Start with the familiar. "You should do the song that you're comfortable with. Do a song that you know that you know."

Don't push your limits right away. "Whatever feels natural, find a song in your natural [vocal] range."

Use your full voice. "It needs to come from the gut. Imagine somebody just about to punch you in the stomach, that reaction you have. It makes your voice so much stronger, and keeps it from being nasal."

Don't take yourself too seriously. "If you realize that you made a mistake, or something didn't go right, it's always great to have a sense of humor about it, rather than try to cover it up."

Be confident. "If you're not feeling confident, don't let it show... Look like you've been there before."

Drinking doesn't necessarily help. "Some people are a little overly confident that maybe shouldn't be."

Don't be sorry. "Nobody's perfect. Don't apologize for mistakes, make light of it."

Don't give up. "Don't throw in the towel before you're done. We've had bad nights, and we've all pretty much given up in the middle. But you still are there."

Above all else, have fun. "Just relax, and enjoy the people that you're with. I've realized everybody's not a Simon Cowell, and most people are just there to have fun."

And let yourself out. "I was a stay-at-home mom for eight years. I work at an elementary school... [Singing lets me] use that part of me I don't get to use that regularly, the part that I almost forgot I had... It's just something that I honestly didn't know I had in me. And now I'm finding that I do and I love it."