Allie Keck ’16 saw her life going in one of two directions last year. She expected to be waiting tables or performing on NBC’s 23rd season of The Voice. The talent she flashed in her submission video struck the right chord, and the Redbird has been coached by cultural icon Kelly Clarkson these past few months. Now she’s waiting for the show’s battle round, the second stage of a five-part competition.
“I just decided one day to do it. I submitted a video of me performing not really expecting much. But then I got a follow-up interview and an invitation to fly out to LA for the blind auditions,” said Keck, a Nashville singer/songwriter and 2016 graduate of Illinois State University’s School of Communication.
That invitation was just the start.
“When I received the email with all of the instructions, I just stared at the screen,” she said. “I couldn’t even process it, so I called my parents to read it out loud to them.”
Having started her singing career at age 16, Keck moved to Nashville after graduating from Illinois State and began playing venues along the city’s famed “Honky Tonk Highway.” Singing acoustic covers, Keck worked to build her reputation on The Strip and in the surrounding areas.
“I also played in Midtown. I loved those gigs more than anything because I got to do songwriter rounds featuring my own original music,” she said.
Keck started out singing part-time after moving to Nashville. Fresh out of school, she balanced her musical aspirations while serving as an apartment leasing agent, eventually working in real estate.
“At one point, I was even considering waiting tables just to make ends meet, but after earning my real estate license, I found some success,” Keck said. “And now I’m proud to say that I’m in music full-time.”
While Nashville has helped build Keck’s career, she’s quick to attribute her rising fame to The Voice.
“This show has made me a better performer,” said Keck. “When I’m singing on The Voice stage, everyone is there to watch and see me succeed. But when I’m playing in Nashville, I’m a tourist attraction. It’s different, but in a good way.”
The Voice features Grammy award-winning hip-hop star Chance the Rapper and platinum-selling singer-songwriter Niall Horan along with returning coaches Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton. The show’s innovative format sees contestants progress through five stages of competition: blind auditions, battle rounds, knockouts, playoffs, and live performance shows.
“The show has been prerecorded up until the live performances,” said Keck. “I first participated in the blind auditions back in October 2022. This has been the hardest secret of my life to keep,” she said.
This season premiered on March 6, and Keck’s blind audition aired on March 13. In the blinds, decisions from coaches are based solely on voice and not looks. The coaches hear the artists perform, but they’re unable to see the stage. If a coach is impressed by an artist’s voice, they’ll push a button to select the artist for their team. Their chair swivels to face the artist for the first time. If more than one coach pushes the button, the power shifts to the artist to choose a coach.
“I was wildly nervous,” Keck said. “I’ve honestly never experienced nerves like that in my life before. I could feel the sensation move from my chest and into my throat. Halfway through my blind audition, I thought I was going to throw up.”
Shelton turned his chair 15 seconds into Keck’s performance of “Paris (Ooh La La)” by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.
“When Blake turned around, I felt so much better and knew I was on the show,” Keck said. “The energy in the room shifted, and it suddenly became fun.”
Shelton has been on The Voice since it premiered in 2011. As he enters his final season on the show, it’s clear he’s going for the win.
“I love country music, and I love Blake Shelton,” Keck said. “I thought he might turn his chair for me, but I expected Kelly to first. She’s known for her strong female vocals. When she turned, I knew I would choose her. But Blake did give me a moment where I second-guessed that decision.”
Shelton emphasized how crucial a coach is to the success of each contestant.
“It’s all about communication between an artist and a coach,” he said in his pitch to win Keck over.
“These coaches and these mentors are put in front of us to advance our careers, and I need to be able to trust what Kelly tells me. Communication is imperative,” Keck said.
Keck knows the value of strong communication firsthand having graduated with a degree in public relations from the School of Communication where her academic and singing voice left an impression with faculty in Fell Hall.
“I had the pleasure of having Allie as a student in COM 382: Theoretical Issues in News Convergence,” said Dr. Megan Hopper, associate professor of journalism. “She was a very conscientious and dedicated student who consistently had insightful things to add to class discussions.”
Hopper said one of the main assignments for the class was for students to create a blog and/or vlog on any topic they felt a personal connection with or where they had some expertise.
“Allie’s vlog is one I will never forget,” Hopper said. “When she first pitched her idea to have it be a music vlog where she would play cover versions of some of her favorite songs and explain why she liked those songs, I was surprised that she was a musician and was curious to see how it would look. Then, when the first post was due, and I actually got to see her idea come to fruition, I was absolutely blown away by her talent both in the design of the vlog itself as well as her beautiful voice and guitar-playing skill.”
Tom Lamonica, director of internships in the School of Communication, also remembers Keck.
“I remember her well as a woman of several internships,” he said.
Keck remains proud to be a Redbird. She attributes much of her initial success to the skills learned in the classrooms of Fell Hall.
“It’s been really cool to have the University’s support through this experience,” she said. “ISU was a big part of my life, and honestly still is. It probably always will be.
“My involvement with the Social Media Analytics Command Center helped me a ton with my social media presence. Understanding analytics is key. If you’re not looking at when you need to post, you’re doing yourself a disservice. That skill set has helped me tremendously in building my brand.”
It’s more than just social media though. There’s a deeper understanding of making a connection with an audience.
“The music industry is a relationship-driven business,” she said. “It’s because of my time in the School of Communication that I learned how to network. In addition, the fact that I was able to pursue my passion while still getting an education was really huge for me. The School of Communication did that.”
Hopper recalled Keck saying on the last day of class that she planned to move to Nashville.
“I clearly remember thinking she was going to have a very bright future,” Hopper said. “I am so happy for her and excited for the rest of the world to get to experience her amazing musical talent through The Voice.”
“All I want to do is create one fan at every show,” Keck said.
She has the entire School of Communication cheering her on.
Tune into The Voice every Monday at 7 p.m. CDT on NBC. Battle rounds and knockouts are next, followed by the playoffs and live performance shows. Follow Allie Keck and her rise to stardom at @AllieKeckMusic and www.alliekeckmusic.com.
