Former Mapleton resident
fulfills singing dream
By Jennifer Buzza
MAINE GAME VOCALIST for 2010 is Rebeckah (Gallant) Perry, formerly of Mapleton. Here, Perry takes a break on the baseball field during her sound check time as she prepared to sing the national anthem at Fenway Park prior to Boston’s game July 31. Singing at Fenway has been a dream of Perry’s and this opportunity has led to several other exciting performances, including the chance to sing for the executive producer of “American Idol” for their upcoming season!
MAPLETON — What started out as a quest to sing the national anthem at a Boston Red Sox game has culminated in a trip to San Francisco to audition for the FOX show, “American Idol.” Rebeckah (Gallant) Perry, 24, formerly of Mapleton and now living in Bangor, has sung her way to California. She is the daughter of June and Stephen Gallant of Mapleton.
When I spoke with Perry during a recent phone interview, I asked her how she’s been, considering all that has happened to her over the past few months. She laughed, saying, “I’ve been living out of a suitcase this summer!”
Perry’s whirlwind spring and summer began in April. She stated that she has always had the dream of singing for a living in the back of her mind, looking for opportunities to perform. Even in her younger years she longed to sing the national anthem at Fenway Park. So, like most of us, she turned to the Internet for help. She said she simply Googled “sing at Fenway Park” and discovered the Maine Games National Anthem contest, which awarded the winner the opportunity to sing at Fenway Park. This year marked the competition’s fourth year in a search for a vocalist to perform at local sporting events.
On April 10, Perry said she was preparing to head to the University of Maine at Orono for class when she realized it was the last day of the competition. As part of the audition, contestants were required to write an essay answering the question, “What does the national anthem mean to you?” Armed with her essay, she headed to the Community Little Theatre in Auburn. After singing a cappella in front of a panel of judges, and after reviewing her essay, she earned a first-place finish. Her contract as the Maine Games vocalist from April 2010-April 2011 included the honor of singing at three specific events and the right to refuse or accept any offers after that. I asked her if this title came with any financial compensation, and she said “none … the opportunity is the prize.”
Sunday, April 18, Perry completed the first of three required appearances. She sang the national anthem during a televised game at Hadlock Field in Portland prior to the Sea Dogs game against the Trenton (New Jersey) Thunder, a New York Yankees’ affiliate.
Before performing at her second required appearance July 24 at the televised Maine Shriners Lobster Bowl Classic in Biddeford, Perry heard about the Eastern Maine Idol competition taking place at the Bangor Mall July 10. She was thinking about her upcoming performance in Boston and wanted a “medium to high pressure situation” to prepare. The competition was sponsored by FOX 22 in Bangor, a local affiliate for the network that airs “American Idol” each January through May. Following her 60-second a cappella performance at the Mall, she was named one of the top 10 finalists. Those 10 performed again for the panel of judges, and following her rendition of “Amazing Grace,” she was ultimately named the winner.
According to Perry, most competitors chose to sing current, well-known pop songs, but she admitted that, “I didn’t want to sound like someone else; I just wanted to sound like the best version of myself.” Commenting on her performance, she said, “I wasn’t expecting to win.” However, she did win, and win big! She earned herself and a guest a round-trip, four-day trip to San Francisco. Perry has earned the right to skip the first two rounds of auditions and is only one step away from standing in front of the celebrity panel of judges to sing for them! She has received an appointment time to audition for 30 seconds in front of the executive producer of “American Idol.” Perry and her husband, Michael, departed Aug. 18 for her Aug. 19 audition date, sharing that this trip comes as the couple celebrates their fifth wedding anniversary.
Her third and final contracted appearance (and highly anticipated) was July 31 at Fenway Park. Perry was told in advance that she had only 90 seconds to sing the national anthem, as the FOX network televising the game is very strict about exceeding the required time limit. Prior to leaving for Boston, Perry admitted that she practiced singing using the timer on her kitchen microwave while blasting the radio and television at the same time! She wanted to mentally prepare herself for any potential distractions that might occur during her performance.
