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
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Deepens Partnership with Taiwan's 62nd Golden Hors...
25/11/2025
Tracy Bonareri Onchoke, an investigative journalist from Kenya is the winner of the Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist Award 2025.
The 26-year-old-sele...
25/11/2025
SVG All-Stars: Blayke Scheer, Senior Director, Creative Content, YES NetworkThe Indiana alum has turned storytelling into an artform for more than two decadesBy...
25/11/2025
Op-Ed: With FCC's C-Band Auction on the Horizon, Broadcasters Need Proven, C...
25/11/2025
Analysis: Is Baller League really the future of sport? By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:10
Print This Story
With KSI on...
25/11/2025
Platinum Whitepaper: The Growth of Broadcast in the World of Major Large Scale E...
25/11/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: SVG Women's Sports WorkshopBy Samantha Gabay
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:27 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlig...
25/11/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CacheFly's Matt Levine on the Evolving Role of th...
25/11/2025
Peacock's EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast Levels Up on Thanksgiving With SkyCam as...
25/11/2025
Mathias Broe attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Sauna at Library Center Theatre. (Photo by Michael Hurcomb/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Fes...
25/11/2025
The best playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks bring a little extra magic to your daily routine. With new features and offerings, Spotify Premium delivers even mo...
25/11/2025
Comprehensive new research confirms what we already knew: Australian music fans love the quality, quantity, and access they have to new and local music on strea...
25/11/2025
Applicable Products
Objectives The purpose of this application note is to give a brief background on 5G (NR) wireless communication an explain the reason a SN...
25/11/2025
Nielsen will now measure both Lionsgate's FAST channel MovieSphere and Movie...
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.
