{"id":868599,"date":"2026-10-02T19:44:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T19:44:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/868599\/"},"modified":"2026-10-02T19:44:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T19:44:09","slug":"14-year-old-from-alexandria-gets-chair-turns-on-the-voice-alexandria-echo-press","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/868599\/","title":{"rendered":"14-year-old from Alexandria gets chair turns on The Voice – Alexandria Echo Press"},"content":{"rendered":"

ALEXANDRIA<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Applying to be on NBC\u2019s <\/p>\n

The Voice<\/a><\/p>\n

singing competition was something <\/p>\n

Brooklyn Marie<\/a><\/p>\n

wanted to do, although she really didn\u2019t want to get her hopes up.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first, I didn\u2019t know if we wanted to dip our toes in at that level. But we thought nothing will probably come of it,\u201d Kristin said as she turned to her daughter and said, \u201cWhen dad asked you, you were like, \u201cYeah! Yeah! Yeah!\u201d So, we submitted the application.\u201d<\/p>\n

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, \u201cI think now is the right time. You should apply. Go ahead and give it a try just to see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, last winter, when Brooklyn was 13, the application was sent off.<\/p>\n

And then, the Ostlund family, which includes Brooklyn\u2019s three younger siblings \u2013 Maddie, Weston and Gavin \u2013 forgot about it. Until\u2026they were finally contacted and asked to send more videos and photos of Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil we got the call that I was going out to L.A., it didn\u2019t really seem like anything could happen,\u201d Brooklyn said. \u201cI was always trying to put a barrier around me, thinking nothing\u2019s going to happen. I didn\u2019t want to get my hopes up because there were so many people (trying out).\u201d<\/p>\n

Her mom chipped in and said that Brooklyn didn\u2019t tell anyone she was applying because she didn\u2019t want to say she didn\u2019t make it.<\/p>\n

Brooklyn added, \u201cI wasn\u2019t too ecstatic about it because you don\u2019t know that you\u2019re 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\u2019t tell everyone because I couldn\u2019t tell anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kristin said they told people that Brooklyn was going to music camp; that was her cover story.<\/p>\n

Keeping the secret that she was actually going to be doing a blind audition on The Voice was super hard, they both said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t even imagine. It\u2019s like you\u2019re just spreading a web of lies,\u201d said Brooklyn. \u201cPeople would ask where the music camp was and I\u2019d tell one person UCLA and then I\u2019d tell another that it\u2019s actually at a hotel. It was so hard keeping everything straight because it\u2019s just this delicate, but elaborate thing that\u2019s not even true. It\u2019s so different from saying \u2018I didn\u2019t eat pickles today\u2019 but I did. It was insane. It just got to be so much and it was so hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her mom believes some people were a little suspicious but no one came out and said, \u201cYou\u2019re lying.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BrooklynMarieVoiceContestant_3.jpeg\"<\/p>\n

Brooklyn Marie<\/p>\n

She added, \u201cIt 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe chances are so slim that this would come to fruition, so we just kept booking gigs,\u201d said Kristin. \u201cSo 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

She met and worked with professional coaches, had a ton of interviews and did a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff.<\/p>\n

She had no engagement with the celebrity coaches \u2013 Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, Riley Green and Queen Latifah \u2013 until she was on the actual stage performing during the blind audition.<\/p>\n

Choosing what song she was going to sing was easy for Brooklyn. It was \u201cTraitor\u201d by Olivia Rodrigo.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe funny thing is though, \u2018Traitor\u2019 was not on the list. But that was what I had my heart set on,\u201d said Brooklyn. \u201cIf 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, \u2018What are we going to do?\u2019 I can\u2019t do this now. Singing another song was not an option.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BrooklynMarieVoiceContestant_2\"<\/p>\n

Brooklyn Marie from Alexandria sings, “Traitors” by Olivia Rodrigo during the blind audition on NBC’s The Voice. <\/p>\n

Contributed photo \/ Griffin Nagel\/NBC<\/p>\n

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\u2019t be chosen if they weren\u2019t in the pre-authorized song list. When she found out that she did get the song she wanted, Brooklyn said, \u201cI was so happy and so relieved. I was over the moon!\u201d<\/p>\n

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, \u201cShe was going to crush it.\u201d<\/p>\n

And she did.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cQueen turned her chair first and she was so sweet and so complimentary,\u201d said Brooklyn. \u201cI went into this thinking if Kelly turns, I\u2019m going to go with Kelly. But then Queen made such a convincing argument. I was so conflicted.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did go with Kelly because she\u2019s literally an idol,\u201d said Brooklyn. \u201cBut I could have gone both ways and they both would\u2019ve been amazing. You always have hopes you\u2019re going to get a four-chair turn, but I didn\u2019t really care who I got, I just wanted at least one chair.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BrooklynMarieVoiceContestant_4.JPEG\"<\/p>\n

Brooklyn Marie, 14, of Alexandria, wears her “Team Kelly” jacket given to her by Kelly Clarkson on NBC’s The Voice. <\/p>\n

Contributed photo \/ Kristin Ostlund<\/p>\n

So when that first chair did turn, what was Brooklyn feeling?<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like the stress and anxiety and all the emotions coming down on me made my mind black out because I seriously don\u2019t remember. I remember walking out and I was shaking. Then the band started playing and I remember starting to sing,\u201d Brooklyn explained. \u201cThen, basically skip or fast forward until we were in the car going home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although she added that she does remember being so relieved because it meant she was moving on.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The best thing for people to do to stay in the loop is to join Brooklyn\u2019s \u201cInner Circle\u201d at <\/p>\n

brooklynmariemusic.com\/join<\/a><\/p>\n

. More about Brooklyn can be found on her website, <\/p>\n

brooklynmariemusch.com<\/a><\/p>\n

; on her TikTok page, <\/p>\n

tiktok.com\/discover\/brooklyn-marie-music<\/a><\/p>\n

; on Instagram, <\/p>\n

instagram.com\/thebrooklynmariemusic<\/a><\/p>\n

; and on Facebook, <\/p>\n

facebook.com\/thebrooklynmariemusic<\/a><\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

Here are some of Brooklyn’s upcoming gigs: <\/p>\n

2026<\/p>\n

Friday, Oct. 2 from 6 to 9 p.m. \u2014 Lupulin Brewery, 570 Humboldt Drive, Suite 107, Big Lake Friday, Oct. 16 from noon to 4 p.m. \u2014 Carlos Creek Winery Kidtoberfest, 6693 County Road 24 NW, AlexandriaSaturday, Oct. 17 from 3 to 5:30 p.m. \u2014 Boom Island Brewery, 5959 Baker Road, #320, Minnetonka<\/p>\n

2027<\/p>\n

Friday, Jan. 22 from 6 to p.m. \u2014 The Depot, 1401 Broadway Street, AlexandriaSunday, Feb. 14 from 5 to 8 p.m. \u2014 The Depot, 1401 Broadway Street, AlexandriaFriday, March 19 from 6 to 9 p.m. \u2014 The Depot, 1401 Broadway Street, Alexandria<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

nbc.com\/the-voice<\/a><\/p>\n

or on your television. <\/p>\n