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While fans of “American Idol” are waiting breathlessly for this season’s outcome, former finalist and San Antonio native Haley Scarnato isn’t one of them. She’s too busy with her burgeoning music career to follow the show closely.

“I haven’t had a whole lot of time, but when I do, I’ll sit down and watch as much as I can,” Scarnato, 25, told 210SA. “It’s just weird. Me and Blake (Lewis, last year’s runner-up) were talking about it, and it’s just weird to think that we were there.”

Scarnato will perform on Sunday, May 18, during the finals of Pocket’s Next Big Star singing competition for kids ages 12-17. The winners receive scholarships, and all proceeds from ticket sales benefit the Carver Community Cultural Center and the children’s arts organization Network for Young Artists.

“It’s just always a good thing to get involved, especially the stuff here. Anything in my hometown, I jump on,” Scarnato said. “As a kid, I was in theater, and music has always been a big part of my life, and I know what it’s done for me and my life.”

When she’s not performing, Scarnato is in the studio working on her upcoming CD, tentatively titled StrongHeart.

“It’s kind of a country album, a little edgy,” she said. It includes some covers, including Roy Orbison’s “Crying.”
The first single, “Girls Night Out,” is available by download from thehaleyscarnato.com. Scarnato co-wrote the song, which she calls “a fun kind of party song.”

In June, Scarnato will start shooting the video for the song, which will be staged mainly at Nelson City Dance Hall in Boerne and in downtown San Antonio.

There’s a rush to finish both the CD and video by mid-summer, before Scarnato goes to Branson, Mo., to perform with some other Idols. She will also be performing in Garth Brooks’ “Legends in Concert” show in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

After living briefly in Nashville, Scarnato has bought a house here for her mother and herself, which she’s fixing up in her spare time. That means a lot of trips to home-improvement stores, where she inevitably runs into a fan.

“I look awful. My hair’s in a knot, I have dirt on my face. People come up to me, and I almost don’t want to admit I’m her, I’m Haley,” she said, laughing. “But it’s kind of cool to still be known.”

Jessica Belasco | 210SA contributor
 

‘Idol’ dish

Season Six finalist Haley Scarnato answered our burning questions about “American Idol,” before and after.
Who picks your songs?

We pick the songs, but they have to be approved. Sometimes the approval process takes a long time. A few times with me, my song got approved, then the day before (the show), it wasn’t approved anymore, and I had to pick a song randomly and try to get that approved. When they (the judges) say, “The song wasn’t right for you,” it’s like, well, the song that I wanted to do was. It’s a reality TV show. I guess they just try to catch you off guard whenever they can.

What are contestants thinking when they’re standing before the judges?

My mind on some days was, “Which shoe am I going to throw at Simon?” No, I’m just joking. It depended on the day. Sometimes I didn’t want to hear it because it was going to be bad. Sometimes I wanted to hear it. It depended how I felt on the performance. It’s about whether you’re proud of what you did. If you’re not, then work on it and get your butt back in gear for next week.

What do contestants say to each other backstage before/after the show?

We were really supportive. I can’t speak for this cast or any other cast. We felt like we were a team. If one forgot their words, we all crumbled down to the floor. We were all so nervous for each other. If I would cry, some of the others were crying. Gina (Glocksen) was crying. Melinda (Doolittle) was holding my hand, going, “Girl, they’re stupid.” It was like we were family.

Do contestants stay in touch?

I don’t stay in touch with everybody. Gina is one of my best friends. I’m actually going to be in her wedding this year. I talk to Blake almost every day. These are people I’m going to have in my life forever.