Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Blind audition: Bindi Liebowitz, 23, of Plainfield, N.J., auditioned with “Bust Your Windows” by Jazmine Sullivan, displaying strong vocals and a unique tone in the process. Adam Levine turned midway through her performance. He was later joined by Blake Shelton. Adam complimented her on the choices she made during her performance. Blake noted that Bindi would likely be a one-of-her-kind artist on his team. Bindi decided to join Team Adam.

Her background: Her parents separated when she was 1, but Bindi says they still have a great relationship. Bindi got involved in school choir at an early age, then became president of her high school’s gospel choir when she was a senior. She attended Keystone College in Pennsylvania and founded the school’s first choir, which still exists. But while Bindi was in college, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Bindi says she went into depression and stopped singing. Her mom convinced Bindi to start singing again; she’s now been cancer free for two years. Bindi says she now gigs about 10 shows a month in addition to working two jobs, seven days a week to cover her expenses.

What the show didn’t show:
* Bindi also auditioned for Season 15 of American Idol, singing “Put the Gun Down,” by ZZ Ward and “I’m Goin’ Down” by Mary J. Blige to earn a golden ticket to Hollywood. Her audition, however, was not televised, according to MyCentralJersey.com.
* Her given first name is Breana, but became known as Bindi because she wears one every day to “remind her that she is on a journey and has a purpose in life,” according to The Voice website.
* Those two jobs were working as a receptionist at a salon and a local barbershop.
* Bindi was a communications major at Keystone College; the choir she formed there is called “Voices.”
* In a video interview you can watch here, Bindi says she grew up on Motown and soul music and convinced her mom to send her to a performing arts school when she was 14. The video also includes snippets of Bindi performing.
* She talks about American Idol in that video, calling it “an amazing experience.”
* In a conference call with the media this week, Bindi says she likes to perform a combination of different genres of music. “I know the song that I sang with my blind audition is definitely more of an R&B Soul song,” she said. “I kind of sing a lot of indie soul music. But also like an alternative soft rock. Like ZZ Ward or Allen Stone.”
* Bindi also says she chose Adam because he comes from a background of combining different genres of music.

Keeping up with Bindi:
Facebook
Twitter: @Bindi_liebowitz

Covering Sam Smith’s “Not In That Way”