Local resident to audition for popular TV show The Voice

January 30, 2020 · 0 Comments

Written By MIKE BAKER

A Dufferin County singer is counting down the days as she prepares herself for the opportunity of a lifetime.

It’s been a whirlwind few months for local musician Sara Rose. Following the release of her second album ‘We Could Be Beautiful’ this past November, Ms. Rose recently revealed to the Citizen that she has been asked to attend a closed audition with a view to participating in the 18th season of the hugely popular U.S. TV show The Voice.

“It kind of took me by surprise,” Ms. Rose admitted. “They have an open mic audition down in Nashville, so I applied for that and they ended up offering me a closed audition in Boston. It’s not a guarantee at all, but it’s a huge, huge opportunity. I’m nervous, but also incredibly excited.”

The Voice has been a staple on top American network NBC for almost a decade, having premiered in April 2011. Carried by CTV in Canada, the show aims to find currently unsigned talent and propel them into the public eye. The series employs a panel of four coaches, who critique artists’ performances and attempt to guide their teams of selected artists through the season. The winner is determined by viewers, who vote for their favourite act on a weekly basis.

In the show’s 17th season, which ran from Sept. 23 to Dec. 17 last year, 20 acts competed for the right to be named the overall winner. In the end, country singer Jake Hoot took home the top prize – $100,000 cash and a record deal with Universal Music Group.

Explaining the format of the closed audition, Sara says she will be able to play four songs for a panel of judges – no, not the likes of Kelly Clarkson or Blake Shelton, think more show, or network executives. Once Sara has performed all four of her songs, she will be notified whether she has made it to the next stage.

So, what is she hoping will take her there?

“For the first three songs, I’ll be able to play my guitar and sing at the same time. I’ve decided I’m going to perform ‘Weak in the Knees’ by Serena Ryder, ‘Slow Hands’ by Niall Horan and ‘Drunk’ by Ed Sheeran,” Ms. Rose said. “Then, I have to play one more song with just a track, no instrument, so for that I’m going to do ‘Glitter in the Air’ by Pink.”

She added, “I know the first three songs quite well as far as performing them go. I know ‘Glitter in the Air’ as well – that song is just my favourite song in the whole entire world. If you listen to the lyrics and the emotion of that song, it sums me up as a person perfectly. It’s kind of like ‘here, this is me’.

The audition will take place on Feb. 22. Should Sara be successful, she will move on to the executive auditions, which are being held in April. If she makes it past the executives, Sara may get a little air time, as she will perform in front of the celebrity judges in the blind auditions.

While music has been a part of Sara’s life since she was a little girl, it’s only in the past couple of years that she’s started to think seriously about forging a career in the industry. Following the success of her two albums, Sara has started to think outside the box regarding how best to propel herself in the industry.

That’s where The Voice came in. While she admits to being a big fan of the show, and other shows like it, think American Idol, Ms. Rose says this is her first time applying to potentially appear on one.

“It’s honestly such a special feeling. I applied with a cover, but also included songs off my album that just came out. I wanted to see if that could get me anywhere, and I guess it did,” Sara said. “I wasn’t expecting anything. I applied back in October, and heard back shortly after the New Year. It was just such a shock when I got the news. The Voice is a huge show, watched by (millions of people).”

Even though Sara is no stranger to the stage, having performed hundreds of times in dozens of locations all over Ontario, she admitted that, while the prospect of performing on such a grand stage was a little daunting, it’s something she plans to take full advantage of.

“Nerves would be normal for everybody in a situation like this. What is preparing me most, other than practicing, is just being myself,” Sara said. “Music, as long as you dive into a song with emotion, it doesn’t matter who is watching. At the end of the day, music is music and if you be yourself, that’s all that matters.”

When asked what she was most excited about, other than potentially being cast on the show, Sara said meeting Kelly Clarkson would be a particular highlight.

“I grew up watching these types of shows. I’m a huge fan of Kelly Clarkson, and watched her journey on American Idol. She was one of the coaches last year. She won’t be at the first audition, but if I did get through and get to meet her, wow,” Sara said with excitement. “At the end of the day, no matter what happens it will be a cool experience.”

She concluded, “Everyday, music is just at the forefront of what I do. It makes me who I am. To have an opportunity like The Voice, to be that person and share music with the world essentially, it would be a dream come true.”