Tim Olstad may be known as the newest X Factor phenomenon, but most of the people at Cotter just know him as Tim, former Cotter Student.  

On October 3, Tim came to speak at Cotter for two assemblies, one for 9^th and 10^th graders and one for juniors and seniors. He gave students the opportunity to ask questions about his experiences. Olstad couldn’t divulge everything because some of his performances hadn’t aired on television yet, so he shared as much as he could without spoiling what has yet to come.  

Choir director Cathy Snyder introduced Tim and helped direct the conversation. Olstad explained what was going through his mind at his first performance. He couldn’t believe that this opportunity was finally happening. “I had never been so nervous in my entire life”, Tim said. “Its incredible how long it takes to film what appears on a few minutes of the show.”

Tim spoke about his experience in college and how he didn’t have success as a classical vocalist or performing opera, but has continued to sing and feels like pop music fits his tastes and talents much better. He also noted the incredible amount of publicity his appearance on the show is generating for him.

Students watched a video of Tim at his first audition. For some. it was the first time seeing the show, but most Ramblers have been following him from the beginning. After a shaky interview, Tim wowed the judges with his rendition of Christina Perri’s A Thousand Years and was voted on to the next round.

After his talk, Tim stuck around to talk to students and take a lot of photos.

Many Cotter folks recall his performance as the lead in Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat when he was at Cotter.

The Cotter community will continue to follow Tim as he pursues his dream of winning the competition.