— Applying to be on NBC’s
singing competition was something
wanted to do, although she really didn’t want to get her hopes up.
Clay Ostlund, the father of the 14-year-old musician from Alexandria, came up with the idea even though his wife, Kristin, was a little apprehensive in the beginning.
“At first, I didn’t know if we wanted to dip our toes in at that level. But we thought nothing will probably come of it,” Kristin said as she turned to her daughter and said, “When dad asked you, you were like, “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!” So, we submitted the application.”
Kristin also said the family knew someone who used to be in the music industry and after they talked with their friend, she told them, “I think now is the right time. You should apply. Go ahead and give it a try just to see what happens.”
So, last winter, when Brooklyn was 13, the application was sent off.
And then, the Ostlund family, which includes Brooklyn’s three younger siblings – Maddie, Weston and Gavin – forgot about it. Until…they were finally contacted and asked to send more videos and photos of Brooklyn.
Kristin said the family was asked to keep sending more and more videos and pictures because the people contacting them wanted to pitch Brooklyn to NBC. She said there are so many rounds that happen before any of the televised parts.
“Until we got the call that I was going out to L.A., it didn’t really seem like anything could happen,” Brooklyn said. “I was always trying to put a barrier around me, thinking nothing’s going to happen. I didn’t want to get my hopes up because there were so many people (trying out).”
Her mom chipped in and said that Brooklyn didn’t tell anyone she was applying because she didn’t want to say she didn’t make it.
Brooklyn added, “I wasn’t too ecstatic about it because you don’t know that you’re going to make it, right? So when we got the call we were going to L.A., that is when I was so excited. I told everyone. Well, I actually didn’t tell everyone because I couldn’t tell anyone.”
Kristin said they told people that Brooklyn was going to music camp; that was her cover story.
Keeping the secret that she was actually going to be doing a blind audition on The Voice was super hard, they both said.
“You can’t even imagine. It’s like you’re just spreading a web of lies,” said Brooklyn. “People would ask where the music camp was and I’d tell one person UCLA and then I’d tell another that it’s actually at a hotel. It was so hard keeping everything straight because it’s just this delicate, but elaborate thing that’s not even true. It’s so different from saying ‘I didn’t eat pickles today’ but I did. It was insane. It just got to be so much and it was so hard.”
Her mom believes some people were a little suspicious but no one came out and said, “You’re lying.”
Brooklyn Marie
She added, “It was also really hard not to celebrate because I just wanted to tell everyone because it was such big news. You never would have thought a small-town girl from Alexandria would be out there. So it was hard to keep a secret in that aspect too.”
Another hard part of the journey was having to cancel some of the gigs that Brooklyn had on the books this past summer. Her mom said when they booked everything, they didn’t think Brooklyn being on The Voice would actually happen.
“The chances are so slim that this would come to fruition, so we just kept booking gigs,” said Kristin. “So then, we had to orchestrate a lie to back out of the obligations. We felt really bad because there were several gigs in the month of July that we had to back out of and tell our little fib about music camp and that she was selected for a special performance. We hated doing that and now, we hope everyone can forgive us.”
For half of the month of May and most of June, Brooklyn was in L.A. preparing for her blind audition. It’s called “blind” because the four judges have their chairs turned away from the stage and if they like what they’re hearing, they’ll turn their chairs.
She met and worked with professional coaches, had a ton of interviews and did a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff.
She had no engagement with the celebrity coaches – Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, Riley Green and Queen Latifah – until she was on the actual stage performing during the blind audition.
Choosing what song she was going to sing was easy for Brooklyn. It was “Traitor” by Olivia Rodrigo.
“The funny thing is though, ‘Traitor’ was not on the list. But that was what I had my heart set on,” said Brooklyn. “If I am doing this, I am singing that song. I had listened to it over and over and it was perfect. I love this song and Olivia is such an inspiration. So I was like, ‘What are we going to do?’ I can’t do this now. Singing another song was not an option.”
Brooklyn Marie from Alexandria sings, “Traitors” by Olivia Rodrigo during the blind audition on NBC’s The Voice.
Contributed photo / Griffin Nagel/NBC
Every contestant had to write the top five songs they would really love to sing down on a piece of paper but were told that they probably won’t be chosen if they weren’t in the pre-authorized song list. When she found out that she did get the song she wanted, Brooklyn said, “I was so happy and so relieved. I was over the moon!”
Her mom said that the friend they know who was in the music industry must have found somebody to find somebody to find somebody else to make sure Brooklyn was going to be able to sign her song because, Kristin said, “She was going to crush it.”
And she did.
Queen Latifah was the first coach to turn her chair followed by Kelly Clarkson. Choosing which coach was going to work with, though, was harder than she thought.
“Queen turned her chair first and she was so sweet and so complimentary,” said Brooklyn. “I went into this thinking if Kelly turns, I’m going to go with Kelly. But then Queen made such a convincing argument. I was so conflicted.”
She said she knew she could benefit from either one of the two coaches, but in the end, she chose Clarkson. She said Clarkson has more experience with minors and she has been a contestant herself.
“I did go with Kelly because she’s literally an idol,” said Brooklyn. “But I could have gone both ways and they both would’ve been amazing. You always have hopes you’re going to get a four-chair turn, but I didn’t really care who I got, I just wanted at least one chair.”
Brooklyn Marie, 14, of Alexandria, wears her “Team Kelly” jacket given to her by Kelly Clarkson on NBC’s The Voice.
Contributed photo / Kristin Ostlund
So when that first chair did turn, what was Brooklyn feeling?
“I feel like the stress and anxiety and all the emotions coming down on me made my mind black out because I seriously don’t remember. I remember walking out and I was shaking. Then the band started playing and I remember starting to sing,” Brooklyn explained. “Then, basically skip or fast forward until we were in the car going home.”
Although she added that she does remember being so relieved because it meant she was moving on.
Up next will be the Battle Rounds. Kristin said those will air on Oct. 12, 13, 19 and 26. However, at this point the family has no idea what episode of the battles Brooklyn will be on.
The best thing for people to do to stay in the loop is to join Brooklyn’s “Inner Circle” at
. More about Brooklyn can be found on her website,
; on her TikTok page,
tiktok.com/discover/brooklyn-marie-music
; on Instagram,
instagram.com/thebrooklynmariemusic
; and on Facebook,
facebook.com/thebrooklynmariemusic
.
Here are some of Brooklyn’s upcoming gigs:
2026
Friday, Oct. 2 from 6 to 9 p.m. — Lupulin Brewery, 570 Humboldt Drive, Suite 107, Big Lake Friday, Oct. 16 from noon to 4 p.m. — Carlos Creek Winery Kidtoberfest, 6693 County Road 24 NW, AlexandriaSaturday, Oct. 17 from 3 to 5:30 p.m. — Boom Island Brewery, 5959 Baker Road, #320, Minnetonka
2027
Friday, Jan. 22 from 6 to p.m. — The Depot, 1401 Broadway Street, AlexandriaSunday, Feb. 14 from 5 to 8 p.m. — The Depot, 1401 Broadway Street, AlexandriaFriday, March 19 from 6 to 9 p.m. — The Depot, 1401 Broadway Street, Alexandria
Watch the Echo Press for more about Brooklyn in upcoming issues of the Echo Press. We will continue to track her progress. You can watch The Voice on NBC either online at
or on your television.