Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Blind audition: Halle Tomlinson, 18, of Boulder, Colorado, auditioned with Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind,” showing off impressive bluesy, jazzy vocals that prompted almost immediate chair turns from Adam Levine and Alicia Keys. Alicia said Halle has an instantly recognizable voice and praised her effortless performance. Adam liked the creativity Halle showed by stripping down the song. Hallie joined Team Alicia.

Her background: She grew up in Dallas where her parents, both choreographers, owned a performing arts studio. “I was always there,” Halle says. “That was my life.” And it led to some unique opportunities. For instance, she wound up appearing on the Barney show. Her parents owned the studio for 11 years before going out of business. Her parents split, her mom remarried and they moved to Colorado. Halle is now an instructor at the School of Rock.

What the show didn’t show:
* Her Facebook bio tells us that in addition to the Barney show, Halle appeared in local commercials and performed in musicals. “Acting was definitely a big part of my life,” Halle tells Voice Views. “But I went through a lot of hard times and mild depression and turned to music. I started writing and teaching myself how to play instruments and my voice came from there. There is something about being able to share emotion and creativity through music. It’s such a beautiful art that I couldn’t resist.”
* Prior to becoming a teacher at the School of Rock, Halle toured three years with the School of Rock All-Stars. “We got to play amazing venues and festivals such as Red Rock Amphitheater, Lollapalooza, Gathering of the Vibes, etc.,” she says.
* In 2012, she releases a single called “Falling Snow” that she co-wrote; it’s available on iTunes and you can check it out below.
* When she was 13, she also got to work with Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy, and the Hanson brothers. “We had a band on 106.1 while I was still living in Dallas. We ended up getting to play one of Patrick Stump’s solo gigs at House of Blues in Dallas,” she says. The band was Breaking Even and they have some videos on YouTube, including one of a performance with Stump.
* Her Facebook bio says that in addition to guitar, she has learned to play drums and bass.
* She says her audition song, “New York State of Mind,” “is a close song to my heart because I remember sitting in the car with my Dad the first time I heard it. I remember feeling so inspired and happy and that’s exactly what I wanted to convey during my audition.”
* As for going on The Voice at age 18 and pitting herself against so many experienced musicians? “I kind of auditioned on a whim. Amazingly, everything came together and I got the wonderful opportunity to go to blinds. There was never a (is this the) right-time conversation that I had with myself though. I kind of just went for it.”
* Halle said to hear Alicia Keys say she already sounds like “my own artist is possibly the greatest thing anyone has said to me in my entire life” and helped her decided which coach to select.
* Along those lines, Halle says she has more than 100 original songs “that I have had locked away for a few years now. It’s finally time to record those and show my creative side.” So, yep, she’s working on a debut album.

Keeping up with Halle:
Twitter: @HalleTomlinson
Facebook
Website
YouTube