[Applause]
yes once we have you trapped in your
seats they forced me to sing at you
so yes I’m Amy Adams I’m most commonly
known around Bakersfield as a girl from
American Idol and it’s very interesting
I was on American Idol when I was 24
years old if you can tell by my grown-up
lady outfit I am no longer 24 years old
so it’s still very wonderful I have to
be honest American Idol changed my life
every single day and what American Idol
did and really what I wanted to talk
about today was the reality of reality
TV and the non reality of reality TV so
we have the platform and actually what
it sets up for you and what you’re able
to accomplish and what you’re able to do
I can give some examples when we were on
tour I made it to the top 10 of the
American Idol and when we were on tour
there was 10 of us and we had to go
across the border to Canada and the girl
that got 9th place and I’m not gonna say
any names but a girl that got 9th place
chose to stay in the United States
because she couldn’t bring her drugs
with her to Canada and all of the rest
of us said ok well we’re going so it was
one of those things that you can have
this melting pot of people who are on
that same journey as you are they are
aspiring to achieve greatness and it’s
one of those things where then you can
have those focused focused individuals I
was more methodical I had auditioned for
American Idol the previous year season 2
and the executive producers told me some
of the sweetest things that they could
have ever told me they told me that I
was a pretty girl with a pretty voice
but there was nothing special about me
and I remember standing there and
thinking there is nothing special about
me and if there is something special
about you we can’t see it and I thought
oh ok great thank you very much and I
took my sweet little self and I drove
back to Bakersfield and it was wonderful
because as those words began to fuel my
next mission my neck
stage they were truly words that would
change my life and so I did go out
season two like it was a very fancy job
interview and like I said I’m very much
you know a grown-up lady today these
days walking around and it’s it’s so
interesting what life can do to you and
what life can do for you when someone
tells you the reality that they see and
they’re the ones who make the decisions
so I was fine listening to them what I
did was I became so focused on what my
next move was I became so methodical on
what I would do next to to become this
special version to somebody else but
what I did was I turned in and I thought
what makes me exceptional extraordinary
different and most of the time it was my
fun personality and I thought you know
what I’m gonna be on full-blast when I
go so I dyed my hair pink and I read
every single book that was ever written
by these celebrity judges
so I read Simon Cowell’s book I read
Randy Jackson’s book it was not as
exciting assignments
I read Paula Abdul’s book so it’s so
interesting reading all of these things
but they actually kind of gave you so
much insight and undercurrent into
what’s real what’s relevant and what’s
necessary to success what I’ve done over
time was create an understanding of
these four pillars of success one of
those things that I did that number one
thing was really finding what my guests
were how was I going to excel then I was
going to find what my challenges were
what are my challenges and really face
those and really put them right in front
of me put that mirror in front of me
that says okay you’re great at this but
you’re absolutely terrible at this and I
loved to take on what I was absolutely
terrible at I was so uncomfortable being
uncomfortable and so I began to be more
uncomfortable as much as I could as
often as I could even now as a coach as
a mentor as people working with kids I
insist that my children are
constantly uncomfortable our entire life
we will say oh well I’m not gonna do
that that’s Lou isn’t that hard 98% of
people will stay in their current
circumstance for fear of lack of options
not me so I’m gonna be a 1% or 2% or
somehow it’s gonna be by risk-taking and
I like that so it was one of those
things that was imperative for me
another thing that was imperative for me
after American Idol there’s this kind of
fast Fame that you get this
understanding that you have this
platform if you utilize this platform
and you use the power for good
it will propel you in the right
direction I used it for good
I booked a TV show I had signed a record
deal and then I got pregnant and I opted
to have my baby instead of my career
Aliyah will drop to me the show dropped
me and I knew they would my manager told
me before I had my baby before I made
the choice to have my baby they let me
know just so you know keep this in mind
thank you so my son now 12 years old
never a regret never one day ever regret
it is one of those things those journeys
those adventures that you go on that
you’re forced to learn something from
and do something fantastic with I got a
call I didn’t know what my next job was
I got a call when I was sitting on my
