As 1 looking for 2 more

Wanna be a star?

By ROCHELLE BRENNER Dispatch/Sunday News

In a tight, blue shirt and shiny black pants, 15-year-old Ashley Whitehead tapped her feet and bit her lip as she waited yesterday for her first audition.

Whitehead wants to be a rock star, and the York-based band "As 1" is looking for talent.

When Whitehead approached the microphone, As 1 band members asked how she would describe her personality.

"I'm real open," said Whitehead, of West York.

She sang most of Mandy Moore's "Candy," then walked off the makeshift stage, took a few deep breaths and trembled. Her entourage of nearly a dozen family members clapped and whistled in support.

"I was scared I was going to forget the words," Whitehead said, smiling nervously to reveal braces with rubber bands that matched her shirt.

She said she's a fan of As 1 and will continue to listen to their music even if she's not picked.

"I gave it my all. It's all good if I don't make it," Whitehead said. "If they have another tryout, I'll still be here."

As 1, currently comprised of two boys and two girls, has performed at the York Fair and at local fund-raisers and dance clubs.

In the past few months, two band members left the group, leaving open slots for a boy and a girl. And with Virgin and Capital Records both interested in signing the pop sextet, manager Holly Gumke is hopeful she finds worthy replacements.

"We're looking for serious, dedicated, responsible kids who want to be pop stars," said Gumke, the mother of one of the band members.

Adam Wood, 18, of Spring Grove, didn't even know what he was auditioning for until he showed up.

"I didn't know it was for a group," Wood said. "I love music and I think I'll have fun with it. I like to be in the spotlight." But after he performed, Wood was convinced he didn't make it.

"I didn't do too well," Wood said. "My voice cracked."

The judges: Band members Nathan Gumke, Drew Ransom, Katie Robinette and Michelle Panzer sat on a long table jotting down notes about each performer on bright yellow judging sheets.

"Nice voice." "Seems comfortable." "Ehh." "Awesome." "Could be better."

The band members and four managers will decide whether any of the eight who auditioned yesterday at Penn State York make the cut.

"Whoever's gonna jump in here, they have to learn all the choreography, learn all the songs," Nathan Gumke said. "Two years' worth of work."

They are looking for someone from central Pennsylvania because it would be difficult for someone to travel to practice from outside the area.

For members of the band, this is a rare opportunity to see what it's like at an audition from the judge's perspective instead of a performer's.

Nathan Gumke said he made up his mind in the first few seconds.

"You kind of know right away when they go up there," he said.

Band members said they look up to artists such as Mandy Moore, Craig David, Jessica Simpson and the ever-popular Britney Spears.

"We're totally original," said Ransom, wearing a jean jacket with the collar up and a yellow hat shadowing his face.