. "I don't know if this is where my future will lead me, but I definitely want to learn more."
She was able to perform in the musical because rehearsals started after college ended but before the recent start of a mandatory summer school/scrimmage/workout schedule imposed by Boston College on its fall sports team members.
"I don't get much sleep, but I love to do it," she said.
Now she's back into basketball mode, and its basketball, as her "American Idol" fans will remember, that is of such importance to her. A recent Sports Illustrated Intern of the Week who garnered All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors as a freshman, Brown is passionate about the game.
During the season, she said, the pace can be grueling. Boston College is in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and most of the teams it plays are in the South.
"There's nothing like doing your homework on an airplane," she said. "You've just played a game and showered, you drive to the airport and get on a plane and don't get to campus until 1 a.m. And then they expect you to class at 9 o'clock the next morning."
But she's not complaining.
"I don't mind it, to tell you the truth. The types of people I get to play against every day are unbelievable. The best women who play basketball are all in this conference," she said.
She has to make sure she doesn't break NCAA rules of promoting herself or her CD while she's in college. But she still manages to sing for all the Boston major league teams — including arguably her favorite, the Celtics. She said every time she sings at one of their games, they win, so they consider her a lucky charm.
"I was going to sing at Game 7" of the NBA championships, but obviously didn't need to. "Shucks."
Being on "American Idol" was life changing, she said.
"My singing like this never would have happened without it," she said. "I never sang publicly anywhere before. Maybe the national anthem here and there, but I never thought I'd sing publicly. I just wanted to be a basketball player."
Meanwhile, Boston Herald fans can expect her to return to her "American Idol" column once the season starts. She enjoys the column because it "gives me an excuse to have some time alone, just me and the television."
"I know exactly what they're going through," she said. "Those of us who have been on the show call it the 'American Idol bubble,' and we're all inside it. We know them," she said, speaking of contestants from subsequent years. "Even if I've never met someone before, I'll give them a hug. I know what it's like."
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