Grown & Flown Parents Connections Lead to ‘American Idol’ Audition

Who doesn’t like to talk about their kids? Who doesn’t love to scream their accomplishments off the rafters? Who doesn’t love compliments? The answer is every proud parent loves to brag! But, it’s hard to do publicly because our social circles consist of people with whom we have had a contact who may look at you and compare their children to yours.

The moms in the Grown and Flown Parents group seem different. Most are super kind and non-judgmental, and many provide great advice.

The post on Grown and Flown Parents helped my daughter make connections. (Image via Jill Bazos)

When my daughter performed, I hesitated to post on my personal page

So, when my daughter had her first notable performance in New York City, I hesitated to post on my personal page for fear people would think I was bragging. Instead, on May 17th, 2022, I posted a segment of my daughter, Nicole, singing at The Bitter End, a club in New York City.

After a childhood of being very shy, this was HUGE for her! Within minutes of posting, hundreds of women were “liking” the video and commenting, truly the nicest comments. What did these people they have to lose if they told me she was a terrible singer, so their praise felt sincere?  

The lovely comments started pouring in

First came the comment from Jenny Lyneis:

I’ve been in the music business for 25 years and she is very talented! I’m here if she ever wants to talk or you have questions… 

I had questions! We didn’t expect this kind of reaction. Is my girl truly talented, or are you just being kind? I didn’t want the comments to give me a false sense of positivity, but I had found someone who could validate her talent.

Then came the comment from Audrey Pine:

I am a casting producer for American Idol. Send me a DM and let’s chat. 

Well, that one set us off on a journey. Although Nicole says she does not aspire to be a professional performer (she has other goals in the music industry), we agreed that it would be fun to see where this conversation would lead. 

Fast forward to now, Nicole has since gone through three Zoom rounds of American Idol auditions, and we have hired Jenny’s team to assist with ensuring her image is smart and professional, something we have wanted to do for her regardless of where she lands. 

Grown and Flown parents made a lot of connections for my daughter

Since the Grown and Flown video, Nicole has made several fantastic connections in the industry. Her name, and voice, have gotten in front of several industry professionals.

She is releasing an “in-progress” album on music platforms to connect with other musicians who may not have access to the most professional equipment and people. She has gotten practice interviewing with and performing for important people whom she would never have previously had the opportunity.

At the time of this writing, we do not know if she will progress to the live version of American Idol, but she has had a super fun and important ride, and we owe it all to Grown and Flown!

More Great Reading:

When Her Son Got Hurt in Alaska, Here is the Mom Who Helped

About Jill Bazos

Jill Bazos is a mom of three, very different, young adult daughters; an athlete, an actress and a musician. Her career has spanned such diverse businesses as the Toy Industry, Public Health and the Head Lice Industry (insert head scratch here). Jill and her husband (who is a sports agent) live in New York and believe in raising kids with confidence, empathy, honesty, hard work, choice and a whole lot of fun!!! 

Read more posts by Jill

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