By: Laura Bennett
Winning The Voice Australia hasn’t just been a dream come true for Sydney teenager Alyssa Delpopolo, it’s been a process of growth, overcoming anxiety and learning to believe in herself.
“I feel like I’ve just always had it in my mind that I wanted to be a singer,” Alyssa said.
“Ever since I started singing lessons [people] would tell me, oh, you should do this when you grow up.
“I didn’t really think anything of it, but it’s kind of just come to be my passion.”
Even from a young age, Alyssa’s love for music and commitment to enter a competitive industry never wavered.
“I always looked up to people like Ariana Grande and Michael Jackson,” she said.
“I thought [it] would be really cool if I could do that. But I never really thought about [how hard] it could be. It’s just what I wanted to do.”
Throughout the competition, Alyssa found strength in her coach, Kate Miller-Heidke, whose mentorship helped her gain confidence both on and off the stage.
“She definitely helped me open up from out of my shell a lot,” Alyssa said.
“We spoke a lot about having nerves before performances, so she definitely helped me kind of develop my confidence.”
“I’ve definitely worked with Kate on some strategies, like trying to channel your body and just trying to take deep breaths.
“I also tend to kind of, when I’m really struggling with anxiety, look around the room and kind of point to what I see to put my mind at ease and, you know, not focus on those nerves.”
When asked what advice she’d give to other young people chasing their musical dreams, Alyssa’s message was simple: “Just believe in yourself”.
“There were lots of times that I really struggled to believe in myself as well, but I had a really good support system.
“Believing in yourself is really important.”
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
Feature image: Canva
