The Minnesota teenager impressed Kelly Clarkson and Queen Latifah with her emotional blind audition, but her journey toward a music career began long before she stepped onto the national stage.
At just 14 years old, Brooklyn Marie is already turning a lifelong love of music into a promising career. The Minnesota teenager recently earned the attention of two coaches on NBC’s The Voice after delivering a memorable performance of Olivia Rodrigo’s “traitor” during the Blind Auditions.
With her guitar in hand, Marie sang as the coaches listened with their backs turned, judging her performance entirely by her voice. Queen Latifah pressed her button first, followed by Kelly Clarkson, giving the young singer a choice between two teams.
Marie did not hesitate.
“It’s always been Kelly,” she announced, delighting Clarkson, who joined her onstage for a hug.
Clarkson later praised the teenager’s distinctive vocal quality, describing her tone as special and pure. She also expressed amazement at the singer’s ability, particularly given her age.
For Marie, the moment represented a major milestone in a musical journey that began when she was still a toddler.
A Passion That Started at Age Three
Brooklyn Marie Ostlund, known professionally as Brooklyn Marie, grew up in Alexandria, Minnesota, where music became part of her life from an early age.
According to Marie, she sang before she could properly walk or talk, entertaining her family with melodies from the backseat of their car. At just three years old, she made her first stage appearance at a local telethon in her hometown.
As she grew older, her interest expanded beyond singing. She learned to play different instruments and began performing at venues throughout her region.
A pivotal moment came when she watched her favorite musician, Josie Nelson, perform at a local winery. Seeing Nelson onstage made Marie consider whether she could pursue music professionally.
She approached Nelson for advice and learned that performing regularly required much more than vocal talent. She would need a substantial song repertoire, reliable equipment, endurance and the ability to improvise during live performances.
Marie took the advice seriously. At 11, she spent an entire summer practicing guitar and building a repertoire of approximately 100 songs.
Her dedication was intense enough that her fingers sometimes bled from playing so much.
Eventually, she convinced her father that she was serious about performing. Her first gig was at her elementary school’s picnic, followed by opportunities to play at wineries, vineyards and breweries.
Looking back, Marie said it was rewarding to see how far she had progressed from singing outdoors as a little girl to regularly performing for audiences.
Finding Her Voice Through Songwriting
Marie has already released two singles, “Tired” and “i miss u,” both featuring prominent guitar arrangements and vocals shaped to create a sense of space.
Her songwriting often draws from personal emotions, particularly experiences involving loss. She explained that she tends to write things down when something painful happens, turning those feelings into material for her music.
Taylor Swift is among her major inspirations, especially because of the emotional depth of her lyrics.
Swift’s “Clara Bow” holds particular significance for Marie. The song explores the pressures faced by women in the entertainment industry and references a small-town girl dreaming of Manhattan.
Marie sees parallels between that story and her own ambitions.
“I’m from a small town,” she said, explaining that reaching The Voice once seemed beyond what people might imagine for someone from her hometown.
Her father eventually encouraged her to apply after witnessing her progress. They submitted an audition tape to NBC and continued sending material until she secured her Blind Audition.
Beyond The Voice, She Has Another Dream
Marie’s competition journey is only beginning. After choosing Team Kelly, she advanced to the Battle Round, where contestants from the same team perform together and their coach selects which singer moves forward.
Her Battle Round performance is scheduled for Monday. A victory would put her on the path toward the audience-vote round on November 2, where viewers will help determine which contestants advance to the live shows.
Away from the competition, Marie is also working on an album she hopes to release next year.
Music, however, is not her only ambition. If a professional singing career does not work out, she hopes to become an ear, nose and throat doctor.
The idea comes from her own childhood medical experiences. Marie underwent procedures involving ear tubes to help address recurring infections, but she said complications damaged her eardrums. At one point, doctors were uncertain whether she would ever regain normal hearing.
She remembers a doctor singing to calm her before operations, an experience that left a lasting impression.
Marie hopes that, if she becomes a doctor, she can offer frightened young patients the same comfort she received, perhaps even bringing her guitar to sing to them.
Her story reflects a young performer with ambitious musical goals and a personal reason for wanting to help others. At 14, she is pursuing a dream she once thought unlikely, one performance at a time.
Source: Compiled from various sources