couch at home and it was from Andrew
Lloyd Webber’s company rug productions
and they asked if I’d be willing to star
in the national tour of Joseph and the
Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat I thought
it was a joke they told me no it’s not a
joke we worked with a producer that
worked on American Idol and who was
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s right-hand man and
he recommended you
he actually recommended Jodi Benson but
she passed so Jodi Benson is the voice
of the Little Mermaid whoever that is
Jeske I love her she’s wonderful
but I learned a lot then I signed a
two-year contract to do the 2005-2006
tour and then about nine months into the
tour high vocal hemorrhaged so I was
singing and in San Antonio Texas blood
popped through my vocal cords and I was
unable to hit the notes that my brain
said I should be hitting so in the
middle of the show my understudy took
over and I was forced to be on vocal
rest for two years so in that process
was the time when I was unable to work
and it was imperative that I learned my
lesson the slow and hard way that was
the hardest because I had only counted
on being a professional performer
especially was all the things that you
had been through with American Idol I
had tabloids saying you know she’s a man
baby but it’s just to get headlines oh
one time amy adams played a man in a
show and it’s like if no one reads the
rest of that it’s so much more that you
can think about you know not that being
a man and a woman at the same time is
bad hashbrown no judgment okay so it’s
one of those things at that time I was
forced to learn my lesson and that
lesson slowed me down and I thought to
myself what can I do how can I give back
and so I stopped and I said okay I’m
going to take my dreams and live
vicariously through small children with
the same dreams that I had and that’s
exactly what I did
so I partnered with Karen NGO who is
currently our mayor and also the
president and CEO of garden pathways and
we wanted to reach a demographic that
was an underprivileged demographic and
that was nine years ago and that was
something that was near and dear to my
heart
something that we have continued for the
past nine years so we will be going into
a decade of success and what we do is we
hold summer camps for kids and we change
their lives but we mentor so it’s
changing and growing from the
sideout it was imperative and that’s
when I knew that that was my message
that was my journey I was stopped
I was sidelined for a reason that my
talent and how I utilized it was only a
medium and that was it and so I’m using
it as such I’ve been very fortunate to
have the opportunity to have still go
back and still do wonderful things when
I got vocal clearance in 2011 actually
after my official surgery when I got
vocal clearance May 2011 June 2011 I had
my first audition for La Reve the dream
the show at Wynn Las Vegas and I just
stopped my last year at lura this past
year and I served almost six years there
and I not not like it was the young
horses by any means but it was a Cirque
de Soleil show and it was a beautiful
show the evolution of the show was
changed by Steve when he he then he owns
it obviously but it is one of those
things that allowed me to still become
relevant stay relevant and still be in
my kids life and make a difference what
I’m doing now is really taking every
single person that I work with to that
next level that next level of
understanding I’m going to read some of
the words if you continuously compete
with others you become bitter but if you
continuously compete with yourself you
become better that for me was something
so imperative to my growth and my
success there’s no need to be perfect to
inspire others let people get inspired
by how you deal with your imperfections
and that I think is the truth of what
we’re able to do that’s that that third
pillar of becoming that that inspiration
the understanding of what your true gift
is what your medium is and using it to
your advantage before I go into my song
I want to use one of the quotes this
quote is by be divine to all the girls
who no longer believe in fairy tales or
happy endings you are the writer of this
story
chin up and straighten your crown you
are the queen of this kingdom and only
you know how to rule it for me
this was telling and still I am asked
often why aren’t you doing something
more with your life how come you’re not
on Broadway how come you’re not going
back and just going on the road again
and for me something more with my life
is here in this community
it’s what constantly feeds me it’s what
constantly keeps me CC ated so someone
else’s version of my success and my
happiness is their truth
and I live my truth every single day
I’m going to sing to you one of my
all-time favorite songs life is just a
bowl of cherries
[Music]
life
is just a bowl
don’t take it serious
life’s too
hysteria
you work you say you were
[Applause]
when you
[Music]
strong yes
[Music]
how can you lose why are you
[Music]
[Music]
[Applause]
thank you
yes once we have you trapped in your
