Q: The DR is part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), which means you can call from a cell phone or landline in North America the same way you would call any other North American number. However, calls to the Dominican Republic are still billed as long distance. The NANP includes Canada, the USA, several US overseas territories, and islands in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean. Different countries have different prefixes that you need to dial to call out of that country internationally. Search online for the exit code for the country you want to call the DR from.  For example, if you are calling from Europe, dial “00” first. You can look up exit codes at: https://www.howtocallabroad.com Phone numbers for the DR start with the country code “1”, just like numbers in North America. Press “1” on the keypad of your cell phone or landline before you dial the rest of the numbers. If you are calling from a number outside of North America, you may need to put a “+” in front of the “1” for the call to work. The DR has 3 area codes: “809”, “829”, and “849”. You will need to know the area code for the person you want to call. If you don’t know an area code, you can look up area codes at: https://www.howtocallabroad.com/ Numbers in the DR are just like any other number in North America and have 7 digits. Dial the 7-digit number to complete the call. A sample call to the DR would look like: “1 809 555 5555” or "00 1 809 555 5555." Find a calling card online or at a box store with a low per minute rate to the Dominican Republic. Most cards show the per minute rate on the back of the card or package. You will need to dial the number on the calling card first, then you will be prompted to dial the number in the DR that you want to reach.
A: Check with your phone service provider to ask about rates to call the DR. Dial an exit code first if you are calling from a country outside the NANP. Dial “1” on your landline or cell phone first. Dial the 3-digit area code of the number you want to call. Dial the 7-digit number of the person you want to call. Purchase an international calling card to avoid any long-distance fees.

Q: You can’t audition for American Idol without at least being a little familiar with the show. Look at old auditions online and check out what people sang. Pay especially close attention to what the successful singers sang. If they got through to the next round, they probably made a good song choice.  Try singing "At Last" by Etta James, like Kelly Clarkson did in her American Idol audition. If you're a fan of Katharine McPhee, sing "God Bless the Child" by Billie Holiday, like she did in her first audition. In order to pick a song for your audition, you first have to be aware of all the songs there are to choose from. Go for a long walk with your iPod and try to listen to as many of your favorite songs as you can. Keep the radio on in the car when you’re on the road. Cram in as much music as possible and chances are that you’ll hear something that inspires you.  "Kiss From a Rose" by Seal is a great choice for an audition song. It's often sung in the group round, so it's not frequently used for initial auditions. Be like past winner Jordin Sparks and sing "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion. All singers have a different range of notes they are able to hit comfortably – and some they are able to hit not so comfortably. For your audition song, pick something that sits comfortably within your vocal range. You’ll know it fits comfortably because you won’t have to strain to hit any of the notes and your voice will sound magical.  To see if you sound good singing the song, try singing it out loud, over and over. Practice it at home, and then when you’re ready, bust it out at karaoke. If you find a song you like, but it’s not in your range, take it to a music teacher and ask them to help you adjust the key. Think about the character you want to be cast as on the show. Do you want to be the underdog? The diva? The ingénue? The character you pick should be close to who you are in real life. When you know how you want to be seen, pick a song that corresponds with your character. If you want to be seen as the underdog, choose an uplifting power ballad. If you want to be the diva, pick something by Whitney Houston or Alicia Keys.  For a great Whitney Houston song, try “I Have Nothing.” For great Alicia Keys songs, try “No One” or “Fallin” or “If I Ain’t Got You.” Don’t pick something too hard if there’s a chance you might mess it up. Don’t pick something too easy, because that’s not very impressive. If you are really good at hitting high notes, pick a song with a lot of high notes. If you are a confident belter, choose a song that allows you to belt.  If you’re a great belter, try “I’m Not Going” from Dreamgirls.  Be aware of your weaknesses too. If you know that your vibrato is not that great, don’t pick a song that will force you to display that. Showcase your strengths and make your weaknesses invisible.
A:
Watch the show. Listen to music. Be aware of your singing range. Pick a song that showcases who you are. Choose a song that proves your strengths.