Arroe Collins That Voice: A Decade With The Performers On NBC's The Voice

Nelson was raised in a strict Christian household where he and his siblings weren’t allowed to listen to the radio. After starting first grade, Nelson begged his parents for piano lessons. They agreed under the condition that he couldn’t quit once he started. Nelson mastered piano, learned guitar and eventually began singing. At 15, Nelson started dating Stephanie, his now fiancée, the same year he lost his little brother to brain cancer. Stephanie became his rock during the hardest part of his life and is still the biggest supporter of his music after 12 years together. Nelson recently quit his job to pursue music full-time.

If you could share a conversation with a seed before it becomes a tree would you speak of its future fruit or would it be all things right now?

Tate has been singing his whole life and got his raspy tone from damaging his vocal cords when he was young. When he was 7, his parents got him a guitar to accompany his singing, which encouraged him to start writing his own songs. Tate dedicates a lot of his time to his original music, performs around town and had a six-day set at the Sundance Film Festival last year. Outside of music, Tate enjoys playing on the varsity golf team and recently got his driver's license.

If you could share a conversation with a seed before it becomes a tree would you speak of its future fruit or would it be all things right now?

Camm was raised in a strict, athletic household where sports became his priority. His mother, a registered nurse, and his father, an Army Ranger, always pushed him to play two sports. Camm loved basketball and dreamed of playing in the NBA until an injury in high school turned his focus toward music. He dedicated himself to singing in choir and taught himself to play piano after spending all of his free time practicing. Camm has put college on hold while he pursues music full-time.

If you could share a conversation with a seed before it becomes a tree would you speak of its future fruit or would it be all things right now?

Adopted as a baby, Darious grew up a pastor’s kid and that inspired his love for gospel music. He joined a band in high school and after graduation dedicated his time to writing and recording music. His career was finally taking shape until he suddenly lost his father. Darious has taken his time to get back into music, but had quick success on Spotify when a song he produced was streamed over a million times. Darious sadly lost his mother a few years later, who always encouraged him to chase his dreams. Knowing that life is precious, Darious has since reconnected with his birth mom and comes to “The Voice” hoping to make his late parents proud.

If you could share a conversation with a seed before it becomes a tree would you speak of its future fruit or would it be all things right now?

Todd is the lead pastor at the church where he grew up and is married to his high school sweetheart. After having three children together, he and his wife decided to adopt. With help from friends and the community, they pieced together $20,000 and brought home a new daughter. Less than a year later, the agency called saying their daughter's sister also needed a home. After an anonymous donation, the Tilghmans were able to adopt her as well and now have eight children together. While Todd has always loved singing, he has spent his life focused on serving other people and comes to "The Voice" to finally do something for himself and his family.

If you could share a conversation with a seed before it becomes a tree would you speak of its future fruit or would it be all things right now?

Hey it’s Arroe. This is Play It Forward. A look at the unexpected changes endured by entertainers, writers, camera people and all others affected but not infected by the global invasion of the Coronavirus.
Real people. Real stories. The struggle to Play It Forward.
Episode 46:
Mandi Thomas has always loved singing. It opened the door for her to perform on Season 18 of NBC’s The Voice. Away from the lights and camera she’s working very closely with other creative young adults during this new age of Covid-19
Thunderstorm Artis instantly got the attention of music fans because he was truly living up to the name of the show on NBC. That voice can easily become injuring during these moments of social distancing.
Samantha Howell is another alumni from the Class Of Season 18 on NBC’s The Voice. She had reached that stage only to lose it just like millions of other musicians around the world.
That’s Play It Forward. You can listen to the full conversations with these artists on three different podcasts. Like Its Live, Unplugged and Totally Uncut and View from the Writing Instrument found on all digital platforms.

If you could share a conversation with a seed before it becomes a tree would you speak of its future fruit or would it be all things right now?

Micah was born and raised in Tokyo to Christian missionary parents. As one of nine children, he turned to singing and taught himself to play guitar in order to set himself apart from his siblings. Micah later moved to the U.S. to attend the University of Virginia. Eager to fit in, he joined an acapella group and continued to work on his personal music. After graduating, Micah pursued a career in business, but felt that he should be doing music instead. Micah quit his job last year and moved to Atlanta to start a band and to be closer to his family. Micah currently works at his brother’s brewery and is focusing entirely on his music.

If you could share a conversation with a seed before it becomes a tree would you speak of its future fruit or would it be all things right now?

Zan grew up surrounded by music through her mother being a piano and vocal teacher. The whole family participated in a local dinner theater – from helping backstage to performing – which began her love for music and the arts. Zan started gigging at 16 and dedicates most of her time to music. She is also passionate about minimalism and likes to keep everything zen and mellow. Zan is a worship leader at her church and currently lives in her parents’ backyard in an RV she renovated herself.

If you could share a conversation with a seed before it becomes a tree would you speak of its future fruit or would it be all things right now?

Michael asked for voice lessons for Christmas when he was 6. His parents were surprised by the request since they lived in a small town where their life revolved around sports, but they agreed to pay for the lessons. Shortly after, Michael got involved in community theater and began performing at local events. At 10, Michael was diagnosed with a digestive disease that kept him from playing sports, so he relied on music even more. He is now starting his second year singing at the local amusement park and enjoys singing all different genres. Michael comes to “The Voice” ready to experience music outside of his small town.

If you could share a conversation with a seed before it becomes a tree would you speak of its future fruit or would it be all things right now?

Thunderstorm grew up in a large musical family with 10 siblings on the shores of Oahu. They formed a family band and would perform at their father's art gallery, attracting tourists from all over the world. Sadly, his father passed away suddenly after suffering a heart attack and Thunderstorm started singing as a method of grieving. He later teamed up with his brother to tour as a duo until Thunderstorm decided to go solo. For the past six years, Thunderstorm has been performing all over the U.S.

If you could share a conversation with a seed before it becomes a tree would you speak of its future fruit or would it be all things right now?