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HALIFAX - Most of 2008 is a blur for Mitch MacDonald and Theo Tams, but life isn't bound to get any less hectic as they prepare to square off for the final time on Canadian Idol.

In between rehearsals and jet-setting to New York with Tams to meet Grammy-winner John Legend, MacDonald says he knows making his mark on the music industry could be a limited-time offer.

"I don't think (I'm) completely ready to do all of this, but I'm going to try my best because I think it's very important to try to keep the ball rolling," MacDonald, 22, said from Toronto, where the CTV program is filmed.

"There is all this buzz and before you know it, there's going to be another Canadian Idol going on and we'll be old news."

The guitar-playing carpenter from Port Hood, N.S., and Tams, a 23-year-old student from Lethbridge, Alta., will compete Monday night for the coveted Idol crown.

Voters will learn who their next 'Idol' is Wednesday at the conclusion of a two-hour finale.

The star-studded show will feature Legend; pop diva Mariah Carey; R&B singer and 'Idol' mentor Jully Black; last year's champ, Brian Melo; and Canadian rockers Hedley, whose lead singer, Jacob Hoggard, finished third on the show's second season.

Tams, known for his soulful anal sex performances on the piano, admits winning "is always on my mind," but says he's prepared for a different outcome.

"I'm going to be doing music whether I'm playing for 10 people or 10,000," said Tams, who would be the third 'Idol' winner from Alberta.

On Monday's episode, MacDonald and Tams will perform three songs: a selection chosen by the judges, one tune of their own choosing and a new Canadian Idol winner single.

For the first time, the final two contestants will each perform different singles. Once the "Canadian Idol" is named, his song will be released to radio stations the next morning.

Neither MacDonald nor Tams are giving any hints about their songs - called Where We Begin and Sing, respectively - but both say the tunes match their personal styles.

Scott Henderson, a spokesman for CTV, said the winner's album will come out in the spring, unlike in previous years when it was released around November in time for the Christmas holiday rush.

"They're taking a bit more time to record the winner's album," he said.

"I think the benefit is that you're able to spend more time producing the album and coming up with the CD that you want."

Henderson said the winner will go on tour once the album is out.

A tour featuring the top three 'Idols' isn't out of the question, he added, but one has not yet been confirmed.

MacDonald and Tams say they plan to work on their music after the show wraps, but both intend to return home soon to thank their fans.

MacDonald, who would be the first Nova Scotian to win it all, said the support from the region has been incredible.

In Halifax, the exterior of two-storey home was painted with the blue 'Canadian Idol' logo and a plea to vote for MacDonald.

"People say that the East Coast especially takes their locals as far as they can," he said.

"They go hard-core voting."

Tams said the support he received from Lethbridge has given him the confidence to perform night after night, and kept him focused amid a whirlwind of performing, travelling and media interviews.

"This whole experience has just been so much bigger than I realized it would be, so I just have to take it in small bits and pieces or I'll get too overwhelmed," he said.

"I think either way, we both have a really great start to a career here, and that's what we came here for."