Liberty University graduate Tobias Hill will be advancing to the top 24 of “American Idol” after passing Hollywood Week.

Liberty graduate and middle school choir teacher headed to Hollywood on ‘American Idol’

March 25, 2022

When Tobias Hill (’20) was a child, he dreamed of becoming a record-signed musician. But he never thought he would come a giant step closer to making that a reality by performing on ABC’s “American Idol.”

Hill, who often goes by his stage name Prince T.C.H., was on the March 21 audition round of the show, where he received a golden ticket after singing and playing the piano to “Knocks Me Off My Feet” by Stevie Wonder.

“It was amazing,” said Hill who earned an M.S. in Marketing: Digital Marketing and Advertising through Liberty’s online program. “I loved every single second of it. It felt like a dream.”

He will now be one of the contestants featured on Monday’s Hollywood round, set to air at 8 p.m. (EST).

“I’m super excited,” he said. “This past Monday I was kind of nervous about how I was going to sound on television and thinking about how the reaction was going to be. But everyone was so supportive before I even auditioned, and when it aired my phone was blowing up off the hook.”

Hill is originally from Como, N.C., a small town far away from the bright lights of Los Angeles, where he traveled to showcase his skills in front of Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie for the audition round and pursue his lifelong goal of signing a record label and doing music full time.

“I hope somebody sees me and signs me,” he said.

But “American Idol” is not Hill’s first time in the spotlight. He has more than 20,000 Instagram followers and dropped original music in the form of his EP titled “Love and Hate” in 2019. The dynamic performer grew up in a musical home and was part of the group “3rd Lane,” which won a talent competition in North Carolina with the chance to compete for studio time with a record label in Charlotte in 2017. Hill said he plays on stage at any concerts he is able to be a part of.

“I’ve been trying to chase this dream for years, and I’m just hoping the world is catching on,” he said.

Hill is currently working as a choir teacher at Southampton Middle School in Courtland, Va., and is the music director at Celebration Church Franklin.

“I have to keep God first,” he said. “He’s the One that gave me this gift. I always tell my students that our gift is not meant for just us; our gift is meant for someone else.”

Hill is grateful for how Liberty helped him to hone his gift in marketing, which he has already put to use through social media.

“I feel like God definitely placed that degree (with Liberty) in my lap,” he said.

Hill hopes that he will be able to spread hope and inspire others through his time on the show.

“We are living on borrowed time,” he said. “Our time is not ours. This is God’s earth. This is God’s will for our lives, and it is something He has given to us. So what are we doing to make a difference? Are we saving the lost? And if not, how can we save them?”

Hill is the second contestant with Liberty ties to perform on this season’s audition round episodes. Sophomore music student Luke Taylor appeared on the March 6 episode and received the golden ticket to Hollywood after singing Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.”

While the two have yet to meet in person, Hill said he was impressed with the vocal talent that he and the rest of the world saw from Taylor.

“He is amazing,” Taylor said. “Hopefully I can get a chance to meet him during Hollywood week.”