Meet the future JMU Duke, Gina Castanzo, on The Voice

Whether you’re a fan of following any of the nationally broadcasted singing competition programs on television or not, you’ve most likely heard of The Voice – one of the most well known of the few. For those of you who have not, The Voice is a hit show on NBC where a judge panel of celebrities pick singers to form teams that will compete until the very end.

18-year-old Gina Castanzo from West Chester, Pennsylvania, is currently a member of Blake Shelton’s team and one of the remaining 48 contestants on The Voice. We are all thrilled to watch Gina advance because she will be joining the newest incoming class of JMU freshmen this fall. The Tab JMU connected with the future Duke to ask her a few questions about her experience thus far.

So what made you decide to audition for the voice?

I did an open call audition in July of last year on a whim because I wanted to try something new and it actually got me to the blind auditions. I had to get through three auditions before I even got there.

What was that like? Were you nervous?

There were a total of 7,000 people auditioning in just my time slot. It was absolutely terrifying. It’s a lot of work just to get to the blind auditions. Every time you get to another round of the show, you’re praying that you don’t get sent home. But you’ve got to be grateful for what you’ve got and to be in the top 48 – it’s amazing.

How did it feel to make it through the blind auditions?

The whole thing is a blur. I remember walking off-stage and seeing my family and I immediately dropped to the ground and started crying. I want people to know it’s really humbling.

How and when did your interest in the music industry begin?

I started dancing first and I was four years old. Dancing was probably the biggest part of my life until my senior year of high school. I started doing musical theatre in fifth grade, which was the main background to my singing and I actually became classically trained when I was 14. I’ve also been playing guitar since I was in seventh grade so I was familiar with another realm of music because of that.

I switched schools my sophomore year of high school to do more musical theatre and we traveled to Italy. I got to perform in Vatican City.

I’ve heard that your music falls under the genre of indie. What shaped you into an indie artist?

Well, when I was in eighth grade, my grandfather passed away and that’s when I started listening to more indie music because that’s what he showed me – he listened to a lot of Fleetwood Mac. But that’s when I really took off with indie.

What is it like working with celebrities like Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani on The Voice?

It’s crazy. Blake is very energetic and super funny and he and Gwen are adorable together! And Gwen is so beautiful and talented and it’s just… they’re amazing. They’re just normal people in LA so when you’re with them you don’t really treat them like celebrities, more as artists that you look up to. It’s not that I wasn’t star struck though.

What’s your schedule like when it comes to rehearsing?

On the show we practice a lot. We warm up and practice, but every day is different on The Voice. I sing and I make sure that I workout so that I’m always able to push myself to my limits.

I’m paired with my friend, Peyton, and we practice every single day together. The other artists on the show are so talented and because there are 47 other amazing singers, you want to hear what they think.

Have you made friends with other contestants on the show?

Absolutely. We lived together, we went to get food together – we just really bonded. We have a group chat and we’re together all the time. We’ve really become a family.

What are your priorities when it comes to college versus your music career?

As an artist, I think being educated is really important. I think it’s annoying when people assume that musicians don’t have educations as well. It’s actually extremely important to me because I don’t think you can be who you want to be if you don’t have a full mind. I encourage musicians to believe that they can do both school and music because they can. It’s possible and I’m doing it. I’m so excited to go to school and I hope everyone knows that! I’ve had an outpouring of love and support from JMU and I’m not even there yet, which is crazy. I’m so thankful and I honestly can’t wait to go back to a normal life and see my friends.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

I think we’ve pretty much covered everything, but I am really excited to go to JMU!

Tune in to watch our future Duke’s journey on NBC every Monday and Tuesday 8/7c!