(written on the plane - please excuse all grammatical errors and stream of consciousness writing)
How I came to judge the Miss New Mexico Pageant!
I love to meet fans!
I feel making that connection is so important and meaningful, for both
them and me. After a concert, I
actually look forward to the autograph line! However, I get a lot of interesting invitations from the
folks coming through that line.
It’s something that you let roll off and not take too
seriously. It’s just the nature of
the profession.
I’ve heard a lot, so when I was in Lubbock, TX last winter
performing with Mannheim Steamroller, I didn’t take too seriously the lovely
lady that asked me to judge the Miss New Mexico Pageant in June, or the
handwritten card she gave me that said the same. Until….I turned the card over and saw the printed side,
which said “Carol Henry – Executive Director, Miss New Mexico Pageant”. Then I said something that stuck with
her – “I am intrigued!”
Since that time in late 2011, Carol and I have had a great
e-mail dialogue, getting to know each other, discussing the pageant and the
specifics, and more importantly, being honest about how unlikely it would be
for me to actually have that amount of time off in mid June, which is one of my
busiest touring months with Dennis DeYoung.
It must have been fate that I was meant to judge this pageant. With almost every week of summer being
booked, amazingly, the pageant dates didn’t fill in with concerts, and on June 20, I found myself on a 6 AM plane to El Paso TX, en route to Ruidoso, New
Mexico!
Although the pageant festivities began for me in New Mexico
on June 20, my job started several weeks before that, when I received a very
thick binder in the mail with all the contestants head shots, resumes,
platforms (i.e. missions for the year), and statements, along with all the
rules of judging in the Miss America program. My instructions were to read everything, and then come up
with 4 specific questions for each contestant, along with 10 general questions
I would be able to ask any of them for their interview portion of the
pageant. After the initial
excitement of seeing these lovely young ladies head shots wore off, I was left
with one thought – “This is a lot of work!!!” However, since I don’t do anything half way, I rolled up my
sleeves and started my preparation.
By the time I headed to New Mexico, I was ready.
Perhaps surprisingly for it being my first pageant, I went
into this with extremely high expectations. With these contestants all having educational achievements
off the charts, platforms ranging from preventing domestic violence,
environmental issues, children’s medical research, and career ambitions ranging
from doctors, lawyers, teachers, colonels in the military, and more, I knew I
wasn’t just judging a beauty contest.
I had the bar set extremely high from the beginning and expected these
ladies to nail it.
They nailed it.
For 4 days, a panel of esteemed judges (and me, lol) was
treated to a competition of 19 sophisticated, classy, charming, and talented
young ladies. All of who were
absolutely beautiful in many ways.
It was a difficult judging process, and one that none of us took
lightly. We handled this with
great care, knowing that we were going to change the life of one person
forever, and hopefully inspire many of the contestants.
At our first judges meeting, the executive director Carol told us something that had a lasting impact on me the whole time I was
making my considerations. She said
that this group of young ladies had the potential to have a Miss America. The winner of Miss New Mexico always
competes in the Miss America pageant, but this year, the task in front of us
was to pick a winner. No pressure
there. ;)
I am not sure about confidentiality rules regarding the Miss
America organization and letting you in on the judging process. So, without going into any detail about
the actual judging, we as a collective 7 judges are extremely proud of our new
Miss New Mexico, CANDICE BENNATT.
Not only will she be a great ambassador for the state of New Mexico, I
know that she is going to blow them away at the Miss America pageant.
One unexpected surprise was how fun it was to meet and spend
time with the other judges. I was
honored to be judging with Katie Harman (Miss America 2002) and Erin Griggs
(Miss New Mexico 2002), Jayne Carroll, Jerry Westheimer, Tom Battin, and Barbara Rice, all of who
were talented, smart minded, and an absolute pleasure. I feel like I developed some real
friendships! And, to be treated
like a star all week by Carol, Karen, Judy, and Jim was just so very
special. This, along with the host
parties and a multitude of guest visits from former and current Miss and Miss
Teens from across the country made this a memory I will never forget.
Oh, did I mention, I performed twice, including on stage at the
finale? :)
My Mom is a huge Miss America fan. It was such fun sharing pictures with her that I would snap
this week on my phone (like me with our emcee Kellye Cash, Miss America 1987!). Growing up, the pageant was
mandatory watching at our home – a tradition that she still has, and has been
adapted by my sister as well. I,
unfortunately, had lost touch with the pageant over the years.
This
year, I’ll be watching…and rooting.
Go Candice!!!
