SALT LAKE CITY, UT (Good Things Utah) – A local Salt Lake City teen took to the stage on American Idol. Elise Kristine is only 19 years old and a student at Utah Valley University. Elise joined us on the show to tell us a little bit about her experience.  

Getting the opportunity to audition on the hit TV show is a dream for many. Elise was actually scouted on the internet after gaining attention on TikTok and Instagram. She first went through auditions with producers, and after lots of waiting she was invited to take on the big stage in Las Vegas.

Elise says her experience was unreal. “You walk in and it just knocks the wind out of you”, she says ,”It’s a huge room, the judges are glowing.”  She can’t tell us what song she sang, but she has experience singing in just about every style. She grew up doing musical theatre and training in opera- even studying opera at UVU for a semester.

Back in 2002 when American Idol first started, Elise wasn’t even born yet! She says she is honored and grateful for her experience. She would have never imagined being in the place of those that she watches on TV. She hopes that the audition will jumpstart a career in music for her.

Elise thinks she nailed it, but she can’t tell us too much about what happens quite yet. To see what happens, tune into American Idol this Sunday at 7 PM on ABC4. In the meantime, check out Elise on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.