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Talent and Guts: Three Who Hope to Sing at IBS
A former Disney cast member, a wedding singer and a veteran of the stage — and all members of the NAHB family — are just three of the candidates vying for a chance to be the first NAHB Star.
The winner of the “American Idol”-type online competition will sing the national anthem at the Grand Opening Ceremonies on Jan. 19 at the 2010 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas. The deadline to enter the competition and submit a solo a cappella performance of the “Star Spangled Banner” is Tuesday, Dec. 1.
Robert Mariano, Angela Todd and Maria Mazzola come from vastly different industry and musical backgrounds, but each of these NAHB Star candidates is ready to bring a big voice and a big heart to the competition.
Robert Mariano, 59, owner of Cyclone Home Systems in Berlin, Conn., is an associate member from the Home Builders Association of Hartford County, Conn. A singer since his twenties, Mariano performed in clubs during college and has appeared in musicals including “South Pacific” and “Fiddler on the Roof.”
He says he appreciates classic crooners like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, and that several of his fellow HBA members encouraged him to enter the NAHB Star competition.
“NAHB is in my blood,” said Mariano, who serves on several committees and boards at the national and local levels. “I love the industry, I love builders and I think the issues that our industry faces are so critical and important.”
“With two wars going on and the country in a terrible economic situation, it occurred to me that entering the contest would be a nice thing to do. For me personally, I would get a lot out of singing the national anthem for my fellow members,” Marino said.
A love of the building industry also inspired interior designer Angela Todd, 35, of Angela Todd Designs in Portland, Ore. to submit her audition video.
A singer for nine years with a wedding and event band before beginning her career as a designer, Todd sees the NAHB Star contest as the perfect way to combine her two loves — music and the home building industry.
“Getting the chance to use my voice in the building realm is pretty cool,” said the associate member from the Home Builders Association of Metro Portland.
“Our building industry rocks. I have a lot of followers of my blog and they are really excited and are rooting for me,” she said. “I’m ready to represent my peers from the Northwest.”
Todd, who uses video on her Web site to market her business, says she isn’t nervous about singing in front of judges. “Singing is what we’ve done from the beginning of time to express ourselves. It’s a way to have fun and give joy to people!”
Maria Mazzola, 28, of New Jersey, is ready to bring her experience as a Disney cast member to the stage at IBS.
Her father, Robert Mazzola, a member of the Community Builders Association of New Jersey and president of Atrium International, a modular home sales and construction firm in Montville, N.J., brought the NAHB Star contest to her attention.
“He thought it would be a fun thing for me,” said Mazzola, who has worked as a singer for Disney at its Tokyo theme park and on the Disney Cruise Line. A private voice teacher with a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from New York University, Mazzola admires musical theater stars like Audra McDonald, Sutton Foster and Lauren Kennedy, as well as popular singers like Carrie Underwood and Beyonce.
Mazzola is excited about the prospect of singing the national anthem for her father’s fellow members. “My dad has been a proud member of NAHB since 1994 and he goes to IBS every year. I think it will be fun. I feel if you’re not having fun with what you do in life, what’s the point?”
To Enter
To enter, participants must submit their video and a contest entry form and release by Tuesday, Dec. 1.
Only NAHB members and their immediate family members are invited to compete in the contest, where performances will be judged online and the winner will sing the national anthem live during the Grand Opening Ceremonies on Jan. 19.
Initial Voting Will Be Online
So no solo performance goes unnoticed, the videos then will be posted on the IBS Web site for one round of online voting to trim the field of contestants to the top three finalists.
The three finalists will then appear before a panel of judges on Jan. 18 in Las Vegas where they will give live a cappella performances. The judges with then decide the contest's winner, first runner-up and second runner-up.
Contestants must be able to appear in Las Vegas from Jan. 17-20 for final judging as well as participate in all Opening Ceremony rehearsals, as required by NAHB.
Contest Open to Amateurs Only
All eligible contestants must be part of the NAHB membership family and of "amateur status.” Those who have had a prior music recording contract and similar singing or acting contracts are not eligible.
For the complete rules and regulations — along with all the details about how to enter the contest — visit www.BuildersShow.com/Star.
For questions, e-mail nahbstar2010@gmail.com.
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