Upon her arrival to the park, Perry completed a sound check prior to game time. Standing “on the dirt,” as she described it, placement was very important; she was told precisely where to stand based on the location of the sun to avoid “squinting.” While singing a cappella, (something she was becoming familiar with), she proudly stated that she successfully sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” in the required time. She was given the option to sing and record her voice to lip synch during game time, but since making it this far, she wanted to complete the experience.
Her younger brother, Nic, accompanied her and her husband on the trip to Boston. A huge fan of the Red Sox, her brother teased his sister about wearing a Red Sox shirt during her performance. She informed him, “Since this is my first time in front of 47,000 people, I think I’ll wear a dress!” Perry noted that the Fenway crowd was “very friendly, warm and welcoming.” The three enjoyed their complementary tickets, staying to enjoy the entire game, as Boston won the game 5-4 with a walk-off double by David Ortiz. Perry noted that as she was standing on the side of the field, children approached her, asking for her autograph, making the event even more memorable. She noted that she has always been a Red Sox fan and was “honored to be a small part of history … even if only for 90 seconds!”
During the past few months that have flown by, she commented that she is still a wife, mother to her 20-month old daughter, Lucy, and student at the University of Maine at Orono with a double major in theatre and vocal performance with a dance minor. Her daily routine and responsibilities haven’t changed, but she certainly has been entertaining numerous calls and offers. She has had offers for a complete makeover by a local Bangor salon, recorded a radio interview with Cindy Michaels of ABC-7 and FOX news, has an upcoming photo shoot with a local photographer, and an upcoming date to sing the national anthem at a New York Yankees game! (Scouts were at the Sea Dogs game in April and saw her perform). The date is still in question, but Perry has been invited to sing at Yankee Stadium either this season or next … “Whenever they call.”
Singing was a passion for Perry even during her years at Presque Isle High School. She participated in the fall musical all four years, perfecting her talent each year. Being a new ninth-grade student, she held three smaller roles in “Annie.” She was a Boylan sister (who sang radio ads), a girl from New York City, and served as an “extra” orphan. During her sophomore year in “Bye, Bye Birdie,” she landed the female lead as “Rosie.” The following year as a junior, she earned the female lead as “Nelly,” and her final year at PIHS was “Rizzo” in the musical, “Grease.” In addition to her lead role in “Grease” during her senior year, Perry sang her way to the title of 2004 Miss Mapleton.
REBECKAH (GALLANT) PERRY, formerly of Mapleton, stands in front of 47,000 Boston Red Sox fans fulfilling her dream. Perry won the honor of singing the national anthem at the July 31 game at Fenway Park, when she was named the Maine Game Vocalist for 2010 back in April.
Perry has put her education on hold for this year to stay home with their daughter, citing that, “We moved to Bangor so Michael could finish his degree.” Her husband earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Maine at Presque Isle in foreign affairs and history. He is currently a student at the University of Maine at Orono and will graduate this spring with his graduate degree in history, with aspirations of finding a career as a college history professor.
Perry has received numerous offers and admits that she relies on the advice and recommendations from her mother and husband. “If the offer provides career advancement and both parties will benefit evenly and honestly, then I will consider it.” Upcoming appearances will also include performing at University of Maine at Orono basketball and hockey games. She also noted that former Maine Game vocalists have performed at Boston Celtics’ and Bruins’ games, but did not mention any similar bookings in her future. An offer came in this summer to perform at a NASCAR race in Virginia, but she had to turn it down. Perry’s dream is to “sing for a living” and in the future hopes to explore being a part of a band, making recordings. However, she may have to put that on the back burner as many other offers keep flooding in. As a former resident of the tiny community of Mapleton, she states, “It’s pretty bizarre to have all of this happening.”