seats they forced me to sing at you
so yes I’m Amy Adams I’m most commonly
known around Bakersfield as a girl from
American Idol and it’s very interesting
I was on American Idol when I was 24
years old if you can tell by my grown-up
lady outfit I am no longer 24 years old
so it’s still very wonderful I have to
be honest American Idol changed my life
every single day and what American Idol
did and really what I wanted to talk
about today was the reality of reality
TV and the non reality of reality TV so
we have the platform and actually what
it sets up for you and what you’re able
to accomplish and what you’re able to do
I can give some examples when we were on
tour I made it to the top 10 of the
American Idol and when we were on tour
there was 10 of us and we had to go
across the border to Canada and the girl
that got 9th place and I’m not gonna say
any names but a girl that got 9th place
chose to stay in the United States
because she couldn’t bring her drugs
with her to Canada and all of the rest
of us said ok well we’re going so it was
one of those things that you can have
this melting pot of people who are on
that same journey as you are they are
aspiring to achieve greatness and it’s
one of those things where then you can
have those focused focused individuals I
was more methodical I had auditioned for
American Idol the previous year season 2
and the executive producers told me some
of the sweetest things that they could
have ever told me they told me that I
was a pretty girl with a pretty voice
but there was nothing special about me
and I remember standing there and
thinking there is nothing special about
me and if there is something special
about you we can’t see it and I thought
oh ok great thank you very much and I
took my sweet little self and I drove
back to Bakersfield and it was wonderful
because as those words began to fuel my
next mission my neck
stage they were truly words that would
change my life and so I did go out
season two like it was a very fancy job
interview and like I said I’m very much
you know a grown-up lady today these
days walking around and it’s it’s so
interesting what life can do to you and
what life can do for you when someone
tells you the reality that they see and
they’re the ones who make the decisions
so I was fine listening to them what I
did was I became so focused on what my
next move was I became so methodical on
what I would do next to to become this
special version to somebody else but
what I did was I turned in and I thought
what makes me exceptional extraordinary
different and most of the time it was my
fun personality and I thought you know
what I’m gonna be on full-blast when I
go so I dyed my hair pink and I read
every single book that was ever written
by these celebrity judges
so I read Simon Cowell’s book I read
Randy Jackson’s book it was not as
exciting assignments
I read Paula Abdul’s book so it’s so
interesting reading all of these things
but they actually kind of gave you so
much insight and undercurrent into
what’s real what’s relevant and what’s
necessary to success what I’ve done over
time was create an understanding of
these four pillars of success one of
those things that I did that number one
thing was really finding what my guests
were how was I going to excel then I was
going to find what my challenges were
what are my challenges and really face
those and really put them right in front
of me put that mirror in front of me
that says okay you’re great at this but
you’re absolutely terrible at this and I
loved to take on what I was absolutely
terrible at I was so uncomfortable being
uncomfortable and so I began to be more
uncomfortable as much as I could as
often as I could even now as a coach as
a mentor as people working with kids I
insist that my children are
constantly uncomfortable our entire life
we will say oh well I’m not gonna do
that that’s Lou isn’t that hard 98% of
people will stay in their current
circumstance for fear of lack of options
not me so I’m gonna be a 1% or 2% or
somehow it’s gonna be by risk-taking and
I like that so it was one of those
things that was imperative for me
another thing that was imperative for me
after American Idol there’s this kind of
fast Fame that you get this
understanding that you have this
platform if you utilize this platform
and you use the power for good
it will propel you in the right
direction I used it for good
I booked a TV show I had signed a record
deal and then I got pregnant and I opted
to have my baby instead of my career
Aliyah will drop to me the show dropped
me and I knew they would my manager told
me before I had my baby before I made
the choice to have my baby they let me
know just so you know keep this in mind
thank you so my son now 12 years old
never a regret never one day ever regret
it is one of those things those journeys
those adventures that you go on that
you’re forced to learn something from
and do something fantastic with I got a
call I didn’t know what my next job was
I got a call when I was sitting on my
couch at home and it was from Andrew
