Cal State East Bay Student Competing on Season Eight of 鈥淭he Voice鈥�
Cal State East Bay student Joe Tolo on 鈥淭he Voice.鈥�
- March 24, 2015
When Cal State East Bay student Joe Tolo’s rendition of “To Love Somebody” turned two chairs in the recent blind auditions on the eighth season of “The Voice,” he chose to join the team of pop artist Christina Aguilera over country crooner Blake Shelton.
“The Voice,” the popular NBC reality singing competition, features four coaches – Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, and Pharrell Williams, who each select a team of 16 singers, sight unseen, during the Blind Auditions portion of the show.
Before auditioning for “The Voice,” Tolo had participated in numerous events on the Cal State East Bay campus, and won the East Bay Idol competition in 2012 as a freshman. The health science senior was set to enroll in the university’s nursing program last September, when he decided to leave to pursue his dream of a singing career.
Tolo has been singing his whole life. “I come from a family of musicians. I always knew that I loved to sing,” said the Sacramento resident. At 13 he started singing in a church worship team and at his school’s talent shows.
After making it through the Blind Auditions, Tolo went on to win the Battle Round. He heads next to the Knockout Round, and if he survives that, he moves into the Live Playoffs, at which time the show’s viewers become the judges.
Before “The Voice,” Tolo had never had any professional vocal training. “Now every day is dedicated to preparing for my next performance,” he said. He trains with the show’s vocal coach, practices in his room, and makes sure he’s staying healthy to give a strong performance.
Appearing on “The Voice” has been a great first step toward achieving his dream. “The exposure is definitely great for us musicians who want to try and make a living from it,” Tolo said.
He is optimistic yet pragmatic. “If I don't win, I will definitely continue to sing. I’ll go home with memories, new lifelong friends, and with the ability to say that I’ve worked with Christina Aguilera, Nick Jonas, Nate Ruess, and the amazing Voice Band,” Tolo said. “This is the greatest experience I have ever had. I’ve learned (when performing) that emotion is just as important as technical ability. I've also learned to believe in myself and to know that I can do anything I want, if I put my mind to it.”
About “The Voice” (According to the official NBC website):
The show, which airs Monday and Tuesday evenings, is actually two competitions: Contestants compete against each other to win “The Voice” and a recording contract. The judges are also in a battle against each other, winning when a member of his or her team wins “The Voice.” The competition includes five phases: the Blind Auditions, Battle Rounds, Knockouts, the Live Playoffs, and the Live Performance Shows. During the Blind Audition, the judges build their teams of singers. The coaches face away from the performers during the live auditions. When the judges like what they hear, they press a button to turn their chair, indicating they want that singer on their team. When more than one coach pushes his or her button, the power shifts to the artists to choose which coach they want to work with. If no coach pushes his or her button, the artist is eliminated.
In the Battle Round, the coaches pit two of their own team members against each other. They perform a duet in front of a studio audience, and their judge decides which member continues to the next round of competition. The losing artist is available to be stolen by another coach. Coaches have two steals available during this round.
At the end, only the strongest members of each coach’s roster remain to fight it out in the Knockouts, where the artists are paired against a teammate once more. This time they select their own songs to perform individually while their direct competitor watches and waits. In this round, they are vying for their coach's confidence and decision to take them to the Live Shows. The coaches choose the winner, and the artist not selected is available to be stolen by another coach. Each coach has one steal available during the Knockout Rounds.
In the Live Playoff Rounds, the top 20 artists compete to secure a spot in the Live Shows. Artists perform live, and America votes to save their two favorite artists from each team. The coaches save one artist. The remaining contestants move on to the final phase of the competition, the Live Shows.
In the final phase of the competition, the top 12 artists compete each week against each other during a live broadcast. The television audience votes to save their favorite. The three artists with the lowest number of votes are eligible for the “Instant Save.” These artists perform a new song that represents why they should earn the save. Then America votes to save their favorite performer. The two singers with the lowest number of votes are sent home. In the end, one is named “The Voice” and receives the grand prize of a recording contract.