THE VOICE: Michelle lands a spot on #TeamKahn
The only thing which Michelle Moodie (45), Boksburg resident and now a contestant in the first season of The Voice South Africa, does before she sings, is pray.
“But I pray before I do anything, so that’s part of who I am,” said Michelle, a single mom of two girls, aged 16 and 9.
The Voice is a top reality singing competition on TV. The singer is not chosen on how he or she looks, but purely on how a contestant sounds.
During the auditions the coaches have their backs turned to the contestant and if they like what they hear, they turn their chairs to face the contestant.
Michelle first auditioned at Marks Park, in Emmarentia, at the beginning of November and was one of the 105 singers chosen countrywide at these first auditions.
At the very first audition she sang one of her old favourites without any accompaniment; just her and her voice before three members of the production and musical team, and a camera man.
She then went through to the blind auditions – which are on TV at the moment – where she sang for a live audience and the coaches.
The toughest part for her was waiting in the little holding area before she went onstage for the blind auditions.
“It was nerve wrecking. I had to wait for 10 minutes all on my own with two cameras in my face the entire time, recording my every move,” said Michelle.
“It’s just sheer willpower that kept me from running away.”
This past Sunday (February 14) the third blind audition show was broadcasted on TV, where Kahn Morbee, lead singer of The Parlotones, turned his chair to Michelle.
She is now part of #TeamKahn and is being coached by him.
“I have been very blessed to work with him,” said Michelle, who has been singing since the age of five.
Even though it wasn’t her first audition, it was the first time viewers saw her on TV.
“I’m just so overwhelmed to have received the response I have received since Sunday’s episode,” said Michelle.
“The people around me and on social media have been remarkable and so supportive. I am so blessed to be a part of The Voice South Africa.
“It truly is a wonderful show; it brings strangers together in such a wonderful way that you end up feeling like you’re competing with family.
“It’s an experience which money can never buy. I have learned so much and have met such incredible people; I am looking forward to the rest of my journey.”
The most important life lesson she has learned from The Voice South Africa journey, is always to stay just who and what you are.
“This industry has a way of getting under your skin, so you have to always remain who you are and always be true to yourself.”
Michelle’s main purpose for entering is to show her children that no matter what life throws at you and no matter what you’ve been through in life, always follow your dreams and you can accomplish great things.”
Her children are a huge motivation.
“If they can see me happy and positive and always striving to achieve my best, then I pray that this inspires them to do their best no matter what life brings their way,” said Michelle.
Michelle has gigged for many years – since the age of 19 when she was in the cabaret business in Cape Town – up until nine years ago when she had to stop her gigs to take care of her little girl who was born with epilepsy.
She has previously entered singing competitions and has auditioned for shows all her life.
Michelle also entered the very first SA’s Got Talent where she made it to the quarter finals.
This is, however, the first competition or show that she has entered in nine years.
Asking Michelle how she copes with stage fright, she said that, for her it’s the actual audience who chases her nerves away.
“When I hear the audience I want to perform for them and I do.”
When it comes down to deciding what song she will sing, Michelle said that she is a true story teller.
“A song which tells my story or a song which I can tell others a story with is always a song which I would choose.
“I love old fashioned songs from the fifties, sixties and seventies; seventies rock and roll and Motown, but I sing anything from hard rock to country music.”
Michelle’s absolute favourite singer of all time is Barbra Streisand, whose music she has been singing since she was 10 years old.
Why should you win?
“I don’t know whether I should win or not. All I know is that if I touch one single soul out there with my voice and my story, then I have already won,” said Michelle.
“Singing is not about winning for me, it’s about touching the lives of those who hear me. So, in a sense I’ve already won.”
However, should she win she would love to record an album and use her voice to earn her salary.
“Music is my joy; so to do what I love to do permanently, would be my ultimate goal.”
Michelle grew up all over South Africa.
She’s originally from the Cape, but attended Sunward Park High School and then moved back to the Cape when she was 19 years old.
She has been back ‘home’ for the past 15 years where she lives “in one of the prettiest areas in Boksburg, right near the Bokkie Park, and I am woken up by the peacocks every morning”.
Watch Michelle Moodie singing Jantjie during the blind auditions:
