Ashburn student has The Voice

By Liz Tenney Jarvis

When Ashburn’s Mary Kate Connor stepped onto the stage of the TV show “The Voice” in Los Angeles, she realized that she was standing in the same spot as so many inspirational singers she had watched over the years.  

“It was so surreal.  I was incredibly nervous but I thought about all of those before me,” says Connor.  The show’s blind audition, where four celebrity judges have their backs to the singer, was the culmination of a long road fraught with illness and setbacks. It was a journey that started with a childhood dream and was guided by incredibly supportive family members, friends, voice coaches and musical theatre teachers.

Mary Kate Connor is originally from Loudoun. She lived in Nashville and in Mississippi before returning to Ashburn. She sang in the church choir, eventually becoming one of the worship leaders. At the age of nine, Connor was encouraged to audition for the role of young Cosette in “Les Miserables.”  Performing in that role, Connor knew musical theatre was an opportunity to build her onstage and singing capabilities.

Connor acknowledges Beth deButts at Heritage High School, Katie Hudson at Blue Ridge Middle, Tony Cimino-Johnson and Jordan Markwood at Rock Ridge High School as those teachers who definitely refined her vocal technique and gave her, “so much encouragement.”  With such highly regarded teachers/coaches and her standout performances in local musical arts, Connor was prepared when auditions for “The Voice” came her way.

In 2020, a mutual friend of Connor’s father received a call from someone in the music business. He was looking for young talent in the D.C. area and had seen videos of Connor singing. “I thought he was just looking for kids who could sing and I did not realize that it would lead straight to a chance to audition for ‘The Voice,’” she says. Wherein the usual route would be to go through the show’s website and appear for an Open Call, Connor was asked to come out to Los Angeles to audition.

Sometimes the journey does come with setbacks. After Connor had “filled out piles of paperwork and had been in L.A. for a month, she was about to audition when she tested positive for Covid the night before. Sadly, she would have to wait another whole year for her chance. Though heartbroken, she viewed the delay as a chance to hone her singing talent and to learn to play the guitar.

“The Voice” reached back out to Connor earlier this year and she was ready. She had three songs for her audition including “I Don’t Know How To Love Him” from the Jesus Christ Superstar production, “Stars” by Grace Potter & the Nocturnals and “Fifteen” by Taylor Swift. 

It would be “Stars” that got celebrity judge Blake Shelton to turn his chair around to see her belting it out. Next would be judge Kelly Clarkson and at that point, Mary Kate Connor’s parents had gone from contained excitement to emotional (teary) relief and joy. The other two judges (Niall Horan, Chance the Rapper) were equally impressed but ultimately Connor chose to be on Blake Shelton’s team for the final episodes of competition.  

Connor states that throughout the experience being involved with the “The Voice,” there has only been positive reinforcement. She likes the show because “it’s uplifting and it has a great atmosphere – you won’t see contestants getting ridiculed or made fun of.” 

That kind of support is in addition to that which Connor has received from family, friends and the community. Upon returning to school after taping the show, Connor was concerned that classmates may distance themselves from the rising star but it was quite the contrary. “I felt the love and support from everyone at school.”  

Connor speaks lovingly of her family. Her younger siblings (brother Jacob and sister Addie) are also in high school. They are singers and in musical theatre as well. Jacob and Addie have been incredibly supportive of their sister during this process and are so proud of her. Connor says that her parents have kept her going with a wonderful support system. 

“My Mom has traveled with me, been by my side, provided anything I needed and created a wonderful place for me at home. And my Dad, he cries and we tease him for it but it’s so sweet. There have been some funny memes with him getting emotional,” she says.  

Connor’s parents, Bryan and Lori, are incredibly thrilled, “This journey so far has been wild and fun. One of our favorite memories was during the Blind Auditions. She looked so small walking onto that big stage and we knew how nervous she was – we were too. But then she opened her mouth to sing and we both started to cry. She was really doing it. Seriously, no matter how anxious she is, she always shows up when the lights come on. She is so brave.”

Connor’s deep faith has also bolstered her along this path. Her wish is to always “have a positive impact, to inspire and to spread joy and happiness.” This is why she feels she has the talent that she has been so blessed with.  The “battles” between the teams on “The Voice” have already been recorded but there are “no spoilers” from Connor. There will be the Battle Rounds, the Knockout Rounds, and the Playoffs until the finale. How will it go for the 18-year-old from Ashburn, Virginia?  “We‘ll just have to tune in and see!” she exclaims.  

Editor’s Note:  as of print time, Mary Kate Connor lost the Battle round to fellow contestant Kylee Dayne. However, moments later in a surprise turnaround, Connor was given the “Playoff Pass,” a coveted pass to skip all the way to the Playoff rounds.