Lloyd Webber’s company rug productions
and they asked if I’d be willing to star
in the national tour of Joseph and the
Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat I thought
it was a joke they told me no it’s not a
joke we worked with a producer that
worked on American Idol and who was
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s right-hand man and
he recommended you
he actually recommended Jodi Benson but
she passed so Jodi Benson is the voice
of the Little Mermaid whoever that is
Jeske I love her she’s wonderful
but I learned a lot then I signed a
two-year contract to do the 2005-2006
tour and then about nine months into the
tour high vocal hemorrhaged so I was
singing and in San Antonio Texas blood
popped through my vocal cords and I was
unable to hit the notes that my brain
said I should be hitting so in the
middle of the show my understudy took
over and I was forced to be on vocal
rest for two years so in that process
was the time when I was unable to work
and it was imperative that I learned my
lesson the slow and hard way that was
the hardest because I had only counted
on being a professional performer
especially was all the things that you
had been through with American Idol I
had tabloids saying you know she’s a man
baby but it’s just to get headlines oh
one time amy adams played a man in a
show and it’s like if no one reads the
rest of that it’s so much more that you
can think about you know not that being
a man and a woman at the same time is
bad hashbrown no judgment okay so it’s
one of those things at that time I was
forced to learn my lesson and that
lesson slowed me down and I thought to
myself what can I do how can I give back
and so I stopped and I said okay I’m
going to take my dreams and live
vicariously through small children with
the same dreams that I had and that’s
exactly what I did
so I partnered with Karen NGO who is
currently our mayor and also the
president and CEO of garden pathways and
we wanted to reach a demographic that
was an underprivileged demographic and
that was nine years ago and that was
something that was near and dear to my
heart
something that we have continued for the
past nine years so we will be going into
a decade of success and what we do is we
hold summer camps for kids and we change
their lives but we mentor so it’s
changing and growing from the
sideout it was imperative and that’s
when I knew that that was my message
that was my journey I was stopped
I was sidelined for a reason that my
talent and how I utilized it was only a
medium and that was it and so I’m using
it as such I’ve been very fortunate to
have the opportunity to have still go
back and still do wonderful things when
I got vocal clearance in 2011 actually
after my official surgery when I got
vocal clearance May 2011 June 2011 I had
my first audition for La Reve the dream
the show at Wynn Las Vegas and I just
stopped my last year at lura this past
year and I served almost six years there
and I not not like it was the young
horses by any means but it was a Cirque
de Soleil show and it was a beautiful
show the evolution of the show was
changed by Steve when he he then he owns
it obviously but it is one of those
things that allowed me to still become
relevant stay relevant and still be in
my kids life and make a difference what
I’m doing now is really taking every
single person that I work with to that
next level that next level of
understanding I’m going to read some of
the words if you continuously compete
with others you become bitter but if you
continuously compete with yourself you
become better that for me was something
so imperative to my growth and my
success there’s no need to be perfect to
inspire others let people get inspired
by how you deal with your imperfections
and that I think is the truth of what
we’re able to do that’s that that third
pillar of becoming that that inspiration
the understanding of what your true gift
is what your medium is and using it to
your advantage before I go into my song
I want to use one of the quotes this
quote is by be divine to all the girls
who no longer believe in fairy tales or
happy endings you are the writer of this
story
chin up and straighten your crown you
are the queen of this kingdom and only
you know how to rule it for me
this was telling and still I am asked
often why aren’t you doing something
more with your life how come you’re not
on Broadway how come you’re not going
back and just going on the road again
and for me something more with my life
is here in this community
it’s what constantly feeds me it’s what
constantly keeps me CC ated so someone
else’s version of my success and my
happiness is their truth
and I live my truth every single day
I’m going to sing to you one of my
all-time favorite songs life is just a
bowl of cherries
[Music]
life
is just a bowl
don’t take it serious
life’s too
hysteria
you work you say you were
[Applause]
when you
[Music]
strong yes
[Music]
how can you lose why are you
[Music]
[Music]
[Applause]
thank you
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