Although her song did not air on the show, it is available in the iTunes store HERE. As part of the competition, copies of the song sold by an artist on iTunes count as votes in the contest.
FORSYTH COUNTY — A hit TV show got a taste of Forsyth County on Monday night when 19-year-old Riley Biederer sang her way through a successful audition.
Biederer made it through blind auditions and secured a spot on Team Pharrell for the ninth season of “The Voice,” a reality singing competition on NBC.
Though only a clip of her audition aired, the full version of her cover of Kelly Clarkson’s “Invincible” can be found on iTunes, and the episode can be seen on nbc.com.
During blind auditions, the show’s four celebrity coaches — Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams — push a button to get a singer on their team by hearing their voice.
Biederer was chosen by Pharrell, a Grammy-winning producer/singer/songwriter and fashion designer, after she gave what was described as a soulful performance.
She must now compete with other contestants on Pharrell’s team and those on the other three squads in battle rounds, knockouts and live playoffs.
The goal is to make it through those rounds to get to the live performance shows, where voters decide who moves on.
Forsyth’s own singer/songwriter/musician has always enjoyed singing, but her stage fright kept her from performing when she was younger.
To help gain confidence, she joined cheerleading in school and won two state championships in gymnastics, according to her publicist.
Through cheerleading, Biederer gained the confidence she needed to pursue her singing career.
Earlier this month, before a show at the Castleberry Ale House near Cumming, she announced she had traveled to Los Angeles to try out for the show.
While she could not comment at that time, her father, Frank Biederer — who her publicist described as her “dad-ager” — said she figured out how to move ahead in her path to a singing career.
“She walked in and said to me at one point, ‘I’ve just decided that if I’m going to make this happen, I’m going to sing in front of everyone. I’m not going to be afraid,’” Frank Biederer said. “‘If I’m going to get where I want to go, I’m not going to say no.’ At 12. ‘Anybody who asks me to sing, I’m going to sing.’”
Her videos on YouTube gained a following that helped her score a record deal with Elton John’s music management company, Rocket Music, at age 15.
She ended up parting ways with the label but still gigs regularly, ultimately leading her to L.A. and Team Pharrell.
“The Voice” airs at 8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays.