‘American Idol’ season 14 auditions now feature pianos

Clearly, the folks behind the scenes at “American Idol” like having as many musicians as possible audition for their shows.

The judges have arrived in Nashville this week in order to film the latest batch of season 14 auditions, and there is one thing particularly worth noting here: The presence of a piano. For the first time ever, contestants have had the opportunity to have some sort of musical accompaniment to go along with their auditions, even though some contestants have brought their guitars to play on in the past.

Do we like the move? Not entirely, and for the simple reason that the auditions were so unique because they were stripped-down. You don’t have nearly as much to hide behind, and you can at least learn whether or not you have a great voice. The only circumstance where we like guitars, even, is after you already perform a song without one. That way, you get to see multiple sides of what everyone can do.

Who knows? Maybe this will work out just fine, and we are over-thinking everything. This is just the sort of thing that we tend to do every time that the show introduces something new when it comes to a twist. We just miss some of the early days when the majority of the rules were cut-and-dry.

With all this being said, maybe the powers that be know better than anyone. The ratings have declined, and the show needs to do something to keep people interested. Ultimately, though, we feel like the only way that the show can stop the bleeding will be with a greater contestant pool.

What do you think about the idea of “American Idol” featuring pianos in its auditions now? Share below, and head over here to get some further news worth singing about via our CarterMatt Newsletter.

Photo: Fox