MANILA, Philippines - Being a late bloomer did little for the confidence of ?American Idol? Top 5 finalist Brooke White, who admitted she had struggled with comparison issues her whole life.

?I didn?t start singing until I was a teenager ? I never thought I had a nice voice; it wasn?t pretty, this low, raspy thing that didn?t have a big range,? she said.

In a teleconference arranged by Star World, the 24-year-old candidly talked about her insecurities and how these affected her performance on the reality talent show.

She would find herself listening to the other contestants at rehearsals, amazed by their vocal prowess. ?I was very intimidated,? said White.

Setting goals

To handle the pressure, the singer-songwriter from Mesa, Arizona, set goals for herself, from reaching the Top 24 to the Top 12, and so on. ?You have to take it in increments because you can overwhelm yourself ... the expectations can sometimes bring a lot of disappointment,? she explained.

?It was very much a rollercoaster ride, finding that inner confidence,? she added. ?[Idol] brings everything to the surface that might be an issue for you; at times I worked through it in a very public way.?

Her struggle seemed to escalate at times, such as when she forgot the lyrics and stopped singing a few notes into ?You Must Love Me,? from the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical ?Evita.?

White had been prepared for elimination, though. In her last two weeks on the show, the former nanny had packed her bags in anticipation of being voted off.
?Ever since (Aussie finalist) Michael Johns went home, there was always this question in my mind, ?How much longer do I have???

The golden-haired singer made her mark as the folksy multi-instrumentalist whose performances were reminiscent of singer-songwriters Carly Simon and Carole King in their youth.

Starting her career by touring LA clubs, White later produced the album ?Songs from the Attic? under indie label New Millennium Records Group. Before ?Idol,? she had juggled singing and composing with her day job as nanny to twin babies.

Faith, she said, plays a big role in her life. ?It brought me a lot of peace throughout the competition,? said White, who, along with teen finalist David Archuleta, has been cited in www.famousmormons.net, a website dedicated to Mormons who have made an impact in different industries.

White?s husband Dave, whom she describes as a very laid-back fellow with great perspective, has been a strong pillar of support. He vowed not to cut his hair for as long as his wife was in the show.

White said her elimination was ?in my gut ? It hit me, ?this is done, this is over.? The finality ? was sad. [I felt] the fear of ... [not knowing] what the future holds.?

But leaving the show, it turned out, would bring White the opportunity to speak to one of her musical influences. ?It?s okay to be different and it?s important to accept that and make the most of it,? Carly Simon told the young singer during their telephone conversation after last week?s results night. ?There are people out there who appreciate [your type of music], so you just have to go with it.?

Keep going

White said this boosted her spirits and gave her enough motivation to keep going. ?What I did on the show is close to what I [want to be] ? I would love to write, or at least co-write, and build an album around that organic sound, keep it real, raw and fresh. It?s 2008, so it has to sound current, but I ? want to be very involved with the music that connects with people on a very honest level.?

?American Idol? Season 7 airs live Wednesday and Thursday, 6 p.m., on Star World and QTV, with same-night replays on Star World at 8 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.