SM Entertainment Trainee Life?

[Rachel]

1) Either one, but you'll Weekly auditions will have fewer people per audition day.

2) You will live in the dorms with the other trainees.

3) The SM building? f(x)'s Amber said she had to travel by bus to get to her Korean lessons, but other than that it will be concentrated at the SM building in Apgujeong.

4) Cube's schedule: Get up at 6, go to school at 7, get out of school at 3, train until about midnight. Extra tasks from midnight to 1. SM's will be very similar. Your trainee days will be very hard.

5) Probably not. Your contract will have something in it that says what you can and cannot say about training. Also, technology bans and cellphone bans are very common for trainees and newly debuted idols.

6) No. Never count in being a group with someone until you debut. You might team up with others to complete a test for the company, but you won't necessarily debut with them.

7) Yes. Korea is very looks conscious. Even skinny idols like KARA's Hara and SNSD's YoonA go on diets before a promotion cycle. The sad truth is that unless they have a lot of talent, the judges are probably going to overlook a "fat" person because it would cost a lot money and time to get them into shape and train them to sing and dance (and maybe learn Korean).

8) No. Though it might be heavily suggested. However you will wont be forced to get surgery.

9) My experience with Korean teachers is they are extremely light on the compliments and very generous with the criticism. They aren't exactly mean, but unlike Western teachers they do not give out compliments unless they are fully deserved.

10) Not necessarily, but remember you are auditioning for a Korean company who is catering to the Korean public by giving them the Korean ideal.

11) It wouldn't hurt to take lessons. Unless you are an amazing singer, you should be competent in both fields. The more important question is "do you have a sense of rhythm?" Rhythm is about being able to feel a beat and move your body in time with the beat. Dance can be taught, rhythm not so much.

12) ? Do you mean as a trainee or as a debuted artist? You will probably wont succeed as a group without a mildly complicated dance every once and awhile. As for being a trainee, you won't have to dance like Eunhyuk, but you probably will have to complete tasks that involve dancing. They cha-cha slide isn't going to cut it for those when you're competing against your fellow trainees, some of whom will be the next Shindong or KAI.

13) None? I've heard of companies like JYP giving their trainees an allowance, but I don't believe SM is one of them. They will provide the means if debuting you, but I wouldn't count on receiving an allowance. Lucky you if you do get one, but save up!

14) It depends completely on your amount of charisma. Solo singers must be a lot more talented and a lot more well rounded in various fields because they are the only promoting them. In a group like SNSD, Sunny does the aegyo, YoonA is the looks, Tiffany is the charm, Taeyeon is the voice, Seohyun is the innocent maknae, Yuri is the body, etc. As a solo singer you have to be it all. But if you are like BoA or IU whose own talent would be stifled in a group, it would be better to be solo. (Can you imagine BoA in a group??????.)

Good luck!!