North Augusta teacher and 'The Voice' contestant reflects on Hollywood experience

Jan. 1—Tony Aaron Hambrick didn't know what to feel when he first stepped out onto the soundstage for NBC's "The Voice."

"Honestly, I laughed," Hambrick said. "... I did a lot of laughing and joking, and I remember that when the doors opened and looking at the chairs and it just hits you like a ton of bricks like this is happening."

Hambrick, an Augusta native, a North Augusta Middle School teacher and cast member of the hit reality competition, talked about his experience in California.

"I still struggle to define how I felt in that moment. It was just surreal. It was almost an out-of-body experience," he said. "I was watching it happen, like this is really happening. Seeing those turned chairs with their names on the back. But again, it is just the time of my life, and I knew that this is what I wanted to do. The adrenaline that I felt, the audience chanting and screaming."

Hambrick did not make it past the show's blind audition rounds; however, his experience singing for some of America's most well-known artists came with constructive feedback for his career.

"One particular coach said ... 'I loved your energy, and I loved the way you connected with the audience.' And that means a lot to me because coming out of the church, that is what we do," he said. "That is our whole premise of worship and leading praise to connect with a body of believers to worship together. That, honestly, to me, came so natural because that is something that I do every Sunday in the church.

"... Another coach said that he loved my voice and wished he had space on his team and so I took that as confirmation. I took that as affirmation. And so that is what I am doing now, I am taking that advice and taking those suggestions and taking the experience," Hambrick added.

Hambrick was happy to have the support of his hometown behind him: from his church at Live River Baptist Church, to his school and his family, leaving behind his newborn son, Israel, and wife, Sharla, to cheer from home.

"It's a rich experience to have a community who believes," Hambrick said. "... These are the people, the people at my church, colleagues, even students before I even submitted 'The Voice,' are the same people who are praising me when no one knew my name, affirming my talent and affirming my gift.

"And going through the whole 'Voice' process, I didn't go through it alone. I had a village of a community that supported me, even when the outcome wasn't what I went in expecting it to be. Just the love from North Augusta — the Augusta area has been phenomenal because they didn't have to support me, and I think about stuff like that."

Adding to his growing list of communities included the contestants on Season 21 of "The Voice."

"I was going and I was thinking I was going to meet all of these artists that had big egos and all that stuff, and that wasn't the case. It was a family that we had created, a wonderful bond of musicians and singers," he said. "We had similar goals and dreams and yet at the same time, we all wanted to see each of our friends or our family members, as we would say, to do well. Whether in their career and definitely on the show. That was one thing that has definitely stuck with me is even watching the show, just seeing my friends. I think I was more excited about seeing them than if I would have seen myself up there."

Currently Hambrick is focusing on his music career by recording a single and an EP; however, in the future he could re-audition for the show.

"I am not opposed to any avenue that will beget success or that would allow me the platform to have access to new communities, to be an influencer and to be an inspiration. I want that, and I believe that music is a powerful tool that allows me to be able to do that, and so if the door opened, would I walk through that door again? Yes. Who wouldn't?"

For Hambrick, the experience was transformative.

"Coming home early was difficult. It was very, very difficult, and sometimes we are our own worst critic and we beat ourselves up. I could have did this, I could have done that, but when I really think back in my mind from the beginning, when I first submitted my first audition video back in November 2020, to getting the call at the end of April 2021, actually being in L.A. for six weeks or however long I was there, I don't regret any of it," he said.

"... I stopped thinking about the failure and started looking at the new opportunities that presented themselves. I am grateful, I am thankful. And I have a different perspective on what it truly means to be an artist on how important having, I don't want to say a fan base, a community is. Fans come and go, but the community sticks around for a really, really long time."

He continues to lean on his faith through verse 8:28 from Romans and his communities as he continues to pursue his career in music.

"It's almost like I am scrambling for words because its almost as ... I was in one place, and here we are a couple of months later and I am in a totally different space of my life, and it's beautiful and it's amazing ... and it makes all of it worth it," he said. "... I feel like I am finally walking into that purposed place for my life."

Samantha Winn covers the city of North Augusta, with a focus on government and community oriented business. Follow her on Twitter: @samanthamwinn and on Facebook and Instagram: @swinnnews.