Millikin student sings on the "The Voice"
Audri Bartholomew would be a sophomore at Millikin University this fall, if she weren't sharing her voice with millions of people on NBC.
Bartholomew was recently selected to advance on NBC's "The Voice" following an impressive blind audition after performing "Never Enough" by Loren Allred.
During the blind audition episode, aired on Oct. 1, Bartholomew landed a spot on Grammy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson's team. Bartholomew later invited Hudson onstage for an impromptu duet performance.
"Walking up I was like 'this is going to be so fun,'" Bartholomew said in a recent interview with WAND-TV. "It's no big deal. Act like you're practicing in your mirror."
The performance was the breakthrough Bartholomew was craving after years of just missing the cut. The difference this time around was the lessons she received from her professors at Millikin.
"It was really hard for me to come up short in the past so I took a break from auditioning and really studied my craft to improve myself as an artist," Bartholomew said. "That's what really made the difference this time around."
Singers on Jennifer Hudson's team will compete in the "Battle Rounds" against artists being coached by others judges: country artist Blake Shelton, Maroon 5's Adam Levine and Kelly Clarkson.
During the "Battle Rounds," team members compete against each other to sing the same song together in front of a studio audience. After the vocal battle, the coach must choose which singer will advance. The losing artist could be chosen by an opposing coach.
Originally from Pasadena, Calif., Bartholomew currently resides in St. Louis, Mo., and chose to attend Millikin because of the individual attention she knew she would receive from her instructors.
"It's not just about the vocals," she said. "It's about how you can connect."