The Voice – Blind Auditions – Night Six – 2018

By starrymag | March 24, 2018

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

 

Q) Genesis,  I was wondering why you went with Adam as your coach.

 

Genesis Diaz:   Well, I went with Adam because he was just so technical with what he loved about my voice.  He said that I was soft and when I was, you know, up there, he really loved that about my voice, and it just captivated me the way he spoke to me and I absolutely love him as a coach.

 

Q) And judging from your Facebook and Instagram, you’ve been working with a small record label down in Florida.  Can you tell me a little bit about that and whether you’ve recorded or released any music yet and what type of music you would like to make?

 

Genesis Diaz:        Well, I was signed maybe last year around January, and we were working on some music but it never really got released because I wanted to experience The Voice.  But the music that I want to record is kind of like Spanglish, English and Spanish mixed together with like upbeat, kind of like the vibe of Despacito, something like that.

 

Q) Jackie, as a country artist, were you disappointed that Blake’s team was full?

 

Jackie Verna:        You know what, the funny thing about that is I love Blake.  I absolutely do.  If he turned around, I think, you know, I would have totally listened to what he had to say if I had a multiple chair turn.  But I am actually so super, super happy that it was Adam who turned for me because I didn’t even think he was an option for me, to be honest.  Like going into it, you don’t know how many chairs there are left, if there’s any spots. And when I was thinking of who could possibly turn for me, like he wasn’t even in the cards I thought. I didn’t think he would even be interested.  And to see him turn around for me was kind of like wow. I think, you know, I shouldn’t have played myself down like that.  I’m so happy that he ended up turning for me.  So I’m super, super happy to be on Team Adam.

 

Q)  Cool.  And later in the show, I don’t know whether you caught this or not, but he compared you to Season 3 winner, Cassadee Pope.  Do you think that’s an apt comparison?

 

Jackie Verna:        Oh my gosh.  I about fell out of my chair when he said that.  I think that is a very, very high honor to live up to.  I love Cassadee Pope as an artist and I watched her, you know, when she was on her season and she absolutely is a phenomenal artist.  And just to be compared next to her name was a real honor.

 

Q) How did you like being compared to LeAnn Rimes and Tanya Tucker?

 

Dallas Caroline:    Oh my gosh, it was such an honor.  I mean I’ve been listening to country music my whole life.  So to even be compared to that level of talent was a huge honor for me.  And then to hear it from Blake Shelton was honestly crazy.  And being on that stage and being compared to them was totally a dream come true.

 

Q)  Is that why you chose Blake or was that your preference all along?

 

Dallas Caroline:    Yes.  I chose Blake for a couple of reasons.  I mean obviously listening to him talk, I wanted to hear everything he said and to then be compared to them was obviously like I said, a huge honor.  But then I also have been listening to country music. So I’m a huge fan of Blake.  I want to move to Nashville and I’ve just seen what he does with country artists and how he continues to support them after the show.  So that’s something that I’ve definitely paid attention to and something that I knew going in. So I knew that if Blake turned, he was definitely going to be someone that I would be really excited to work with.  So I’m super happy to be on Team Blake.

 

Q) Amber, going out there, any idea there was only one chair left?

 

Amber Sauer:        You know what’s funny about that is that I had no idea.  And you would think going into this whole thing, that if you end up on day four, you kind of have an idea that maybe there’s not as many slots left.  That thought never registered in my mind. Not to sound corny, but to be honest, I was so laser focused on what I was doing, I just didn’t even consider the thought that there wasn’t a slot available for me.  I feel incredibly grateful that that spot was available and that I grabbed it and that Kelly saw something in me enough to turn around.  But I had no idea that there was only one left. I went in with the best intentions and just knowing that I was going to do the best that I could and let the cards fall where they may.

 

Q)  Yes.  And that was a heck of a dynamic ending.  Was that planned or was that you just determined and hell bound to turn a chair?

 

Amber Sauer: Oh my gosh.  When you say was that planned, do you mean like the confetti and all of that or?

 

Q) No, no, I mean the ending of your performance because you really turned it on and to that point, no one had turned.  I mean you were deep into your performance before you got the chair.

 

Amber Sauer:   I remember thinking about midway through my song, oh shoot, I’m about to be that girl on television that doesn’t get a chair turn.  And I remember thinking to myself like okay girl, you’ve got like 20 seconds left.  Like anything that you have left in you, you’ve got to give it your all.  And like I said, I didn’t know what spots were available, but I just laid my heart and my soul out there and I’m just glad she saw it.  But no, to answer your question, it was not planned, but I definitely wanted to give the best that I had to offer.

