GADSDEN, AL – Former Gadsden State Community College student Isaiah
Moore will appear on ABC’s “American Idol” at 7 p.m. CST Sunday.
The 22-year-old Springville native has gained attention for a musical
journey that has led him from local stages to the national spotlight.

“This is such an exciting time in my life,” Moore said. “It was a
surreal moment to stand in front of such legendary judges and perform
for them. The entire experience was a large bag of emotions –
nervousness, excitement and pure joy. I’m beyond grateful for this
opportunity.”

Moore’s love for music began at a young age when he sang along to the
radio during car rides with his grandmother. In middle school, he
excelled at playing the trumpet and eventually learned to play the
guitar and piano. Eventually, Moore formed a duo called Southbound Music
with high school friend, Caden Mobley. They currently perform in various
Alabama cities, including Trussville, Gadsden, Auburn, Tuscaloosa and
Montgomery.

Moore was exposed to the Gadsden State Show Band during a performance
at his high school. The Show Band performs a variety of styles,
including contemporary big band, rhythm and blues, country, rock and
roll and New Orleans brass. Moore was instantly hooked. He met with Dr.
Matt Leder, former director of the show band, and was awarded a trumpet
scholarship.

He enrolled at Gadsden State in the fall of 2020 but initially
struggled with the shift to online classes due to the COVID pandemic.

“At first, college was tough,” he said. “Studying online wasn’t
the right environment for me at the time.”

He returned to Gadsden State in 2022 and became even more immersed in
the music program, particularly enjoying his time at Wallace Hall, the
home of the Fine Arts Program.

“The music hall is one of my favorite places to be,” he said. “I
enjoyed performing with a great group of people. There was always
something going on. I was always surrounded by music.”

Moore decided to join the vocal groups at Gadsden State and earned
another scholarship. He performed with the Gadsden State A Cappella
Choir, a group that performs an array of selections in the choral genre,
and the Gadsden State Singers, a performance-based group that sings
contemporary pieces. Both groups are directed by J.T. Harrell. He also
remained with the Show Band as a vocalist.

While Moore is currently taking a break from coursework to focus on
“American Idol” and his full-time job as the worship leader at
Redeemer Community Church, he plans to return to Gadsden State to earn
an associate degree in general studies. He hopes to become a music
educator to inspire young musicians like he was inspired by Leder and
Harrell as well Susan DiBiase, a music theory instructor, and Chris
McCurley, sound engineer at the College.

“Gadsden State has made a great impact on me primarily due to the
support and encouragement I received from the faculty and staff,” he
said. “Mr. Harrell is a great mentor; a great instructor. I give him
the highest praise for what he does and what everyone in the Music
Department does for students.”

Moore’s “American Idol” journey began with a virtual audition on
Aug. 23, his 22nd birthday. After signing up for the audition several
times in the past but “chickening out,” it was his wife, Abby, who
encouraged him to go through with it.

“My wife sent me the link and pushed me to do it,” he said. “I
woke up that morning and decided that it was finally time for me to
audition.”

He said 150 people were participating in the virtual audition, all of
them just waiting to be heard.

“I’m impatient,” he said. “I told Abby that I wasn’t going to
wait all day. The Lord must have heard me say that because two minutes
later, I was put in a private virtual room to sing for a producer.”

Moore thought he was just going to sing a few lines from “Wanna Be
Loved” by the Red Clay Strays but he ended up singing it in its
entirety. He was then asked to sing a second song – “Where the Wild
Things Are” by Luke Combs

“They liked what they heard and told me I was going to the Winner’s
Circle, which was another virtual audition,” he said. “This time I
performed for an executive producer.”

He said the Winner’s Circle was a more personal experience that
included about 20 other singers. Producers asked questions to learn
more about him as a person. The group sang Happy Birthday to him before
he again sang the Luke Combs tune. Because he told them he was a worship
leader, they asked him to sing a gospel piece.

“That threw me for a loop, but I was prepared and sang ‘Greater
Still’ by Brandon Lake,” he said.

Moore then found out that he made it to the live auditions in Nashville
in front of celebrity judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Carrie
Underwood

“This all happened in four hours,” he said. “It was a
whirlwind.”

Though he was excited to go to Nashville, he and Abby, who got married
Oct. 26, had to cancel their honeymoon cruise to attend the live
auditions. In Nashville, they were joined by Moore’s grandparents,
brother and pastor as well as Abby’s siblings and parents. They sat
there all day and waited on his turn to take the stage.

“On Nov. 4, we made it inside the hotel at 9 a.m. and my audition
time didn’t happen until 9 p.m that night,” he said. “I was the
second to last person to audition that day.”
Moore performed “Where the Wild Things Are” again and dedicated it
to his brother, who was unable to be at the audition.

“I’m a sucker for a Luke Combs song,” he said. “It’s a story
about a man who is missing his brother after he moved to California to
live a different lifestyle. It’s a great song. If a song can tell a
good story that will make you cry, it’s perfect. I’ve cried many
times listening to this song. It’s also vocally challenging.”

Though he was prepared for the audition, Moore said he was very
nervous.
“It was a lot of excitement but also nerves,” he said. “I was
nervous because I really wanted to perform well. My wife and family
really believe in me, and I don’t ever want to let them down.”

He said performing in front of the celebrity judges was a blur.

“I blacked out the first half of the audition but towards the end, I
gained some confidence,” he said. “It helped when I realized that
the judges really care about you; they cared about what I was saying to
them. They are so down to earth. All of the judges were wonderful to
me.”

Moore said he looks forward to seeing the audition Sunday night.
“There are parts of the audition experience that I don’t remember
so I’m excited to see how it all played out,” he said. “I’m
super excited about people seeing my audition and hearing my story.
I’m looking forward to it.”