The bright lights, the huge crowd and four faceless judges sitting in big red chairs.
These are among the things that Lara Nakhle won’t see when she steps on stage for The Voice blind auditions later this week.
The 19-year-old has been blind since birth, a fact that’s threatened to derail her dream more than once.
“I feel I’ve worked really hard to overcome my disability,” Lara tells TV WEEK. “Being blind has never stopped me – I don’t let it get to me.
“It has been hard − I felt excluded growing up and people would tell me I couldn’t do certain things, like perform on stage. Now, I just want to show that I can.”
“I learnt to play piano when I was seven and then started singing lessons,” she explains.
Music quickly became an escape for Lara, who would turn to singing when she found it hard to fit in.
“Music was a way to express myself and escape any problems I was going through,” she reveals. “When I’ve felt left out or excluded at school, music has been there for me.
“I didn’t have many friends in high school, but music was a way of voicing my feelings.”
Lara is helped onto The Voice stage by a member of the crew.
Now, Lara is looking to use her gift to fast-track her career. However, she’s also wary of what lies ahead if she does find success on The Voice.
“I’ll probably get hateful comments from people who think I’m on the show just because I’m blind,” the psychology student admits.
“Ultimately, people will say whatever they want about you. Everyone has their own opinion, but I’m doing this for me. Nothing will stop me from inspiring people and making people happy.”
