COVINGTON – Allison Babylon is just a typical teenager. The 16-year-old Covington resident plays sports, enjoys being at home or with her friends, and, like many other teens, aspires to be a singer and musician.
Unlike a majority of teens who dream of success on the stage, Babylon is chasing the dream. She has been singing in front of audiences for several years, beginning with her entry in to the Bradford Pumpkin Show talent competition three years ago.
Like most serious vocalists, Babylon works with a vocal coach. Joy Davis, of Davis Vocal Studio in Miamisburg has been helping the teen work to perfect her vocals.
Recently, Babylon took a major step toward achieving her goal when she and her mom traveled to Indianapolis to audition for American Idol.
“I’ve kind of had it in the back of my mind for a couple of years but never really made the move to try to do it until Joy Davis told her, ‘This is going to be a great opportunity for you and I think you should really do it.’, said Babylon, “So we looked into it and made the choice to go.”
Babylon’s initial thought once she made the decision to try out was, “I think that the fear was kind of like, there are 3000 people who are going to try out. What are the chances that they would pick somebody from a small town who doesn’t really get out much? But, we went and decided to give it all we got.”
The process during the first round was that contestants were put into groups of six and then performed before one of the show’s producers.
After her group had auditioned, Babylon was given the news she had been waiting for, that she had made the cut and would be moving on to the next round.
When and where that next round will take place is still a mystery to Babylon and her family. There were told that someone will contact them with the information.
Rather than sit around waiting for the phone call, Babylon traveled to Findlay on Friday to compete with her Covington Cannons teammates in a softball tournament.
Whether singing for an American Idol producer or on a stage at the Bradford Pumpkin Show, Babylon says that performing is, “Every time that you go and you sing, you play as if it is a show. Whether (the audience) is one person, or five hundred, you give it all you got and you always go out there with your best face. You keep that mentality that no matter who’s here, it is somebody important.”
Babylon’s parents, Tom and Jenni, have no problem keeping their daughter grounded. Allison’s hobby, in her spare time, is to go to antique stores and auctions where she buys “old junk and refurbish it.”
Her mom, Jenni, says of her daughter, “She’s not a typical teenager. She enjoys socializing with the kids but you will find her mostly at home playing music or performing.
Babylon’s grandparents are Dewaine and Peg Minnich of Arcanum and Tom Babylon Sr. and Pete and Pam Palsgrove, all of Covington.
In spite of her as-yet-unknown Idol schedule, Babylon continues to perform around home. For more information about where to take in an Allison Babylon performance, check out her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Allison-Babylon/505977526084054?fref=ts
