Kelly Clarkson: "Express Yourself" and "Already Gone"

This clip is of inaugural American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson's first audition in 2002. Almost 10 years and 10 seasons later, the landscape of reality TV -- particularly talent shows -- has completely changed. AI paved the road for shows like So You Think You Can Dance, now in its eighth season, and America's Next Top Model, 17 "cycles" and still going strong, plus dozens more. And it makes sense: The joy of these shows is that you may be witnessing history unfold. To watch a young Kelly Clarkson, bubbling with personality, wearing a shirt she made herself out of a pair of jeans, standing out as something special almost instantly, is to appreciate her journey to becoming one of today's best-selling pop artists. She was even named by Billboard as the #14 artist of the decade. Not bad for a giggly girl from Texas.

In the summer of 2007, I spent 23 hours on a bus (each way) to visit my friend Bethany in Pennsylvania. I was only there a few days, but we managed to fit in a tour of historic Philadelphia, including a few National Treasure reenactments; a visit to the Jersey Shore, pre-Snooki; and a day-long American Idol audition experience. Bethany's pretty much the best tour guide ever.

Held in the Wachovia Center, the Philly AI audition drew some 20,000 hopefuls to gawk at Ryan Seacrest and audition for season seven. (By contrast, only 10,000 auditioned for all of season one.) Bethany and I spent the day wandering the sports center, making friends, getting free makeovers, and listening to people show off in the acoustically (but not necessarily aesthetically) pleasing bathrooms. Neither Bethany nor I were terribly serious about the audition, and we didn't make it past first round. But it was a memorable day, if for no other reason than I could check that off my life bucket list of stuff to try.

The newest talent contest reality show, The Voice, is holding auditions in Chicago this weekend. Since I've started taking music performance slightly more seriously, and because I really really want to make skin contact with Adam Levine (another bucket list item), I signed up. Unfortunately, life got in the way, and I won't be able to make the audition. There's always next year. Until then, I'll just have to keep practicing, daydreaming, and making friends with my local karaoke joint bartenders.

And maybe I should work on my sewing.