Questions for Talent Show Contestants

Talent shows are featured around the country every year. These competitions are available at state fairs, in schools or even showcased for the whole country on shows like "American Idol" or "America's Got Talent." When interviewing contestants for the show, after the performance or during the announcements, asking the right questions can change whether the information about the contestant is interesting or not.

Talent show contestants are often long time performers. Knowing how long they have performed in the particular talent, such as how long they've been singing or dancing, can help in finding out more about the individual's talents.

Many talent show contestants come in with specialized training or education before the show. Others have never taken lessons. When it comes to questions for the contestants, knowing if they are competing based on previous training or based on personal abilities without training is useful.

Many talent show contestants have hopes and dreams related to the show or the potential benefits after the show. Depending on the prizes, the dreams might be small or large scale. For example, a contestant on a show like American Idol might want to win and become a big star while a contestant in a state fair talent show might have dreams of college and scholarships to pay for further education.

Background questions include personal interviews about a contestant's life or beliefs. This is most commonly seen in shows like the Miss America or Miss USA pageants, where contestants are asked about their beliefs on various issues. Depending on the contestant, asking about a personal background story might or might not be appropriate, depending on the individual. For example, contestants who've suffered through major trauma in life might not be comfortable talking about the trauma while contestants who've had a normal childhood, happy home life or are optimistic about their life might be willing to tell everything about their personal history.