Ireland’s Got Talent
Wow, where do I start!?!
I was a contestant on the second season of Ireland’s Got Talent in 2019 and that’s what kicked off my journey with social media. But before we get to what I am doing now, let’s start at the beginning.
In the fall of 2018, I had a few major life changes happen at once. I moved to Dublin, Ireland in September to start medical school (my reasons for becoming a doctor are fit for a separate post, so I won’t get into those now), I was healing from a broken heart, and I was in the midst of a career change.
The start of medical school was stressful.
I had to completely relearn how to study in a course as extremely fast-paced and rigorous as medicine. I surprisingly wasn’t homesick, and I had made quite a few friends in the first few weeks. I always came back to music to ground me during those stressful first few weeks. While exploring the college in those first few weeks I found a piano in the oldest part of the building, and that room became my sanctuary. We had anatomy lab on Mondays and Tuesdays, and I would go play piano after lab.
Playing the piano those days was what kept me balanced.
The feel of my hands on the keys and singing would allow everything to slip away. For those brief times every week, nothing could phase me. I was alone with my music and my thoughts until one day my friend - let’s call him Ryan - found my hideaway. When I started medical school, I told my classmates about my background. I was a music therapist, I went to music school for my undergrad, and I was there to become a pediatrician. But Ryan was surprised when he heard me perform, he thought that I was talented, and encouraged me to apply to the show. I wanted to have control over the application, but he helped film the video that I ended up submitting to the show. Then I didn’t hear anything for months. I almost forgot that I applied to the show, and never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would actually get on the show. I thought that the application would disappear into the ether and I would resume my life as normal. But one day I got a call from a phone number I did not recognize during class. I didn’t pick up the call thinking that it was a scam, but the caller left a message. The message was very brief and went along the lines of:
Hi Tara, My name is Grainne, a producer on Ireland’s Got Talent, and we want to talk to you more about auditioning for the show.
The next part of the story was captured ever so nicely on this video below.
I was so nervous while I was auditioning.
When I first arrived at The Helix (the theater the auditions were held in), and went to the check-in desk they sat me in the audience. When I said, “Hi my name is Tara, I am here to audition for Ireland’s Got Talent”, they thought I was just there to watch the auditions, rather than auditioning myself. However, I started chatting to the older couple sitting beside me. They told me that they were there to watch their grandkids perform in a dance group, and I told them I was there to audition. It was at this point that we both realized that I was in the wrong spot, they kindly flagged one of the ushers and I was brought backstage. I was worried that this would make me late for my audition, but fortunately, it didn’t have any impact and I can now look back on this moment and laugh.
To be honest, I don’t remember what happened during the audition. It’s almost as if I have completely blacked out the memory of what happened. I just remember one of the other performers backstage telling me that he couldn’t hear the piano when he was playing, so I should test the piano and the mic when I got out there. So that’s what I did. I don’t remember anything I sang, I only remember the adrenaline before I walked on the stage. I made it through my song and somehow got four yeses from the judges. But this didn’t guarantee me a spot in the semi-final at this point. They let me know that I needed to wait at home and that I might be invited back for ‘deliberation day’ when they would decide who would go through to the next round.
Lucky for me, I was invited back. Deliberation day was long, but we didn’t perform our talents. The room was stifling under the lights, and the tension was palpable. Further, I had an exam the next day and took every spare moment they didn’t need me on camera to study. I was after all, still in medical school. We were slowly brought out in groups to be told if we were going to the semi-finals or not.
I remember walking down a long hallway with three other performers. I thought,
“Ok, I think they are going to put two of us through and send two of us home. This is probably where my journey ends”.
My eyes were stinging, attempting not to squint from the bright lights. All I could hear were shuffling feet across the stage, and the rest of the world seemed to go quiet. As we all held our breath, awaiting our fate.
“You’re all going through”
And just like that, I was in the semi-finals!
The next few months between the audition and the live semi-final were normal for me. Nothing in my life had changed. I studied hard, did well on my exams, and adjusted well to my new life in Ireland. At this point in the story, you should also know that I hadn’t told anyone that I had submitted an application (except Ryan) let alone telling them I had auditioned. I told my parents the day before the audition because the producers wanted to add a phone call from them into my B roll - particularly because I was going to be there alone and they thought it would make a good story. This whole process also happened in November, and the episodes didn’t air until February. I told my friends three days before my audition aired that I was going to be on it, and everyone was floored. I had told the director of my program because I needed to leave class a few days early each week to make it to rehearsals, but he respected my wishes and kept it a secret until I shared it.
The week before the semi-finals finally arrived, and I felt a tickle in the back of my throat. At first, I didn't think anything of it, but things quickly took a turn for the worse. I ended up with a respiratory infection and gastroenteritis the week before the show, unable to get out of bed, let alone practice. My parents arrived from Canada and slept on an air mattress on my floor. I sustained myself on warm water mixed with lemon and honey. I was terrified that I would not perform well because I was sick, that the show was taking away from my studies, and that I would make a fool of myself on live national television in Ireland.
This is what I looked like the morning of my semi- final. Tea, warm clothes, makeup free, and just trying to keep myself upright. The illness had really taken it out of me, and all I wanted to do was put on a performance that I would be proud of. I arrived at The Helix at 8am, and began the process of getting glammed up for the show. I had done my own hair and makeup for the audition, but professionals came in for the semi final. I have never experienced anything like it since, someone working on my hair while another person did my makeup. I was just trying to soak in the experience. At one point, I looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize the person looking at me.
I began to cry in the makeup chair. I was so stressed by all of it, and not recognizing myself was the straw that broke the camel’s back. We then went to dress rehearsals. Thankfully, the makeup artist toned things down a little bit after seeing the makeup on camera. At this point I tried to go into the rest of the day to just enjoy the experience. I was up against some stellar performers including some amazing dance groups.
While I knew that I was good at what I did, I somehow knew that I wouldn’t be going through to the Final. That took most of the stress away and allowed me to go into the rest of the experience calmer and able to have fun. I then performed better than I was expecting too, even though I was still sick.
My life changed because of this experience.
This experience rekindled my love of music as a performer. I re-started my YouTube channel, started my old website (eventually evolving to the site you are on now), and began busking on Grafton Street. I don’t think that I would be where I am now without this experience. I have more stories from my time on the show, rehearsals, getting to know the other performers, being asked to perform at various other venues and many more adventures. Hopefully, they will all come out in time. Until then …
xoxo - TJ