Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Sharane Calister performs “Never Enough” during the live playoffs on The Voice. (NBC Photo)

But though she wound up going home in 11th place, the young woman from Des Moines, Iowa, says she sees the show as a new beginning in her pursuit of a career in music.

And it’s already led to one opportunity she didn’t envision: an invitation to speak at an annual conference for The Purple Project, an organization that assists children transitioning out of foster care.

That came as a result of the personal story Sharane shared on The Voice. Because her parents struggled with addiction, Sharane and twin sister Shanice were raised by their grandmother until age 6, when she got sick and could no longer care for them.

They were placed in foster care and eventually adopted by different families, separating the twins until they were reunited when they wound up taking choir together at the same high school.

Here’s what Sharane told Voice Views about that opportunity, her time on The Voice and her plans for new music.

Voice Views: What’s next for you? Do you plan to release music and, if so, what can fans expect?

Sharane: Well, I definitely know for sure that my music career is not going to stop; this is only the beginning for me. I definitely want to focus on me and my album. I definitely want to create an album and possibly a tour.

And I’m actually going to be the keynote speaker for an upcoming conference for the Purple Project, where I’ll be speaking to and working with foster kids. So that’s pretty cool. And I plan on reaching out and working with other organizations related to adoption and foster care. So I’ll be doing that and working on my music.

I think I want to go towards more R&B and pop because that’s what I did in the show. I did R&B first, then I threw in a little pop with Shawn Mendes, and America seemed to like it. So I’m going to mix those two in there and make an album that way.

Voice Views: Among your performances, which was your favorite and why?

Sharane: I would have to say my favorite performance would have to be when I sang “Never Enough” from “The Greatest Showman” (in the live playoffs.) First of all, that’s one of my favorite songs ever and it just has so much meaning to it.

And that was the one performance where I actually really felt everything, like the boom bit, the staging, the lights, like everything just fit perfectly into the moment. You know, that was my one moment that I had on the show and everything just fell in there perfectly, and it was just a beautiful moment.

And America saved me. So that was the best moment ever.

Voice Views: Can you talk a little bit about what you think you’ve gained from The Voice experience and how you think it will affect your music moving forward?

Sharane: Oh man, I’ve gained so much. Just like personality wise, like I’m definitely a shy person. So when I’m on stage, I definitely blossom into this other person, you know, and being on The Voice helped me find my artistry in myself.

And working with two amazing coaches is an accomplishment right there because not everybody gets to say they get to work with two coaches. So it helped me, and Adam and Alicia both said some very, very kind words and shared wisdom with me to help me with my craft, so that’s definitely going to help me in the future.

Adam really helped me step out of my genre. I’ve always thought I would just do R&B, but he pushed me to do it a little bit outside of my box, you know, the one thing he said, ‘Be different. Don’t be like everybody else.’ So that’s definitely going to help me in my music career now. (He said) ‘You should be like Sharane. Do what Sharane wants to do because that’s why America got me to where I am now in the Top 11. So yes, everything I’ve learned from The Voice is going to help me in the near future as I continue to develop my artistry.

Voice Views: Before the show, you were involved with a band called The Feel Right. Will you be going back to that group and performing with them again?

Sharane: Yes, when I get back into Iowa I definitely plan to reunite with my band. I already have some gigs lined up. So I’m definitely going to get with my band and work on some new music and get out there and book gigs, possibly gigs out of the state because we’ve only been working in Iowa. Hopefully, this will get us to branch out and go into different states.

Voice Views: And could you talk a little more about The Purple Project and your involvement with it?

Sharane: The Purple Project is an organization for foster youth. They want me to be their keynote speaker at their 2018 Foster Care Youth Conference and just basically be there to represent all these kids and tell my story and then let them know to be strong and, if they ever need somebody, that I’m here for them.

It’s a great opportunity to speak to kids who went through the exact same thing that I went through. And the fact that I get to actually go up there and talk to them and let them know, you’re not alone, is really amazing. So it’s a great, great, great organization.

Editor’s Note: Sharane was 24 when she auditioned for The Voice and also created memorable moments during the blind audition, when she landed a spot on Team Alicia, and during the knockout round, when she earned a steal from Adam Levine. For more on her music pre-Voice, head here. Her social media links follow.

Instagram
Twitter
Facebook