Kara DioGuardi - In Her Own words

I'm intrigued by the addition of a 4th judge to the Idol table in January. Thought this Electronic Press Kit interview with her was a great way to start getting to know her, and thought I would pass it along for your review. In it she admits to being "feisty and opinionated" and thinks Simon is "dead on." Transcript supplied by Fox:

About My Background in Music Industry

I am a working songwriter in the music business. I find talent, I sign talent. I co-own a publishing company where we have 13 to 15 writers at any given time that we represent. Actually one of our writers has the new Archuleta single, “Crush.” I’m in the music business in terms of the day of day of it, finding talent, nurturing talent, writing songs, producing songs. I’ve co-written and written with artists such as Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Santana, Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson. I’ve been nominated for various Grammies. I’ve won the BMI 2006 songwriter of the year. So I’ve definitely spent a lot of time in the music business. I’ve worked my way up from basically nobody wanting to know who I was, to people actually being interested in what I have to say and what I have to do.

So I think I bring a unique perspective to the business because I’m also somebody who was a singer in the beginning of my career and used my voice to leverage my way into the rooms with some of the biggest music producers out there and to cut records. And while I am a songwriter, I’ve always been in the business of making records and I think that makes me viable for
AMERICAN IDOL.

How I Got the Job as Judge

So how did I get this job?! I’m sure everyone wants to know this. My agent called me and he said you are on a short list to be the 4th judge on AMERICAN IDOL and I said “Are you calling for me or did you dial the wrong number?” They were like no seriously this is going on this can happen and I was like there is no way they are going to pick me. Why wouldn’t they pick someone famous? Someone everyone knows? But you know, I guess they saw something about me that they thought was good and they wanted to put somebody who was from the industry on the show and so, I got the job.

How I'm Adjusting to the News

When they told me I was the judge, I just didn’t believe it. I still don’t believe it. I don’t even know what I’m doing here right now. I’m just trying to enjoy it and trying to take it one day as it comes, because it is a big change for me. I’ve basically been in the back of the studio for 17 years the girl that’s going “Hey, I don’t like that line or sing that again.” So it’s gonna be a different experience; so I guess people are going to know me now.

My History with the Show

My history with the show is that I’ve written a bunch of songs that have been performed and released by Idols. I co-wrote “Walk Away” from Kelly Clarkson and with Kelly Clarkson. I co-wrote the “Real Thing” for Bo Bice and actually won two BMI Awards they were extremely performed on the radio. I’ve written with Katherine McPhee and for Katherine McPhee on her record. Clay Aiken [and] I co-wrote “The Way.” Taylor Hicks. I’m probably leaving an Idol out. I’m sorry, which one would that be, I think that’s it.

Oh and I actually have a song now on the David Archuleta CD that’s coming out, I think soon. I co-wrote with David Cook. So hopefully he’ll use that song too, so two songs on the new Idols.

What I Think I’ll Bring to the Show

Well I think I’ll have my own take on things and I kind of bring a unique experience in the sense that I sing and was a singer and I write and I produce and I sign talent and I'm very involved in the day to day of the music industry, like Simon. So I think I’ll bring that perspective, but I’m also very opinionated and pretty feisty and not afraid of a good confrontation, so I’m looking forward to it. Bring it on.

About Paula as a Judge

Well I think Paula brings a lot because she’s sold many records, she’s performed; she knows how hard it is to be an artist and actually turn that dream into reality. And I think that what she does is, she treats the contestants in a kind way and knows that their dream, you know, is a sensitive issue. I think that she does care about them and she wants to make sure that even when criticism is given that they want to keep going and their not, you know, so depressed that it didn’t turn out the way they wanted that they just stop it. I think she’s encouraging, and she’s kind and she’s nurturing; I think that every artist needs to be nurtured.

About Randy as a Judge

Well Randy has just got so much great energy and when he speaks to the contestants he’s coming from a very knowledgeable place. He’s been a great, is a great musician. He’s been out on the road, so he knows what it takes to be a huge superstar and I just think he has a way of being honest, but at the same time helpful and I just think he’s great, has great energy and I really looking forward to working with him.

About Simon as a Judge

Simon. Simon is pretty much dead on. He kinda calls it like he sees it. I like that about him. He’s very honest; he’s funny. And, I think he brings a very unique perspective because he finds artists and sells a lot of records, and he kind of just tells it like it is and I respect that.

About Ryan as the Host

I’ve actually never met Ryan and I’m looking forward to meeting him. And I think he brings. He’s just so approachable, so just feels like the guy next door but yet is so great at being a host. And, I’m really looking forward to meeting him.

What I’ll offer as a Judge

Well, I think there is an inherent responsibility because you are there, you are judging their performances and you have a very unique opportunity to be able to give somebody some of your insight. And, you know I’ve been doing this a long time and I can tell them, ‘you know you really have to do this,’ ‘you really have to do that’ and it’s based on my experience cause I’ve seen people go from not being famous to being uber famous. Or not being great songwriters to being great songwriters and I know how to get them there. So hopefully I will be able to help these Idols whether they win or not so that as they continue on their journey to become artists they can take that with them.

What I Will Look for in Contestants

I am gonna be looking for a unique spin, you know somebody who steps in front of me has something to say -- who has a unique look; who has a great voice; a unique tone; isn’t trying to imitate everybody else that’s out there. And, has incredible self confidence because anybody who has ever really made it, steps on that stage and they own it from the minute they step out there. So I think it’s important that you know they really be themselves and that they’re interesting and that they keep me engaged.

What it Takes to Become a Famous Singer

I think what it takes to be a famous performer or singer is really somebody who doesn’t care what anyone thinks, who loses themselves in the moment, who is authentic, real, believable and follows their heart. I mean, I think some of the greatest songs out there are the ones that connect with us because we all have that experience and it’s the same thing with artistry. When you are looking at someone who is just an amazing performer its cause you really feel what they are putting out there and it becomes almost your own experience and it’s believable. And you know everybody wants to be a rock star, so it’s great to see people turn into that and actually it’s believable and you’re routing for them. You know, that’s what I hope that we find this season, cause it’s really about being a rock star. You know when you say rock star it doesn’t mean you have to be doing rock music, it can be any kind of music, but it’s people who are out there doing their thing. They don’t worry about, ‘am I this, am I that,’ it’s just being yourself and being great at it.

What Makes an Artist a Success

Well, I think there are a lot of things that go into being a successful artist. Obviously you know you have to have the right look, you have to have the right sound, but you have to have the right song. We’ve seen that even in the Idols some of them have been very successful and some of them haven’t. It’s about that winning song. You know “Since You’ve Been Gone” huge song, catapulted Kelly into absolute stardom. So, it’s really important that everything happen at the same time -- great voice, great look, great stage presence and a great song. And all that coming together and just somebody who wants it that bad, because it’s a lot of hard work, it’s not easy.

Why Songwriters love American Idol

Well, I think what started to happen is Idol has been so incredible for song writers because it’s really a great vehicle for them to have their songs out there. You know many, many song writers once the results come out, they always think oh ‘I gotta write a song for this one or that one’ and you know it’s really kept a lot of writers paying their mortgage. So we love Idol! We’re like go Idol! Whose the next one; whose the next one we are going to be writing for and actually keeping our jobs. So we love it.

About My First Day on the Job

I am so excited about my first day of work because I’m going back to New York and that’s my hometown, couldn’t be a better place to set this thing off.