Watch Berklee Valencia Alum Wow the American Idol Judges with an Otis Redding Song Filo MM '24 sang Try a Little Tenderness and Luke Bryan said hes going to go far.
By
Tara Bellucci
March 18, 2025
Filo MM '24 auditions for American Idol.
Image courtesy of Disney/Eric McCandless
Spoilers for American Idol season 23, episode 3: Auditions.
American Idol is back, and Berklee is in the competition. Filo just graduated from Berklee Valencia with a masters degree in contemporary performance in 2024, and actually got the chance to audition from a guest speaker who came to campus.
Last year, pianist Jim Brickman spoke on a panel and attended a concert where he saw Filo perform. When Filo later reached out to see if Brickman would be an external thesis advisor, Brickman asked if hed ever consider auditioning for Idol. The rest is history.
Watch Filo sing Otis Reddings Try a Little Tenderness on American Idol:
Filo and his family came to the US from Egypt to escape the persecution of Coptic Orthodox Christians when he was in middle school. While it was hard to fit in at first, he auditioned for his schools production of Shrek, and landed the titular role. While he grew up singing hymns in church, playing the swamp ogre was his first taste of secular music and performing. His family-including his mom-were at his Idol audition.
I dont do this just for me. This is its my familys journey just as much as it is mine. I always want them to reap the rewards of our hard work together and its just a cherry on top to see my mom there and her getting the recognition for all the hard work that she put in, Filo tells us over Zoom.
This quick quiz will help you explore your musical interests and discover which Berklee Valencia program aligns best with your aspirations. Filo chose the Otis Redding classic for a reason. [It] has been a part of a lot of milestone performances for me, he says. And I had a feeling that it would be another milestone performance for me if I sang that song on Idol. . . . I get to show off the passion and the journey that Ive had in music through that song.
And show off he did. Weve been waiting for you, said Lionel Richie. What took you so long to get here?
Born to sing, added Luke Bryan.
Three notes in, in my brain, I was like, holy Shrek, said Carrie Underwood.
He says hearing those comments were truly surreal.
I started tearing up because I was like, wow, all this hard work really paid off, and these industry legends are seeing my vision, which is so rewarding.
Not only did he get three yeses from the judges, but Filo was upgraded to the platinum ticket-one of only three given out this season-which means he gets to skip the first round of Hollywood Week competition and go straight to the second round.
Youre going to go far, Bryan said. Definitely top 20 in my opinion, maybe top 10.
You never know what connection will get you to your breakout moments, so just make all the connections that you can.Filo MM '24
Filo is a great singer and musician. And what makes Filo extra special is that he is a great human, says Simone Pilon, executive director, Berklee Valencia. He has an ease and friendliness with people and a true desire to get to know others, learn from them, and collaborate with them.
His mom is his biggest supporter and it is clear where he gets that friendliness and outgoing spirit, Pilon adds. It is a true joy to spend time with both of them, and it is exciting to see Filo have this opportunity.
In terms of advice Filo would give to current students, he says, these connections that you make at Berklee and everywhere you go truly can take you places. And you never know what connection will get you to your breakout moments, so just make all the connections that you can.
Filos debut single, Find My Intention, is available to stream now.
Related Categories
News
Most Popular
Toto in the recording studio from Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary.
Photograph by Jim Hagopian/HBO
The Best Music Documentaries on Every Streaming Platform Explore groundbreaking music documentaries streaming across Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, and more. From intimate artist portraits to legendary concert films, discover the stories behind your favorite artists and iconic moments.
Latest
Promo photo for Antonio S nchezs 2022 album, SHIFT.
Image courtesy of the artist
Antonio S nchez, B la Fleck, and Edmar Casta eda Push Boundaries on BEATrio The trio's debut album drops May 16, but you can hear the first single, Archipelago, now.
Sean Jones
Image courtesy of the artist
Berklee to Host Annual Jazz Composition Festival Performances will feature modern jazz masters Sean Jones, Ayn Inserto, Miguel Zen n BM '98, and Christine Jensen.
Matanzas Sound Map on display at Tate Modern
Tate / Reece Straw
Neil Leonard's Matanzas Sound Map Turns Sound into Place at Tate Modern The Berklee professor's immersive installation transports visitors to Matanzas, Cuba, through layered sound, video, and sculpture.
Read All
Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.
Most recent headlines
02/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
02/01/2026
Sequins, chat shows, live sporting action, ground-breaking docuseries and brand-new Irish drama to kick off 2026
New Year, New Content Coming Soon across RT
...
01/01/2026
Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Announces 2026 Noel Schajris Scholarship The scholarship will cover tuition and housing for one Berklee College of Music stud...
01/01/2026
New year, new games, all with RTX 5080-powered cloud energy. GeForce NOW is kicking off 2026 by looking back at an unforgettable year of wins and wildly high fr...
31/12/2025
Back to All News
NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix Scores Again With the Lions-V...
30/12/2025
As the College Football Playoff Enters the Quarterfinals, ESPN Blows Out Its Meg...
30/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Original ArticlesTake a look back at all our coverage of big-time productions, game-changing technologies, and state-of-the-art new faci...
30/12/2025
MELBOURNE, Fla., Dec. 30, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) will release its fourth quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, J...
30/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
30/12/2025
Your live countdown to 2026 with Inhaler, David Gray, Lyra, Garron Noone, Sharon...
30/12/2025
It marked the first civilian operational authorization for a HAPS flight in Europe, led by Space42's subsidiary, Mira Aerospace
The flight demonstrated HAP...
29/12/2025
San Francisco 49ers Strike Gold With Halftime Laser SpectacularStunning display caps $200 million renovation of Levi's Stadium techBy Dan Daley, Audio Edito...
29/12/2025
The Cup's Around the Corner: An Inside Look at Broadcast Preparations for th...
29/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Longform VideoWatch the standout keynote conversations, deep dives, and panel discussions from the year for free on SVG PLAY!By Brandon ...
29/12/2025
From crisper Lossless audio and immersive music videos in beta to new Audiobooks+ plans, custom transitions between tracks, and in-app Messages, we keep levelin...
29/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
27/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
25/12/2025
Holiday lights are twinkling, hot cocoa's on the stove and gamers are settling in for a well-earned break.
Whether staying in or heading on a winter getawa...
24/12/2025
What is AI good for? Posted by MTI Film on December 24, 2025
What is AI good for?
What is AI good for?
It's been three years since ChatGPT first cap...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
The Boyfriend' Season 2 Unveils Heartwarming Trailer, Key...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
Love, Fights, and Everything in Between: Badly in Love' Returns for Season 2
Entertainment
24 December 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied t...
24/12/2025
Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...
23/12/2025
How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...
23/12/2025
BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on Supplying Scalability and Customization in the Clo...
23/12/2025
CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...
23/12/2025
Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08
Print ...
23/12/2025
ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...
23/12/2025
End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today!By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm
P...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Taking the Stage at Carnegie Hall-On a Global Scale Boston Conservatory Orchestra students reflect on their epic concert marking the 80th session of the UN Gene...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's The Great Flood and Culinary Class Wars 2 Top Gl...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things By the Numbers: How the Global Phenomenon Shap...
23/12/2025
Experience the power of WO Automation for Radio's newest service, the System Effectiveness Review. Designed to help you achieve more, a System Effectiveness...
Watch Berklee Valencia Alum Wow the American Idol Judges with an Otis Redding Song Filo MM '24 sang Try a Little Tenderness and Luke Bryan said hes going to go far.
