Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Her audition: Caroline Pennell, 17, of Saddle River, N.J., sang Ellie Goulding’s “Anything Could Happen.” She let out a nervous giggle one line into the performance, a giggle of joy when two coaches turned around early into her song and another when it came time to choose between Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton. “You have a quirk that really works for me,” Cee Lo said just before Caroline picked him as her coach.

Her background: Caroline told The Voice singing has always been “very special and private to me,” meaning she hasn’t performed in front of a whole lot of people. She said she got hooked on singing while attending a camp in Maine that held a “rock star weekend,” offering her a first opportunity to perform with a band. Every year after that, she got more confident and more focused on music, her father said.

On picking Cee Lo: “Going into it, I had no idea who I was going to pick because I knew I would change my mind because I’m so indecisive,” Caroline said in a conference call interview after her audition. “I kind of just left it to the moment. And, I don’t know, my mind and my heart really leaned toward Cee Lo, so I’m really glad I made that decision.”

What the show didn’t show: Caroline might be bashful about sharing her music, but she released an impressive five-track EP called “The Race” in January. You can head here to listen to full versions of the songs. Make sure to check out “Nobody’s Home.” And Caroline was probably destined to pursue music. Her parents met while performing for different colleges in an a cappella competition. “It was one of those things where my dad had met my mom prior to the show and when he was singing he pointed to her and pulled her on stage — that kind of ‘Glee’ moment. And that’s what shaped my initial perspective of music and how you should love it and how it creates love.”

Quote: “The first time I ever performed, I was panicking and biting my nails and so nervous. But when I got on stage it was just — it was life changing.”

On iTunes: You’ll find Caroline’s EP.

Keeping up with Caroline: Twitter: @carolinepennel — Facebook.

Caroline Pennell with Jay Stolar, “Hey Ho” cover