Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Caitlin Michele is another of The Voice contestants who has relied on music to get through some sort of difficulty in life.

In her case, it was a case of extreme panic disorder.

“When I have a panic attack, I stop breathing,” the 20-year-old from Boston told The Voice. “My heart starts beating fast. I usually pass out.

“The worst part about them is literally feeling like you’re going to die.”

She says she needed a vice to cope but refused to turn to booze or drugs.

Music, it turned out, was the perfect medicine.

“Finding the ability to write music just got me out of that funk,” she explains. “That’s when I found I have a real connection with being on stage. That was the only time I felt OK.”

On The Voice, the gal who discovered her singing ability at age 5 found herself on the biggest stage of her life.

She performed Florence and the Machine’s “Cosmic Love.”  For a while, it appeared the judges were unmoved.

Then her voice soared on a big note and Blake spun around. Another big note, and Adam did likewise.

“Oh, my gosh, that was powerful,” Blake said when the song ended.

Adam cited some “pitch problems” but called the conclusion of her performance “epic.”

And then, as the lobbying for Caitlin’s services continued, Blake made a strategic error in encouraging her to choose the “normal” end of the judging panel.

Said Caitlin: “I’m the furthest thing from normal.”

And Team Adam had a new member.

What the show didn’t show: Full name: Caitlin Michele Ford, and she’s a freshman at the Berklee College of Music. She previously attended The Hartt School as a musical theater major and Bridgewater State College as a dance major, according to her Voice blog, where we also learn she “is addicted to getting tattoos,” rescues animals (four dogs, two cats at the moment) and is fascinated by the paranormal. The latter might explain the “stay creepy” message on her Facebook bio. She also describes herself as “a die hard feminist” on her “Hollywood Sadcore” Tumblr blog, where she also explains her rationale for trying out for the show. Sixty percent of the decision was based on the desire to express her opinions and inspire others, she writes. The other 40 percent “was so I could have enough exposure to actually make money off of music. I don’t want to be a pop star …. I just want people to know my name and buy my music so I don’t have to live off of selling clothing on ebay.” It doesn’t appear as though Caitlin has any music for sale. Yet. She classifies that music as indie folk. Oh, and in an interview with the Boston Globe, she confesses to having never watched The Voice before this season, but says she’s been pleasantly surprised by the experience.

Check back for live blogs when the battle rounds begin on The Voice.

Caitlin performs “Cosmic Love” on The Voice