The National Anthem Fills Center Court at the Inland Center Mall

On Saturday March 1, 2014, the Inland Center Mall played host to the Inland Empire 66ers Baseball Team’s ‘Inland Idol’ National Anthem auditions. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. mall shoppers were serenaded by various local artists hoping to win the coveted spot to sing the National Anthem at the opening of one of the 70 home games for the 66ers this coming season. Participants filled out a document to register for an audition and then waited to hear their name called to come up for their audition. Once called, the singers would climb the stairs to the elevated stage in front of three judges from the 66ers Baseball franchise and then offer their personal rendition of the time honored traditional song. Some singers sang with the microphone, others insisted their voices were big enough to sing without it. Almost everyone showed a tiny bit of nervousness, while others had performed the Anthem at many venues. When Crystal Jackson of San Bernardino started to sing, everyone in the mall stopped to listen. Her voice was powerfully moving, and people stood taking in the richness of her voice. And when Tom 'TC' Candelaria sang, everyone remarked at how much he sounded like a young Elvis. A quartet made up of four gentlemen from the New Gang on the Corner Barbershop Choir chartered out of Riverside brought smiles to everyone as their four part harmonies were praised throughout the crowd. After singing the National Anthem group members Geoffrey Mordue of Highland, David Rivas of Victorville, Joel Handen of Riverside and Lance Alloway of Redlands decided to head down towards the food court and entertain the mall customers there. They came back to the 66ers stage later and offered a brisk rendition of Neil Sedaka’s ‘Breaking Up is Hard to Do’. Terri Relf, Senior Marketing Manager at the Inland Center Mall said, “We’re proud to be a part of the 66ers Inland Empire Idol. It gives people a chance to sing for, and support a great baseball team in our community.” This year’s auditions brought out a myriad of competitors. Young children who missed nary a word, sibling duets that brought smiles to everyone watching, and very talented singers all filled the hours with strains of our National Anthem. Probably the most unusual participant didn’t sing at all. Earl Aceves of Fontana was perhaps the jazziest of all the competitors in that he performed on the saxophone and brought a thunderous applause at the finish of his set. One singer, Luana Claborn of Loma Linda brought her own music critic with her. As she began to sing a spot-on rendition of the National Anthem, a little boy stuck stood next to her looking up. At song’s end when the audience started to clap, he smiled widely and waved. Gary Travis and Jim Gray, both of Grand Terrace returned to audition for the 66ers after having sung at the team’s ball games throughout the past few years. Members of the duo Travis Gray, they have participated in America’s Got Talent and sing regularly at events throughout the Inland Empire together, and as individual artists. For 9-year-old Brooklyn Vizcarra this was a return trip to the 66ers audition stage also. “I started singing somewhere around 3-years-old,” she said, “And I learned the words to the National Anthem in the first grade, when I was about 7-years-old.” She hopes to be a Broadway actress one day. This will be the first of two auditions for the Inland Empire 66ers this year. The next National Anthem audition will be held in April at the San Manuel Stadium.