Texan American Idol contestant Michael Sarver to release debut album

With the finale of American Idol only a few weeks away, this year's contestants are gearing up to go to Los Angeles to perform on the show.

One such contestant is Michael Sarver, who finished tenth this season. Sarver is excited to see fellow contestants he became close to, especially Danny Gokey, with whom he bonded over their shared faith in God. Sarver said there were also many contestants this year who are Christians.

"I think having Christians on American Idol was really cool because you think about the entertainment world and everybody's got something to say about what they think and their opinions in life and what they believe in," he said. "The cool thing is we get to glorify God through what we do. No matter what song we're singing, because we are acknowledging that God is the one that gave us what we have, He's getting the glory through what we're doing. It's very unique, very cool to see. This year, what people don't know, is in the top 50, there were quite a few worship leaders, and there were like 12 or 15 of them that got to Hollywood. So lots of people are coming out and are just doing what they do and the coolest part about it is that the world gets to see that stuff develops in the church. It's really cool."

Sarver is from Jasper, Texas, and is a member of Harvest Church. He was able to hone his skills there and has drawn much inspiration not only from God by attending there, but many of the church members have encouraged him as well.

"There are a lot of people who have influenced me," he said. "The first one I would list is my mom, who was a huge encourager in my life. She was the first person to tell me it sounded good, and then from there, just so many different people that I've come across. But when I came to Harvest Church is when I really began to tone the vocal ability, but not just that, the ability to get in front of people and sing without shaking like a leaf and things like that. And not only that, I began understanding people and who I'm singing to. And from that point, it's just been a list of different people, like a guy named LaShund Lambert who was worship pastor at that time and Pastor Gary and Karen Marshall at the church, and all the people that have plugged me. Then I've got Marvin and Gwen Cowart who are like my godparents. They pretty much changed my life forever, so it's just been a transition from one person to the next. God's always put the right people in the right place. And then He finished it off with my wife, who always tells me I can."

Sarver and his wife have two small children, and he is very thankful for the opportunity American Idol has given him to provide for his family in many ways.

"Well, money is one. Praise Him. No, I think it's more than the financial aspect," he said. "Of course it will provide a good life for them. You know, they'll probably be able to get things that I didn't get to experience, but more than that, I think this lifestyle and this choice of career is going to be a constant encouragement to them to be able to accomplish dreams and things they want to do. Because I think sometimes people don't think they can accomplish something, and that's the only thing that holds them back. It's not because they don't have the gift or what it takes to get there, they just don't believe it can happen."

Sarver encourages everyone to pursue their dreams. He says the music business is a tough business to break into, but has advice for people who want to do it.

"If people want to break into the business faster, go through American Idol," he said. "It's a hard road, as anybody who has ever tried to enter into this business knows. It's not a game, and I think I would say to them to never quit. No matter what avenue you try to take, or what road you go down, never give up. I've had plenty of moments where I could have. I'm 28 now, and I've been chasing this thing for many, many years and I've had opportunities to give up. The number one thing I would tell people is to not quit."

Because of the opportunities American Idol has given him, Sarver will soon release an album. He's looking forward to showing his fans a side of him that perhaps they did not see on the show.

"With my album, I want to go in the right direction, if I can," he said with a laugh. "I can tell you this, it's definitely not going to be rap. It will be an R&B, pop, soul-type album. Christian music is a big part of my life, and I write a lot of praise and worship music but right now I'm going to plug the secular world. I think that I have a lot to say to the world in general versus just a select crowd."

Before he releases his album, though, Sarver will be going on tour this summer with his fellow Idols. Although able to play instruments including piano, drums, and guitar, he will not be playing them on the tour. With the tour, he is excited to reunite with his fellow contestants and meet his fans.

"This is a chance to meet our actual fans," he said. "I mean, the audience [at Idol] is quite small, and it's from L.A. You don't get to meet the real people that got you to where you are now. So, most of my thoughts are focused on the experience of meeting the people that got me to where I am today."

Be sure to catch Michael Sarver and the other top 10 American Idol contestants on tour this summer. The tour makes a stop in Dallas on July 23.