by Gina Scarpa

Over the last 2 years, Glee has taken the world over by storm. The show has already seen two successful seasons, albums that top the charts worldwide, sold out tours, and an unimaginable amount of merchandise. Now, Glee wants to give the opportunity to an unknown, talented fan of the show with the launch of the new reality show, The Glee Project on Oxygen. Twelve contestants will compete for the chance to win a multi-episode guest appearance on the show. Today, we spoke to Nikki Anders, who is a vocal arranger and songwriter for Glee, and will serve as a mentor for The Glee Project.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Can you tell us a little bit about your background in the music industry?
A. Nikki: I started in the music industry as a recording artist. I was the member of a four person group and we had eight #1 singles and had lots of records. I left to pursue a solo deal. I consider myself a successful artist and a failed artst. I then moved into songwriting. More recently, I've had a lot of success doing that and as a vocal producer. I've worked with Sheryl Crow, Backstreet Boys, Miley Cyrus, and all the Disney High School Musical people... you name it.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Glee has become bigger than anyone, I think, could have imagined. Does it still surprise you?
A. Nikki: Yes, it does! In fact, when the thought of this reality show came into play, I thought, "Can the world handle more Glee?" Everywhere you look, you see Glee. I even wondered if I could handle more Glee because I work on the show 10 months out of the year. So I decided to work on the show basically because when I left my songwriting career, my main mission was to be sort of a mentor and safe haven for other artists. That's really what I'm doing on the show. I'm working with them in the studio, teaching them how to work the camera, and preparing them for live performances. At the heart of it is mentoring.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Where did the idea for The Glee Project come from and what made you decide to become involved?
A. Nikki: That's a good question! Ryan Murphy [the creator of Glee] has a love for music and for arts in the schools and things like that. I'm not really 100% sure but my gut instinct is that everybody involved in Glee... there's a truth to it. It's not fabricated out of thin air. There are millions of teenagers across the country that are talented and don't have an outlet to shine. There are a lot of underdogs that don't get to shine and I think this show about that. I got involved because it was a natural fit, having worked on Glee itself.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: How important is it that people like you, who actually work on the show, are involved in this competition?
A. Nikki: I think that it is crucial that the people involved int hes how do work on Glee because that's what they're competing for. We should be the ones that know what it takes to be on the show. Only if you've worked on it can you tell.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What was the audition process like, when trying to select the finalists?
A. Nikki: Well, I wasn't even involved in the selection process until the final 80. I went to callbacks and there were 80 semi-finalists. Surprisingly, there's more of a singing element. You can tell if a person can act and perform by the way that they're singing. We focused on the singing and getting to know them personally. It was really tough because out of that 80, there were some amazingly talented kids. I'm sure we'll see...

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: How are you feeling about the group that you have competing for the grand prize?
A. Nikki: The final 12 are an amazing cross-section of the country. You've got so many different walks of life, so many viewpoints, and world views, shapes and sizes. This is not a group put together like a beautiful boy band. This is a true look at an American high school. It was really fun to see. I did a step back because I work on the show but you look at these kids and this is real life. This was like a real life Glee. They're real kids with real issues and really issues.

The Glee Project premieres Sunday, June 12th, at 9/8c on Oxygen.

(Image courtesy of Oxygen)

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