{"id":209060,"date":"2018-10-23T16:14:38","date_gmt":"2018-10-23T20:14:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=209060"},"modified":"2018-10-23T16:14:38","modified_gmt":"2018-10-23T20:14:38","slug":"a-star-is-born","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2018\/10\/23\/a-star-is-born\/","title":{"rendered":"A Star is Born"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Radharani Martinez \u2013 better known by her capitalized brand name RADHA\u2013 belted out Jessie J\u2019s\u00a0 \u201cMamma Knows Best\u201d on the first day of on-air auditions for the hit TV show The Voice,<\/em> judges Adam Levine, Jennifer Hudson and Blake Shelton quickly responded.\u00a0 After Levine used his only block to keep Hudson from being a potential coach \u2013 in accordance with contest rules \u2013 RADHA chose him for her coach.<\/p>\n

\u201cI chose him because it felt right. From the time he turned around, the look on his face let me know he had no doubt in me,\u201d RADHA recalls. While she admits she might have opted to be on Hudson\u2019s team had she been able to, she is thrilled with her choice. \u201cHe really fought for me, so now it all feels like being on Team Adam was meant to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

RADHA is taking this semester off from her studies as a Television and Digital Media major at Montclair State to focus on The Voice. <\/em>She chose her major because it relates to a world she has always aspired to be a part of. \u201cTelevision and Digital Media was the right lane for me,\u201d she says. \u201cProfessor Kristine Bates helped spark my love for cameras and soundboards \u2013 and now being on The Voice<\/em> shows me how all of it comes together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Living a Dream<\/h2>\n

While RADHA has been singing since age four and performing and competing since sixth grade, the University community has experienced her talent first-hand during her on-campus open mic and Montclair Battle Grounds performances. Yet since The Voice<\/em> premiered in 2011, she has dreamed of competing on its national stage. \u201cBeing here and physically seeing myself live my dreams is indescribable,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

RADHA, a first-generation Filipino-American, comes from a musical family. \u201cMy dad plays guitar and my mom played piano, sang and danced. Because of them, I kept working to put myself out there,\u201d she says. In addition to performing, she has written, recorded and released her own songs, including three singles in 2017 and four so far this year.<\/p>\n

What RADHA loves most, though, is performing. She says, \u201cI am my complete self and feel so alive on stage. I get to share my gift with the audience and show them how hard I\u2019ve been working \u2013 while making it look effortless.\u201d \u201c<\/p>\n

These effortless performances are the result of strict discipline, training and dedication. \u201cEvery day, I practice \u2013 it\u2019s a must. I do my scales, study and memorize lyrics and record myself to hear details in my performance,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

While some singers might be intimidated by competing against older and more seasoned professionals on the show, the 20-year-old insists it \u201cgives me a chance to really bring it and apply my artistry. All the artists have made my experience so amazing and helped me realize that I am on a different level and that these are the types of people I need to be with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Regardless of the final outcome of The Voice<\/em>, RADHA knows she is already a winner. \u201cMy experience has given me so much exposure in so many different ways,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve already gotten a taste of what it\u2019s like in the \u2018real world\u2019 \u2013 the world I want to be a part of. The Voice<\/em> has opened up parts of me I didn\u2019t know existed.\u201d<\/p>\n