Idols reflect on making top 12

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (WUPW) - All 12 American Idol finalists, including Toledo's Crystal Bowersox, talked to scores of national media Thursday evening on the "blue carpet" after four more contestants were axed from the show.

The Top 12 that move on in the Season 9 competition are Bowersox, Didi Benami, Siobhan Magnus, Paige Miles, Lacey Brown, Katie Stevens, Casey James, Tim Urban, Lee Dwyze, Michael Lynche, Aaron Kelly, and Andrew Garcia.

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"I feel good, I'm just looking forward to the future, you know, see how it goes," Bowersox said.

"It's important for me to live up to the comments I have gotten so far," said Magnus.

"I'm so excited, so proud of myself for doing this," Paige said.

"Just trying to stay really grounded and remember why I'm here," Lynche said.

"This is just amazing, a stepping stone that will hopefully jump start my career," said Stevens.

"I'm just going to go out there, give it my all, not really do anything different," Kelly said.

"It's unbelieveable, I couldn't be happier," James said.

"Having sang that song, and felt I did a good job, to get good responses is a really big confidence boost," Urban said.

"I'm so blessed right now, it's crazy," Garcia said. "I'm just loving it."

"It's been a really crazy experience and to be where I'm at now, it's incredible," said Dwyze.

"I didn't know I was going to make it this far," said Benami. "I'm just going to do my best to prepare, and pray."

"It's a difficult animal from this point on in the competition, so I'm really looking forward to that," Brown said.

Next week, the Top 12 contestants will be singing songs from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group the Rolling Stones.

 Many, if not all of the Idols will sleep easy this week because they have made it so far.

We can only imagine how much practice time the contestants put in this week to make the Top 12 cut. Debra Byrd, American Idol vocal coach, knows for sure.

"I become an interpreter of the judges as opposed to I disagree with them," Byrd said Thursday evening at the red carpet event. "As Simon (Cowell) says it becomes confusing because two will like them and two will dislike them."

Byrd, who was born and raised in Cleveland, has been the vocal coach and arranger for American Idol, as well as the show's North American music tours. "Byrd," as she is known in the music community, has been a back-up singer for Barry Manilow.

It's Byrd's job to help the Idols along the way and stay confident. In the past weeks, she's seen plenty of progress.

"Let's see, who really comes to mind?," Byrd questioned. "I'm loving Aaron, loving Mike, Lee, Crystal - so many to love and we're just waiting to see who moves forward."

At this point it's anyone's game, but each one of these singers are working to win.

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FOX Toledo News reporter Allison Brown and Face of FOX Toledo Ashley Johncola are in Los Angeles to cover the American Idol Season 9 Top 12 announcement