As a judge on American Idol, it’s Luke Bryan‘s job to help mentor the contestants. 

But he admits he’s learned just a much as anyone else during his time on the show. 

“I think being in front of a TV camera so much makes you a little — I mean, it makes you more aware of a lot more things,” he explains. “It’s like a resumé builder, you know? It’s like college.” 

“You know, I’ve got five years of sitting in front of a television camera, to where you learn what works, what doesn’t,” he continues. “You learn how to engage with people. You learn how to not get yourself in too big of trouble. You know, there’s a fine line of doing it right, doing it wrong.” 

The five-time Entertainer of the Year says it’s also made him appreciate his own career even more than he did before. “I learned that you’ve still got to go and work hard because there’s a lot of talent out there in the world. And you don’t ever need to take your talent for granted because so many people dream of this life,” Luke reflects. “And to be able to watch these kids come in from these various backgrounds, and to watch their process, it’s very informative. It’s very emotional,” he adds.  

American Idol continues Sunday night at 8 p. ABC