 

Q)  Okay.  And as a solo artist, what type of music would you like to make?

 

Amber Sauer:        Oh my gosh.  I love all music and I have so many different influences from so many different genres that I feel like at this point in my career, I most connect with popular music with a soul sort of touch to it.  So I would have to say pop soul music.  I’m always going to have like that touch of soul in my songs and in the things that I release.  But I just have an affinity for all levels of music.  But definitely pop soul is where I think I fall.

 

Q) And there’s one final point I want to clear up.  I read a bio somewhere where you mentioned that your dad played drums for Merle Haggard, I believe.  Was that your adopted father or your biological father?

 

Amber Sauer:        Yes.  So well, both of them were musicians actually.  I unfortunately didn’t get to meet my biological father before he passed away.  However, my adopted father, the only dad that I’ve ever known is the one that is referenced in that story.  And yes, he did play drums for Merle Haggard back in the day when I was just a little baby.

 

Q) This question is also for Amber.  I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about your decision to audition for The Voice after being in the music business for a few years.

 

Amber Sauer:        Absolutely.  You know, when I moved out to LA, the bigger picture for me was to really just create a foundation and a career for myself where I could do music fulltime and make a living and be able to pay my rent and my cellphone bill.  So everything I’ve done from that point forward has been sort of the next level. I’ve actually auditioned for The Voice four times before this season when it really took off.  As a singer in LA, you get used to doing auditions on a regular basis and you get used to being rejected.  And so auditioning for The Voice for me was like part of the machine of it all, if that makes sense. It’s part of what I’m supposed to do in terms of the bigger picture and my purpose at the end of it all.  So it worked out this time and The Voice for me was just another opportunity to level up what I’ve already been laying the foundation for.

 

Q) So did you learn something new with every audition?

 

Amber Sauer:        Oh my gosh.  I learn something new with every opportunity, yes.  Specifically with this situation, with The Voice, I have learned so much about myself.  You know, I thought I had it all figured out when I auditioned for The Voice, and I thought I knew what kind of artist I wanted to be and what that looked like, and what it translated to. But going through this process for me has really taught me what the tangible artistry of me looks like in a real world, in a real industry.  So I’m just excited to continue to use that platform and continue to build on something and learn more about myself and the industry that I’m working in at the same time.

 

Q) Jackie, your bio package focused most on the accident you were in.  I was wondering if you could tell – give us a little bit more background of what you’ve done musically to this point.

 

Jackie Verna:        So musically I am pretty new in the performance area.  So I grew up, you know, obviously loving music.  I always wanted to be a singer and wanted to be a performer, and I would do small things like just any kind of open mics that were around.  And then when I got to high school, I started experimenting with local talent shows and things like that. It was never really anywhere like a big venue or anywhere huge or any kind of real big performance.  I was always the girl singing in her bedroom.  And I started doing YouTube for a little bit in high school, and just tried to start branching out. And then I got in that car accident and it all just came to a half for a little bit and, you know, that kind of made me not want to do it anymore.  And once I got the confidence to get up and do it again, I decided okay well, I’m going to go out there, start playing out more. And I started just doing more local open mics and anything I could get my hands on.  And then I saw The Voice and I wanted to audition and I did.  And this platform has been my first huge performance that I’ve ever had.  And it’s cool that I’m getting my first on The Voice.  It’s also very scary. The first time I ever played with a live band was actually here on The Voice as well.  So I kind of feel very blessed to have my first time being with a world class band.  So I’m getting all my firsts on The Voice and I’m really happy about it.

 

Q)  Okay.  But back when you were 17 or 18, didn’t you audition for American Idol?

 

Jackie Verna:        Yes, I did.  I’m so sorry.  I totally just ignored that probably. So I auditioned for American Idol and that was my first kind of stepping stone out of my accident and I was very, very scared and reluctant, but I have such a great support system that they were like, this is what you love.  Why don’t you just go for it?  Why don’t you do it?  And, you know, I decided okay, I’ll do it.  I’m going to go. And I went and auditioned and I ended up making it on to the TV auditions.  And I was very new and fresh, kind of just being in front of an audience.  And I think for me that was my first experience getting a little taste of what it’s like.  But I got to audition for the celebrity judges and I didn’t get the call back to go to Hollywood.  And I’m actually really glad that that didn’t happen for me because I didn’t really know who I was as an artist at that time.  And it really wasn’t until the past year and a half or two that I finally figured out who I was and who I wanted to be.  So the fact that, you know, the cards are all falling the way they are now, I think is true and honest to who I am now.

 

Q)  Okay, good.  And that happened after the accident, the Idol audition?

 

Jackie Verna:        Yes.

