Barrington teen's 'Idol' dream on hold — for now

When American Idol returns tonight for the next installment of Season 10, Ashika Sachdev will be watching it from the confines of her family room.

The Barrington High School sophomore made it to the first round in Hollywood, and her taped interview still airs on the American Idol website. But her dream come true came up just a little short. Not that she's devastated.

“It was cool and exciting, and I learned a lot from it,” Sachdev said. “For one thing, you can't just be a good singer, you have to be a performer. You have to have the whole package.”

Give it some time and Sachdev will undoubtedly have the whole package. At 15, she was one of the youngest competitors to punch her ticket to Hollywood. Of the 350 who advanced, only 30 were 15.

Sachdev discovered her talent for singing in musical theater productions — she played Jasmine in “Aladdin” at Barbara Rose Elementary School and later had a lead role in “Les Mis” at Barrington Middle School, Station Campus.

Sachdev took advantage of Idol's new rules this year when the audition age limit was lowered to 15. Back in July, she and her mother, Amita, arrived at 5 a.m. at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee to wait her turn to try out.

At the time, she was among 10,000 contestants in Milwaukee, and one of 125,000 over the course of the auditions that took place in seven cities across the country.

“It was so intimidating being surrounded by all these people in this huge, snaking line around the center,” Sachdev says.

After two hours, they were allowed into the arena, where the auditions took place in 12 different booths onstage.

“It was really neat,” Sachdev adds. “It was kind of like a concert.”

Sachdev is a pretty, dark-haired teen, with an inner beauty that shines through when she performs, her choir teacher says.

“She has a look that is very timely,” said Nancie Tobison. “She is childlike, yet mature and enchanting in a very real way.”

Sachdev advanced through both rounds that day and into a third round the next day, also in Milwaukee.

For her opening audition, Sachdev sang the Natasha Bedingfield hit “Unwritten,” before adding “Please Remember” by LeAnn Rimes for the next two phases.

Sachdev scored a return visit to Milwaukee in October, when she sang in front of a panel of judges. By this point, the 10,000 wannabes had been whittled down to 150, and when she won her ticket to Hollywood later that day, it was captured on camera.

That's when the pressure started mounting. As soon as she and her mother landed in Hollywood the cameras started following her, recording many of her reactions, including learning she had been cut.

She sang another Bedingfield hit, “Pocket Full of Sunshine,” this time adding more choreography and emotion.

I did everything I wanted to,” Sachdev said. “I performed it the way I wanted, but my biggest disappointment was that I didn't get any feedback.”

Her singing career hasn't lost a beat, however. Last month, Sachdev won first place in the frosh/soph category of a musical theater competition sponsored by the National Association Teachers of Singing.

Tobison said Sachdev has charisma and a joyful heart.

“What I especially love about Ashika is that she is a team player,” Tobison adds. “She is a humble, intelligent young lady of substance who is a real friend to her fellow choristers.”

Sachdev credits her parents, Dr. Sumeet and Amita Sachdev, with inspiring and supporting her. Her father is a cardiologist at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village and her mother is a homemaker, who shepherds Sachdev and her three younger siblings to all of their activities.

“I'll be back,” Sachdev says. “I've learned so much. I'm definitely going to do it again.”