BAD MAMMA JAMMA CONTEST SENDS MOM TO GRAMMYS.

Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer

CANYON COUNTRY - The best show at the Grammys on Wednesday might be backstage, where one Santa Clarita woman will be belting an homage to legendary singer Aretha Franklin.

Maggie Hanzmann, 40, sings in church and, to her children's equal delight and chagrin, around the house. But a friend inspired her to take a bigger stage when she found an ad for a contest by Snuggle fabric softener looking for ``Singing Scentsations.''

``My girlfriend Monica called and said you're going to do this and we're going to the Grammys,'' Hanzmann said.

Fast forward to December 2005. Hanzmann was one of five women selected from a nationwide search for ``Rocker Moms'' conducted by the company to create a girl band called the ``Snuggle Scentsations.'' The band will perform during a backstage party hosted by Westwood One before the award presentations.

Along with her brush with fame, each will woman receive a cash prize of $1,000 and the chance to bring a friend for a walk along the red carpet to their seats at the Grammy Awards ceremony.

Asked if she was taking her husband, Hanzmann laughed. ``No, I'll be taking Monica. Remember how she got me into this? Emphasis on the 'we're' going to the Grammys.''

Hopeful contestants chose from a short list of songs that included Franklin's ``Respect,'' the Go-Go's ``We've Got The Beat'' and Gloria Estefan's ``Turn the Beat Around'' and made videos featuring their voices, personalities, special effects and at least a glimpse of the laundry product.

With the help of instigator Monica Strock and friends with equipment, Hanzmann's video shows her strutting and wailing to the beat through her Mediterranean-themed house, plucking wayward socks, shirts and pants from couch cushions, hallways and floors. Her 11-year-old twins, Brianna and Brendan, and 9-year-old Brent, as well as her husband, Robert, pop in to add humor and spice to the video that wowed not only the judges, but won over online voters.

She even added a couple of blooper shots at the end to leave 'em laughing.

On Saturday, she will finally meet her fellow band members face-to-face (she's been e-mailing them) when the five are whisked away to the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica, which will become their base for the next five days. The women have a whirlwind schedule, working with Broadway performance coach Jodie Langel, learning how a band works together, while getting makeovers and preparing for their big night Wednesday.

``It's intense,'' she said. ``We have a rehearsal scheduled at 1:45 a.m. Wednesday morning and we're supposed to do the show that night. We've heard that there's a good chance that our performance will be televised too, so I'm excited about the whole thing.''

Considering her public performing experience is limited to one karaoke contest at a local restaurant and years of singing in the church choir, she's pretty excited about Wednesday's concert. Her tastes in music are all over the scales, including some country, some classics, show tunes and oldies, with a sharp focus on inspirational or gospel music.

As she talked, the crashing and thumping of her son practicing drums came through the dining room wall. She admitted to having a karaoke machine in the kids' playroom.

``It might be their space, but it's my home,'' she said, smiling.

``I have no aspirations of making this my career. I'm 100 percent fulfilled to sing worship or gospel songs. But if that door opens, I'm thrilled to walk through.''

``It's cool to hear her sing,'' daughter Brianna said. ``But truthfully, I enjoy hearing her at church instead of around the house.''

``Sometimes it gets annoying,'' drummer Brett chimed in.

``He's my brutal critic,'' Hanzmann said.

``I'm proud of her and I like to hear her sing,'' said son Brendan. ``But not when she blasts her music so loud.''

Carol Rock, [phone]

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

(color) Canyon Country resident Maggie Hanzmann won a trip to the Grammys by singing in a video for Snuggle fabric softener.

David Crane/Staff Photographer