Kayla Mickelsen: 'So proud' as 'Idol' run continues; local performances coming up

GENEVA – Kayla Mickelsen is among the final 51 performers on "American Idol." Though the Geneva High School senior received little air time on Wednesday's episode on Fox, she was shown to be in a group that reached tonight's episode.

Tonight's two-hour "American Idol" episode begins at 7 p.m. on Fox.

Reached via email, Mickelsen stated that tonight's footage will include "the Green Mile, as they call it." She said about 10 days were spent in Los Angeles preparing for the Green Mile.

While she didn't receive much air time on Wednesday, Mickelsen explained what she did for that show.

"For last night's episode I sang, 'Safe and Sound' by Capital Cities," she wrote. "I was one of few that did not have to deal with the nerves of picking a song that too many people would sign up for... as I chose pretty much the only indie song on the list."

As far as getting the good news that she was moving on, Mickelsen stated there was a long wait.

"I was in Room #3 so we had to wait the longest for our results," she wrote. "A lot of us in that room thought we weren't going through, so that made it even that much sweeter to get the good news and to hug the three judges."

On her Facebook page, Mickelsen posted shortly after Wednesday's show aired: "My goals of making it through all of Hollywood week have been accomplished." She added: "And to be honest, I'm so proud of how far I have come to this point."

While she continues her nationally televised run on the Fox show, Mickelson continues to set up performances locally. She wrote that her first Nobel House performance will take place from 8 to 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17. She added that most of it will be acoustic sets.

Also, she revealed she also officially has been accepted into the music program at Belmont University in Nashville.