 

Q)  And then why that audition song?  Why did you audition with “Peter Pan?”

 

Jackie Verna:   So Peter Pan, I’ve have always been a huge, huge fan of Kelsea Ballerini as an artist.  And that was a song that I really just related to because I had been in a relationship that kind of goes along with that story line and it really resonated with me. And I think it’s a powerful message too and it’s something that I thought, hey, if I’m going to sing about something, it might as well be something I’ve been through.  And that was a really awesome first experience and I couldn’t have asked for a better song to audition with.

 

Q) Dallas, I was wondering, you auditioned with “Always On My Mind,” the classic song by Willie Nelson.  And I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about our musical inspiration.

 

Dallas Caroline:    Okay, yes.  So, “Always On My Mind” has been my grandma’s favorite song for as long as I can remember.  So that’s kind of why I went with that song.  But I’ve always had an older – like a peculiarity for older country music.  So I’m really influenced by Dolly Parton, Loretta Lyn, Patsy Cline. And then also at the same time, kind of more modern current country artists like Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert.  Maren Morris is a huge inspiration for me.  So I feel like my voice kind of has like a pure tone to it.  So I like to take that from Dolly Parton and mix it with some Maren Morris kind of style and kind of do my own thing. So those are some of my biggest influences, but most of them are country artists for sure.

 

Q) You’re young, but have you tried your hand at song writing at all?

 

Dallas Caroline:    Yes, definitely.  I kind of learned to play guitar and piano when I was 12.  So from there, I started basic songwriting, just like the old songs that I can hardly listen to now, and I don’t know. I’m young, so I don’t have a whole lot of life experience, but I try to pull from the things that I have been through, or even things that I see loved ones go through, like family members or even movies or books and things like that and just kind of put my own twist on them. And I do some co-writing stuff too because I love pulling from different people’s experience and kind of seeing how one song can translate to so many different people in different ways.  So song writing is definitely a love of mine.

 

Q) Dallas,  I was impressed with the fact that you had left school and began home schooling at a young age, you seemed to know what you want.  What can you attribute your focus to?

 

Dallas Caroline:    I mean I have been singing for as long as I can remember.  So people always kind of ask me like when did you know that this was what you wanted to do?  And I never really had that moment. As soon as I started singing, as soon as I heard music, it was just always like yes, like that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to be a singer.  There was never really another thought in my mind.  So from the age of like eight, it was laser like focused vision only on being an artist and a singer.  So that’s just kind of what I’ve worked with and I did local stuff, like local national anthems and local theater performances. And then like I said, learned some instruments and fell more in love with country music and older country music. And I mean I’m just here now, which has always kind of been my dream and my love.  And I think my family, like the support that I have, I have such a strong support system and I feel like that really comes from them seeing my drive and my passion for this.  And I feel like that’s why they support me so much.

 

 

Q) Amber, so you’ve been through cervical cancer and – I can’t pronounce it.  Sarcoidosis.

 

Amber Sauer:        Sarcoidosis.

 

Q)  I wonder how those – or if those that had any impact on your voice, and if so, what you did to maintain your voice.

 

Amber Sauer:        So I’ve been dealing with I guess both of those.  In 2009 I was diagnosed with cervical cancer.  And by March of that year, I had beat that and completely got it out of my system.  By June of that year, I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis.   And from that point forward, I’ve had immune system issues.  I like to say that I’ve never really accepted fully that diagnosis because I know, you know, it puts a death sentence on my life and I’ve never believed that that’s what God has for me.  But on the same token, in terms of how that’s affected my performances and my voice, sometimes it makes it difficult for me to breathe.  So I have to take better care of myself more than the average, 100% healthy person.  I make sure that I stay well.  If I can stay on the healthy side, for me that’s what keeps me in the safe zone. Once I get sick with a cold or something like that, I can get really sick really quickly.  So for me, the key is to stay on the healthy side.  So I do my best to work out almost every day, make sure that I move my body and make sure that I put the right things in it and do what I’m supposed to do to take care of myself. Sometimes it affects my performances, and I definitely feel like sometimes I run out of breath a little quicker.  But I try to overcompensate that with really high notes.

 

Q) So by affecting your performance, you just have a harder time breathing?  Is that how it affects you?

 

Amber Sauer:        Sometimes.  I get really excited during performances and I move around and I try to like give people a show because I feel like that’s what entertainment is.  It’s a show and I want people to enjoy themselves.  But sometimes I can get a little over excited and do a little too much moving, and I can run out of breath really quick.  So I just try to stay as cognizant of that as I can and remind myself that, you know, like I said before, it’s best for me to stay on the healthy side of things and to avoid getting sick altogether, because it can take me down pretty quick if I do. But I’ve been very blessed and very grateful to have had the experiences thus far.  I’ve been able to continue to use the platform also to remind people that it doesn’t matter what sicknesses or what you go through, that you can still do what you love and pursue purpose.

