High Life : Singing Strikes a Chord for Mater Dei Junior From Anaheim

The crowd roared. There were shouts of approval and expressions of amazement as 15-year-old Tyia Wilson gracefully walked off the gym floor at Mater Dei High School, confident that she made that impressive high pitch.

From performing the national anthem before Monarch basketball games to belting out songs as she walks the school’s hallways in Santa Ana, Wilson has been mesmerizing audiences with her soulful style and unforgettable smile since she discovered her talent in the eighth-grade school choir.

After winning the Miss Junior Black America crown in Los Angeles in May, she began getting her performance together to take on the road last month for a taping of “Star Search” in Orlando, Fla.

“Since I was 12, I faithfully watched ‘Star Search,’ ” said Wilson, a junior. “I would watch to see who won the vocal competition, and then I’d run to my room and try to top their performance. I practiced and practiced until I was satisfied.”

Preparing for the competition required driving two hours, twice a week from her Anaheim home to the Van Nuys-based Vocal Power Institute, where Wilson improved her vocal range and mastered presentation skills under the coaching of Juilliard graduate Elisabeth Howard.

“She is very talented, gifted and well-poised,” Howard said. “She’s very unique. She’s got a tremendous-sounding voice and a lot of style.”

And Howard should know--she has trained nine singers to appear on “Star Search.”

In Orlando, Wilson and her mother were given a $30 per day spending money, tickets to Walt Disney World and a room at Port Angeles, a five-star resort in the amusement park.

“It was really cool to live in Disney World,” Wilson said. “But I was so stressed out about the show that I couldn’t imagine having any fun. I would just keep on practicing.”

Wilson performed Roy Orbison’s “Blue Bayou” in the first round of the “Star Search” competition (which will air Oct. 27) and had what she called a “perfect performance.” However, after the judges’ scores were tabulated, Wilson had tied her competitor--a country singer from New Jersey.

The final decision was left to the audience, and in the end, Wilson was left as the runner-up, and heartbroken.

“Everyone was crying for me. . . . I am still crying because I knew I could have beat the other competitors I would have had to face (in the semifinals, etc.) if I had won,” she said. “My competition was the best I have ever seen on the show, but the audience just had a passion for country music.”

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For Wilson the experience was invaluable. Appearing on “Star Search” has opened the door to many opportunities. She has been working with an independent record producer and has written and recorded three songs. Wilson also has the chance of starring in a low-budget film that is looking for a black, teen-age singer.

“I’m looking for a job singing because I have no money right now,” she said, joking, “and I’ve got to keep up with my studies.”

In the classroom, Wilson maintains, a 4.2 grade-point average by taking honors and Advanced Placement classes. She also has played basketball on the Mater Dei girls’ junior varsity team.

“I would like to go into mass-marketing for large corporations as a possible career,” she said. “I want something to lean on if my singing career doesn’t make it. The entertainment world is too crazy and unpredictable to rely on.”

Wilson’s hectic lifestyle has allowed little time for a social life. She admits she fails to keep in touch with many of her close friends, but they seem to understand.

“Tyia is the most talented person I know,” said May Phlongsasavithes, a friend since elementary school. “Everyone who is around Tyia knows that she is going to be ‘Miss Famous Person,’ because she can do everything.”

“That is not true!” Wilson said with a laugh.

“Oh, come on Tyia,” her friend replied. “You know you’re going to be the next Mariah Carey . . . without a doubt.”