WEST LIBERTY, W. Va. – In the spirit of this year’s Topper Idol competition, we got to sit down with past Topper Idol winners, Jamie Fowler and Tiffany Sites. We asked them what they thought about this year’s competition, why they signed up, and if there is anything from them we should look out for in the future.
Q: What is your name, year, and major?
FOWLER: My name is Jamie Fowler, and I’m a Digital Media Design Major and a Sophomore.
SITES: My name is Tiffany Sites. I am a Junior, and I have a Double Major in Music Technology and Vocal Performance.
Q: What year did you compete in Topper Idol?
FOWLER: I competed in 2024.
SITES: Freshman year, so Spring 2023.
Q: Why did you sign up for Topper Idol and how was the experience for you?
FOWLER: I took voice lessons for four years, and I wanted to make my voice teacher proud. It was very nerve-racking, and I felt severely sick before each performance because my anxiety was just through the roof. And, I was terrified the entire time because my friend was also doing it, and I was supporting her for the whole thing. I was so scared of her getting knocked out and everything.
SITES: I’ve always loved performing and always wanted to compete in singing competitions, so this was perfect. It was always pretty nerve-racking. But, once I got on stage and started performing, I just remembered how fun it was, and the nerves eventually went away.
Q: After winning the prize scholarship, how has that changed your experience at WLU?
FOWLER: I didn’t have a lot of money before I won that. That was like, the most money I’d ever seen in my bank account. So, I just kept ordering food like crazy. But, it made me feel nice and comfortable and secure in my financial status
SITES: Thanks to the $1,000 scholarship, I was able to put it towards studying abroad. So, I’m looking forward to a trip in France this spring with other West Liberty students.
Q: You have also been a judge for this year’s Topper Idol. How was that experience, and how did that come about?
FOWLER: I got an email from Marcella Snyder, and she said “hey, would you like to come and be a judge during the second week, and we’re also inviting Tiffany to do it.” And I was like “sure, that sounds fun!” I was terrified of judging because I don’t know how to judge people like that.
SITES: I was a little nervous at first to judge, but I actually really enjoyed the experience. I’ve also learned a lot more about music since freshman year, so I felt like I was able to give encouragement but also constructive criticism to each of the participants.
Q: How do you feel about this year’s Topper Idol competition? Is there anything you hope to add to the competition experience, such as different prizes or a ‘golden buzzer’ type gimmick?
FOWLER: It would be really cool for everybody who moves on to get a little prize, even for the first week. They deserve it because it takes a lot of work to do it. Because seeing how sad that people get when they are eliminated, I feel like that would be like a “hey, you did get eliminated, but like, you did it.”
SITES: It’s going to be a very difficult decision for the finalist judges this year. Even from the first round, everyone had a solid performance, so now it’s really down to the best of the best. I think everyone who participated should be proud of themselves for getting on that stage and know that they all have great voices. While I think a golden buzzer would be fun, I’m not sure it would go over well. And, I think that performance is a big part of Topper Idol, so more opportunities to perform is good for the contestants. I would like to see more of the music faculty or people with performance experience being judges just so they can give more advice and tips for the performers.
Q: What advice would you give anyone hoping to sign up for Topper Idol, but feeling too anxious or nervous to do it?
FOWLER: You’re not going to get judged as much as you think you are. I thought I was going to get judged a lot, especially since I don’t really look like somebody who would get up there and sing. Which, I guess it kind of helped, because I had like a “wow factor.” But honestly, they won’t hate on you that much, and if you get like weird comments on Yik Yak, they’re gonna forget about it. But having a support system and also deleting Yik Yak during that whole thing is probably your best scenario.
SITES: I would tell them just to go ahead and do it and have fun with it. It’s all about the mindset. So, if you just go up on that stage and tell yourself how much you love singing or how much fun you’re going to have, it’s a lot easier to forget about the audience. You also have to remind yourself that you had the guts to get up there and do this. Anyone who tries to put you down just doesn’t have the guts to compete, so their opinions don’t even matter. Also, delete Yik yak if you have it, at least while you’re competing. While the comments can be positive, it can be a very toxic platform. And, Topper Idol is always a hot topic, so it’s better to just delete the app if you are competing to avoid the possible negativity. The last bit of advice I would say is to think about songs that sound good in your range and that most people know. It can be fun to sing songs you really like, but sometimes they are too niche, so it’s better to choose a song you like that others will know as well.
Q: Are there any future performances or music we could look forward to from you in the future?
FOWLER: Well, I am going to be performing during the final week of Topper Idol. I wont spoil the song, but I was asked to come back and do a performance.
SITES: Yes! I am singing at the finale of Topper Idol, but you can also find me at the Arts and Community Fest that will be on campus in May. I am planning on doing a performance and having a vendor table to sell merch. I am also performing with some fellow students during the dinner hour at the Capitol Theater before the “She’s Got Soul” concert. We’ll be doing some cover songs by Adele, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and more. I also have lots of songs I’m working on right now that I hope to release soon.
