Cal Poly Alumna Impresses Judges with Performance on ‘The Voice’

Lyndsey Elm (B.S., Kinesiology, 2014) will be coached by celebrity singer Gwen Stefani for Season 9 of NBC’s reality singing competition, “The Voice.”

The 22-year-old Cal Poly alumna sailed through her blind audition Monday night, performing a stripped-down rendition of Meghan Trainor’s hit “Lips are movin’.”

Elm’s pop-soul twist on the song prompted judge Gwen Stefani to turn her chair around within seconds. The other three judges — Adam Levine, Pharrell Williams and Blake Shelton — turned their chairs shortly after.

“I was glad that I turned so early because it’s refreshing to see someone that could be on stage that has the personality with the movement and the presence with the voice,” Stefani said.

In a phone conference with national media Tuesday morning, Elm said she was "blown away by the amount of support and love" she'd received since the episode aired. 

Elm, a Vacaville, Calif., native who returned to the area after graduation to work at her family’s pest control business, now moves on to the “battle rounds” portion of the competition.

The winner of the competition gets $100,000 and a record deal.

"The Voice" airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC.