Farmington Idol Returns to Founders Festival

Are you ready to sing your heart out, Farmington and Farmington Hills?

Registration forms are available for this year's Farmington Idol, a local version of the national singing competition, to be held July 15 as part of the Farmington Area Founders Festival. Auditions are slated for July 14 at 5 p.m. at Zap Zone on Grand River. 

Because she is last year's champion, Jenny Fernandez is not eligible to compete this year. But the People's Choice winner, Angelica Payne, 17, is already preparing.

A recent graduate, Payne said she has been singing "ever since I saw my first Disney movie." This is her third time as an Idol contestant, and she won't say which song she's preparing for the competition.

"It's a surprise," she said.

Last year, she performed "The Climb," by Miley Cyrus, for the auditions and "For Good," from the musical Wicked, in the finals.

Payne said she enjoys the "rush-y feel" of being onstage. "You're singing a story to people," she said.

Fernandez, who was also crowned Miss Farmington last year, loves that the competition is held during the community's Farmington Area Founders Festival celebration. Finalists will perform on a festival stage. "I like that it's a hometown thing," she said. "It's a really great chance to showcase Farmington talent."

Fernandez, who graduated this year from , plans to major in musical theater at Baldwin-Wallace College in Ohio. This summer, she's doing some recording for God's DJs, a Christian electronic dance music community. Payne will attend Oakland University in Rochester, working toward a double major in international relations and Japanese.

Mary Johnston, who coordinates group events for Zap Zone, said a fundraiser for the Farmington Idol competition will be held the same evening as the auditions. Guests can purchase five tickets for $20; each ticket can be used for admission to any of Zap Zone's major attractions: laser tag, Glo Golf, bumper cars, go-karts, mini-bowling and the Jump Zone (inflatables).

"We are working on a new attraction called Balladium," she said. "It's an air cannon targeting game."

Zap Zone stepped forward last year to bring back Farmington Idol with a sponsorship; the event didn't happen in 2009. Johnston said the company is pleased to be involved again this year.

"I like that it's a community event," she said. "I like to be able to foster the musical talent in our community. Farmington Schools has made a commitment to teaching music, and to me, it's a perfect fit to be a host."

She said Zap Zone would not have had the space to be involved with the competition before moving into its facility on Grand River three years ago.

This year, the competition is open to singers from throughout the area, not just residents of Farmington and Farmington Hills. The age limit is 14 and older. Also new this year is volunteer Michelle Vennis, a Wixom resident, who will help event organizer Ginny Morris with things like registration and ticket sales.

Vennis, a volunteer with the held last month in , said she's not musical, but she did teach dance for 16 years.

"Ginny is always helping people," she said. "She helped with the relay, so I'm paying that back."

"We're paying it forward," Morris said.

The Farmington Idol application will be online soon at zap-zone.com. You may also call 248-471-6777 or stop by Zap Zone, 31506 Grand River in Farmington, for an application or more information.

What will the judges be looking for this year? Morris said she has a standard measure.

"I always ask myself, 'Would I pay to go see this person perform somewhere?'" she said.