Wow. Did you catch “The Voice” blind auditions tonight? If not you missed a lot of great performances. I have to give a nod to Travis Ewing for an awesome rendition of Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name.” That was unexpected and awesome. Definitely check that out. Although that was pretty awesome, my favorite performance of the night, by far, was India Carney. She had an absolutely stand out performance of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind.”

India is a trained musician. She’s loved music since she was a young child and attended LaGuardia Arts High School in New York City. In her interview she was shown singing opera and THAT is what pulled me in initially. India, if you’re reading this, please bring opera to “The Voice.” Just once. That is something I haven’t seen and the thought intrigues me. Anything to stand out in the competition right?! Ok, ok. Sorry.. side tracked.. (But for real.. who wouldn’t like to see a little opera flare mixed in to break up the monotony? Just me? Ok..). Moving on.

Photo Credit: http://www.bruinwalk.com/members/ucla-scattertones/581/

Usually trained musicians have a habit of being overly confident of their ability or they try to oversell themselves (and under deliver). Not India. She was laid back, cool and collected. That was impressive and refreshing. Her voice was incredible. I expected that though, from someone who attended a school that specializes in performing arts. What I did not expect was her motivation to audition for the show. Usually you hear people say they need to make it to feed their families, to pay bills, for that one last chance of being famous, etc. Not India. India Carney wants to be “The Voice” because she has trained in a variety of vocal genres, but not pop. She wants to have a formal voice coach in the art of pop music.

I love that answer. It’s perfect. That’s the exact response you want to hear from someone that could be the next role model for tweens everywhere. She wants to continually learn something she isn’t familiar with and perfect it. India Carney wants to be on one of the most popular shows on TV to learn, grow and become a better singer. Not for fame and fortune. That’s awesome. Way to go, India!

India Carney’s voice stunned all four judges. She received a four chair turn response and a standing ovation from the judges and the audience. Twitter was full of praise after her performance.

Her voice was so impressive. There is no doubt about that. But for me, India’s personality, her desire and capacity for learning, and her well rounded performance is what really struck me. What do you think? What about India’s performance made her a stand out and a strong contender in “The Voice” competition?

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