San Franciscans Dream of Being an American Idol

Thousands of "American Idol" hopefuls have slowly been making  their way out of AT&T Park after participating in Thursday morning's auditions  meant to whittle down the crowd to a fortunate few.
     
Rejected candidates remained upbeat, certain that their talent  would not go unnoticed despite not being the right fit for the show's 10th  season. Instead, they took comfort in what they said were eliminations based  purely on image and style.
     
"Only if you were a big weirdo - a spectacle for the show - or  really young did you have a shot," said Frank Seijas, 25, of Whittier, who  sang "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke.

Candidates funneled into the audition area in groups of four to be  critiqued by one or two judges at one of 10 tables.

Those who made the cut were given a golden ticket to advance to  the next round. Three rounds of auditions are happening today.

Some said the experience only strengthened their determination to  make it big as a chanteuse or crooner.

"You go in there and be yourself," said 17-year-old Jessica  Bryant, of Diamond Bar, Calif. "Even though I wasn't good enough for American  Idol, I know I'm good enough for someone."