19-year-old Lara Nakhle was born completely blind, but that did not stop her from singing her heart out during her audition for The Voice Australia.
From Sydney, Australia, Lara says that she doesn’t let her disability define her or keep her from going after the things she wants in life.
“I’m completely blind but I don’t let that stop me or get in the way of anything,” she says during her interview for The Voice.
She is going to school full-time to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, but she also makes time for her job at a music school.
“Music has just been something that I can always turn to,” says Lara.
Her supportive parents are there to watch her audition, and they explain how Lara has been into music since she was a little girl. Her mother tells the story of how people would always compliment Lara on her singing voice growing up, but Lara would be concerned if the compliments were genuine or if they just felt sorry for her.
This is one reason why Lara was so excited to audition for The Voice. She likes that the judges will only be hearing her voice and judging her on that, and not be able to take her blindness into consideration.
For her audition, Lara starts singing Feels Like Home by Randy Newman. She says that this song means a lot to her, because it’s all about having a sense of belonging.
As you can see by the reactions of the audience and the judges, they are all really moved by her beautiful, soulful voice. You see them swaying and singing to the song as she sings, and they are really enjoying what they hear.
Two of the judges eventually turn around and Lara ends up picking Seal to be her vocal coach.
Such an inspiring thing to see Lara go after her dream and to use her God-given talent to bring joy to all those around her!