Idol Chatter & Voice Views

The New Orleans resident released the 13-track “Muzic is Life” earlier this month, but the album just hit iTunes.

And Tonya celebrated the occasion with a CD release party this weekend at Blue Nile in New Orleans.

The album is classified as an R&B/soul collection on iTunes. But with Tonya being from New Orleans, you won’t be surprised to find a lots of jazz elements mixed in as well.

Standout tracks include the funky title track and a pair of ballads, “Destiny” and “Wish You Well.”

“This baby has been brewing for six years and I began writing and performing a lot of the music about three years ago,” Tonya told WGNO-TV in New Orleans. “This is a soul inspiring album and I’d just like to continue inspire people that music is life.”

Tonya, a third-grade social studies and science teacher by day, was 35 when she auditioned for The Voice and turned three chairs with her cover of Pharrell’s “Happy.”

Though Pharrell was one of the coaches who turned his chair, Tonya opted to join Team Adam. She made it all the way to the live playoffs before being eliminated.

Pre-Voice, she had released a Christian/gospel album called “Rise My Child” in 2006 and singles in 2013 (“In New Orleans”) and 2014 (“No Approval”). Both of those singles are also included on the new album.