Idol pursuit

Mark Wolf on getting a gold ticket: "It's hard to get one, so I was pretty happy." (CTV photo)

Law school isnÕt tough enough, apparently. So what you want to do is throw some nerve-wracking Canadian Idol auditions into the mix, just as exams are approaching.

ÒUm, it was kind of an inconvenient time to miss class,” acknowledges Mark Wolf, a Dal law student and aspiring singer. ÒBut some things are worth it.”

The 23-year-old Bedford resident picked up his gold ticket for the popular CTV show and went to Toronto with 197 other hopefuls for the next stage of competition. Singing Elton JohnÕs IÕm Still Standing, he was indeed still standing after the first day.

But somehow, things went awry during the group segment. Joining up with two other singers, the groupÕs rendition of Take It Easy was anything but easy, with a sleep-deprived Mr. Wolf going blank and substituting a few Òdoo, doo, doos” when words proved elusive.

ÒIt didnÕt go well,” says the Dal student, who, when pressed to compare, says he sounds a little like American Idol runner-up Blake Lewis.

ÒIt was the pressure. Getting out on the stage and having those four judges and all the producers off to the side watching you is pretty crazy. ItÕs a weird environment they set you up in.

ÒThey ended cutting all of us. But a lot of people heard us practicing, so there was some surprise we got cut, which was comforting.”

After the Toronto auditions, he and his friends decided to drive across the country and enjoy a summer of exploring. But heÕs not about to give up music. In fact, he thinks being a singer and a musician will make him a better lawyer.

ÒI think it will,” he says, reached in Vancouver. ÒThe more you do, the more experiences you have, it can only make you a better person.”

And his Canadian Idol experience has him rethinking his career options.

ÒI definitely want to become a lawyer, that hasnÕt changed. IÕm interested in community-based law, environmental law, and now more recently, entertainment law. IÕm keeping my options open.”