Performing in a blind audition on NBC's “The Voice” Monday, October 14, Sonoma State alumna Anna Isabel Fernandez ‘21 (stage name “Beya”) was selected by Coach Gwen Stefani for her team.
The 24-year old artist from Kauai sang “Our Day Will Come,” a No.1 hit for Ruby & the Romantics in 1962.
“I was absolutely stunned in the true sense of the word,” Beya said. ““I think I hadn’t truly believed in myself and my talent until that moment.”
On the episode, Stefani said, “I'm really excited to work with you because the foundation of your voice is just so classic and controlled and perfect. Let's figure out who you are. What is the music that you want to make, write, perform? We'll just find those songs and blow everyone away!"
NBC Insider published a recap of the episode, quoting Coach Michael Bublé as saying “I’m an idiot” for passing on Beya.
Beya said her road to “The Voice” started with an ad she saw while late-night scrolling through Instagram and continued through their selection process.
“One day I got a call from L.A. saying, ‘Congratulations, Beya, we’re bringing you out,’” she said. “I asked them if it was a prank call.”
Beya’s musical career began with piano lessons at age 9, and by 10 her music teacher had her and the other students doing recitals twice a year.
“My first recital, I ran off the stage crying,” she said. “I guess I’ve come a long way.”
Beya said her first “space-holding” performance was in an SSU theater arts showcase. “I sang a cover of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” with an onscreen time lapse of the universe behind me. The feedback I got from that encouraged me to go on,” she said.
After graduating, Beya spent three years traveling and performing wherever she went.
Now a professional singer/songwriter, she recently released a debut single, "Brighter Than The Sun," that was filmed and produced on Kauai.
“The song beautifully reflects her connection to both her home island and the people and places that have shaped her artistic journey, including Sonoma State,” said Ashlee Price, Beya’s mother.
The next rounds Beya will enter are battle rounds, during which she will be partnered with another contestant and sing duets. One from each pair will go home or could get “stolen” by another team, she said.
“What I learned is that this process is not just about your performance. It’s a test of whether you can withstand the industry itself. Everything you say and do matters. How you act when you are stressed. How you treat the people around you,” she said.
Whatever happens with “The Voice,” Beya said she will continue writing, performing, and recording.
“This is just the first stop for me,” she said. “Stay tuned.”