A Few Minutes With Chad Glabach

At the first singing competition on May 4, Chad Glabach outlasted 17 other vocalists to win the Grand Champion prize.

Glabach, 26, grew up in Leyden, MA on the Vermont border, and graduated from Pioneer Valley Regional High School in 2004. He went on to Westfield State College, starting off as a music major, then switching to business ("totally different things, but it seemed more practical at the time").

He has been manager of Follett's Bookstore at since Sept. 2011, and has lived in Enfield for about six months.

Enfield Patch sat down with Glabach Friday afternoon to let its readers find out more about the first Enfield Idol champion.

Q: When did you first become interested in singing?

A: I remember singing in elementary school music class, then in a fifth-grade play and a sixth-grade talent show. From there, I did musicals in junior high and high school ("Barnum," "South Pacific," "Godspell," "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," "The Pajama Game").

Q: How often do you currently sing?

A: I do karaoke sometimes, and I usually do my staple song I auditioned with ("Angels" by Robbie Williams) with the flavor of David Archuleta, because he does a version of it that I really like. I also sing in church, but other than that, I just play my guitar and sing at my house.

Q: What prompted you to enter the Enfield Idol contest?

A: I thought it would be fun to see other singers, find out what type of other singers are around, and I don't have too much of a musical outlet.

Q: You chose a different song ("Feeling Good" by Michael Buble) to perform at the actual competition than the one you sang at audition. What prompted the change?

A: The "Angels" song is not a fun crowd enticer, so I figured it would be fun to perform a different song that I don't usually do and see how the audience enjoyed it.

Q: You've heard of the dreaded "Curse of Being First," and you were the first of 18 performers the night of the show. Obviously you smashed that myth by winning it all, but what was your feeling when you learned you would be the first one on?

A: When I found out, I hadn't heard anyone else yet, so I was nervous because I didn't want to be forgotten as the first one. I got great feedback from the other contestants, and I felt pretty confident.

Q: What was the most difficult part of the competition?

A: I guess it was just waiting - waiting for the letter, waiting for the event to come, waiting for rehearsals. Actually, the most difficult was that group number ("Don't Stop Believin' - The Glee Version"). I'm not a dancer, I entered this competition because I can sing, but the night of dress rehearsal, here comes the dance.

Q: What's next on the musical horizon for you?

A: I don't know. I've gotten a lot of "you should try out for American Idol and The Voice." I'll try to find more local gigs to do and start writing more songs. I have a few under my belt, but I don't have a full repertoire yet to go out and do anything. Maybe a few open mikes. I just love to sing.