Online Interview with Bryan and Mike

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Could O-Town be the next big thing? Michael Miller and Bryan Chan from the hit show Making the Band answered your questions about their experiences on March 29, 2000. See what they had to say below!

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OnlineHost: Tonight's guests will be Mike Miller and Bryan Chan of "Making the Band."

AOLiveMC12: Welcome, Bryan and Mike!

Bryan Chan: Hey, guys what's going on?

Mike Miller: How's everything going tonight?

AOLiveMC12: Here is our first question for tonight.

Question: Did you always want to be in a band or musical group?

Mike Miller: I have always wanted to be an entertainer, not necessarily in a band or musical group, but just an entertainer all around.

Bryan Chan: I've been dancing since I was four years old, and I just started singing since I started college, and I've loved it ever since, and I certainly want to continue.

Question: Are you going on tour anytime soon?

Bryan Chan: We're working on a lot of stuff right now, and I'm sure that once we complete the album, that's certainly in the works.

Question: Are you musicians as well as singers and actors?

Mike Miller: I am just a singer and actor, not a musician at all, actually. I wasn't that lucky.

Bryan Chan: No, I don't play an instrument, but I sing and dance and consider myself a performer.

Question: When is your album coming out?

Mike Miller: You can look for the album in the future!

Question: Hi, I wanted to know what the name of the group is going to be once you get down to all five.

Mike Miller: The name of the group is going to be O-Town.

Question: What type of music are you guys going to be singing?

Bryan Chan: Certainly a blend of pop and hip-hop.

Mike Miller: I think some of the guys want to add a bit of alternative twist to the music as well.

Question: How many guys will be in the group?

Bryan Chan: We started out at 25 semi-finalists and then we were narrowed to eight, and the group will be comprised of five final members. I believe a quintet is what they call it.

Question: Where do you call home?

Mike Miller: I like to call two places home, I like to call Ft. Lauderdale, Florida home and Buenos Aires, Argentina as well.

Bryan Chan: I was born and raised in the Bay Area of California, but I currently reside in Santa Barbara.

Question: What is the biggest challenge you are facing now due to "Making the Band"?

Bryan Chan: Well, certainly putting any type of group together comes with its challenges. We're trying to work a lot of things out musically. There are a lot of logistics involved as far as contracts go, but the fact that we're on camera 24-7 just kind of adds another element to overcome.

Question: Have you performed on television or in the movies before "Making the Band"?

Mike Miller: I have performed in a few television commercials before "Making the Band," but no performing as a group or nothing like this, this is new.

Bryan Chan: This is certainly my first television experience.

Question: What do you guys think about the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC?

Bryan Chan: I think those two are some of the greatest pop bands that are out there. Not only do I think they're incredible singers, but dancers as well. We're trying to set our own standard and whatnot, but we still have a lot of respect for them.

Mike Miller: I admire the Backstreet Boys. I think they are very talented. And I guess I like *NSYNC a lot because they're such amazing dancers and they've made it to a plateau where I would love to be in the near future.

Bryan Chan: I also think they're incredible role models. Besides being talented performers, I think they're really good guys.

Question: If you were not on the show, what would you be doing now?

Bryan Chan: I work in Santa Barbara as a special event coordinator. If things don't work out for me, I certainly plan on going back to Santa Barbara and continue that.

Mike Miller: If I weren't on the show, I would be pursuing an acting/modeling career. I was in school, actually, before this experience started for me.

Question: What kind of things did you guys have to do to audition?

Mike Miller: We had to sing in a capella for Lou Perlman and his panel of judges at each respective city, and we had to sing a song to a track and then finish off with a short dance number and then answer a few simple questions.

Bryan Chan: And Mike, by the way, took his shirt off for the dance portion. But equally as important, I think they were evaluating our personalities and our own sense of style.

Question: Michael, what do you think was the main reason that you were chosen to join the band?

Mike Miller: I think it's because I had a unique sound and I want to say a distinct look from the rest of the guys. I like my personality, and I think Lou liked it too. I think that helped out.

Question: To those of you who do not make the final five, are you tempted to go off on your own and make a band with some of the other original 25? Or are you under some contract not to do that?

Bryan Chan: I think certainly for those who don't make it, we're going to continue pursuing avenues in music, and that not only goes for the three people who don't make it out of eight, but I know that the other 17 guys are pursuing avenues in music right now.

Mike Miller: I think all 25 finalists have an incredible love for music, so this shouldn't be something to stop them from pursuing their dreams and their careers.

Question: Hi, what did you first think of when you were accepted?

Mike Miller: I have to call my mom. That was the first thing that came into my head. And then I started to think of the fact that these seven guys were all going to be my roommates for a while, so I was happy.

Bryan Chan: Definitely, my first instinct was to call my family, my mom in particular. I actually said it onstage. I think what was interesting, that after I was settled in was when I started to look around and thinking hopefully I will be with these guys making music, with these guys for a long time.

Question: Did any of you guys become friends with any of the other guys who didn't make the band, and how did that make you feel?

Mike Miller: The 25 finalists grew really close in the three days, so it hurt to stand up onstage and look off in the crowd of 17 guys and know that they weren't going to be experiencing what we were in the next couple weeks with us. We did choose to keep in contact with some of the guys.

Bryan Chan: We certainly became close with everybody and with each other, and I still keep in contact with everybody. And two of the really good friendships I made out of the eight of us were with Jackie Salvucci (who's going to be on "Rosie" tomorrow) and Matt Yoakum.

Question: What does it feel like to be a part of a huge craze and actually getting to experience the real thing you see happening all over the country with all of these boy bands?

Bryan Chan: I think it's incredibly overwhelming. I think it would be a trip just to be in a musical group and to go through this process of development, but then to have the whole process taped and be broadcast on TV -- it's a lot of attention and whatnot, before we get out there and do some stuff musically.

Mike Miller: I think it's indescribable. It's a feeling that you can't just sit down and tell somebody and expect them to understand how you feel.

AOLiveMC12: Here is our last question for tonight.

Question: Do you think you'll make the new group, and how successful do you think y'all will be?

Bryan Chan: I definitely hope that I make the group, and I think that if we are all geared towards working together and making good music, that there are no limits to what we can't do.

Mike Miller: I would love to be part of this group and trying to rate this, the success of the group, is impossible. I think there is no limit for us, we have so much talent and incredible diversity amongst the eight of us in the group, it can go no way but only up. I look forward to seeing how far we go or how far the group goes.

AOLiveMC12: Good luck, gentlemen. Any last words for our audience?

Mike Miller: For the audience, please stay tuned in on Friday night on ABC at 9:30PM EST, and thanks for chatting with us!

Bryan Chan: I just want to say that this has been or is an interesting process, and that a lot of our friends and family are going through this with us, and we thank them for their support. I LOVE YOU, MOM!!!

AOLiveMC12: Thank you again to Mike and Bryan, and to the audience for their questions.

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