 

Q) Sharane, we didn’t get to hear a whole lot about your musical background last night.  Can you fill us in a bit on that?  I think you were part of a group called The Candeez for a while, and then one called The Feel Fight.

 

Sharane Calister:  Yes.  So I was in an all-girl group called The Candeez.  We did the top 100 songs, country, R&B, hip hop.  We did a lot of everything.  I was in the group for about, I’d say about a year and a half and then just decided to go my own route.  And then two of the other girls moved away. So I decided to start my own band.  It’s a six piece band right now. We’re called The Feel Right.  We do travel.  We do weddings and parties, events and stuff.  And we’re based out of Des Moines and we mainly perform in Des Moines, Iowa.  So we are called The Feel Right.

 

Q) Okay.  And you’re still part of that group?

 

Sharane Calister:         Yes.  Yes, I am.

 

Q)  And now, in terms of musically as a solo artist, what direction would you like to go in?

 

Sharane Calister:  I would definitely like to go into R&B and soul.  That’s definitely the direction I’m going into.  I feel like that’s where my heart is at.

 

Q) Sharane, I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about your song choice, “Make It Rain” by Ed Sheeran.

 

Sharane Calister:   Yes.  So Make It Rain, the song was kind of a struggle for me at first because I was trying to figure out, because I know multiple people have sung it on The Voice already.  So in my mind, I was just like oh, I’ve got to make sure I sound different. And then I could definitely connect to it because the first two lines in the words of the song as you know, the sins of my father, and then talks about the pain of my mother too. So I get real deep with that, and I did mention on The Voice, like the pain of my mother, like I know that my mom has all the pain in her heart and I know that she felt sorry for what she’s done, but at the end of the day, I do forgive her and I appreciate everything that she’s done for me and I know everything I’ve been through in my life, I wouldn’t change anything because it led me to where I am right now. So that’s kind of, you know, about the song, make it rain, just like leaving the pain out on the stage and just singing with passion and hope I can relate and it touched my heart.  So that’s how I really see the song.

 

 

Q) Dallas, all three chairs that were possible.  That’s impressive.  But I wanted to ask you, you’ve released a lot of covers and they weren’t all country.  So at what point and what made you decide country is the direction I should take?

 

Dallas Caroline:    Yes.  So I mean I grew up on country music.  That’s what my grandparents would always sing and my love for music started there, definitely with country music and with my family.  So as I grew older, I was exposed to different genres. I know I’ve heard Kelly Clarkson say a couple of times on the show, like your iPod is not really usually just one genre. So I do have a lot of respect for other genres too.  That’s why I’ve covered.  I know some pop songs and some more current songs.  But yes, I definitely feel like I kind of had a love for pop a little bit more when I was in eighth grade and ninth grade.  And then when I try to do that, I realize that’s not who I am as an artist at all.  I’ve always loved country music.  So that’s when I re-discovered my respect and appreciation for that. And that’s also when I started song writing and that’s where I was writing country music.  So yes, that’s definitely where my love for country music came back in.  And ever since then, I know now that that’s the genre I want to do, and I’ve never varied from that, so yes.

 

Q) Genesis,  I was wondering, you seem to be a pretty big fan of Alicia Keys.  Were you disappointed that she didn’t hit her button?

 

Genesis Diaz:   I really wanted a chance to work with her, but she had told me – I don’t know if they edited it out, but when I was auditioning, she did tell me that she didn’t press her button because she had too many girls on her team and she didn’t want me to have less of an opportunity to be on the show.  So I really appreciated her thinking of me in that way. But she did say that I have such a great voice.  And just listening to her say that just, made my day.  And I am a huge fan of her.  Actually the first song I ever sung on stage was If I Ain’t Got You by Alicia Keys.  So it was an honor just to be in her presence.  And no matter what, I will always be a fan.  And I wasn’t really disappointed because she did what was best for me, and it wasn’t to be on her team.

 

Q) And as far as your choice to sing Praying, what was your thinking behind that?

 

Genesis Diaz:   Well, that song has such a powerful message, especially now with what’s going on in the acting business and what had happened to Kesh. I feel certain things when I sing songs that mean something to people, and I kind of just put myself in people’s shoes and try to feel as much as possible so I can give out my best performance.  And that song is just so powerful that I felt the need to do it.  I thought it was the perfect song to do in my blind audition.

 

 

 

*CONFERENCE CALL*