Owen Danoff, one of the top contenders from Team Adam Levine for this season's "The Voice US," competed for a spot in the top 11 before being eliminated in Week 3.
Danoff, who was one of those few contestants in this series who got four chair-turn by all the four judges, has been familiar with music since an early age. His father, Bill Danoff, is a Grammy award winner, and also a songwriter and one of the original members of the Starland Vocal Band. So it doesn't come as a surprise that after finishing high school, Owen enrolled in Berklee College of Music, Boston, and graduated with a degree in film scoring.
Danoff finished at the 11th place in Season 10 of "The Voice US." In an exclusive interview with International Business Times, India, he shares the highlights of his journey in "The Voice US" Season 10.
International Business Times: How was your experience on "The Voice?"
Owen Danoff: Totally magical. It was fun, stressful, enriching, and inspiring. I grew immensely as an artiste and a performer but also as a person, and came away from the experience with many lessons learned and more than a few friendships that I'm sure are going to last a lifetime.
IBT: How did the guidance of your coach, Adam Levine, enhance your singing skills and help you improve?
Danoff: The most important thing that I took away from working with Adam Levine was that I don't need to change who I am in order to succeed as an artiste. Since my Blind Audition, Adam has been supportive of me the way that I am and has worked hard to nurture my sense of self-confidence and assurance in the fact that what I do has merit and worth. I think it's very easy, especially in a situation like The Voice, to compare yourself to other people who are doing what you want to do, and Adam's big point to me was that I should focus on being the best version of myself instead of worrying about how I would look as compared to anyone else.
IBT: Looking back, would you have rather chosen a song other than "Burning House"?
Danoff: I think "Burning House" was the perfect song for my second Instant Save performance. It's beautifully written both in terms of the music and the lyrics. I believe the song was a great choice.
IBT: What is your most memorable moment from "The Voice" Season 10?
Danoff: The most memorable moment was when Team Adam rehearsed "If You Want Me To Stay" by Sly And The Family Stone together before we performed it on live TV. In the rehearsal, I was playing bass, Laith Al-Saadi was playing guitar, and Adam Levine was playing drums. The three of us, along with Shalyah Fearing, were singing as well. It was an incredible moment for me because I had always wanted to play bass and sing on the show (something no other contestant has done), and because I got to do so while also playing with Laith and Adam. Music is its own language and getting to play with Laith and Adam allowed us to connect on a musical level and not just a personal level. It was one of the most fun times I had being on "The Voice."
IBT: You were a professional singer before joining "The Voice." How do you think this experience will enhance your career?
Danoff: This experience has enhanced my career since the day I knew I was going to be auditioning. Since then I have worked harder than ever before on my vocal technique and ability, pushed myself out of my comfort zone over and over again as a performer and a musician, and learned how to deal with a level of pressure that I'd never experienced before. This show has also granted me a ton of exposure and a wonderful relationship with fans, both old and new. People have been amazingly supportive and I really feel as though I have a wonderful support network out there that wants me to succeed. I'm so grateful to everyone who has put in time and effort to let me know they've listened to my music and are invested in what I'll be doing next.
IBT: What was your reasoning behind choosing Adam as your coach? How did he help you through the various rounds?
Danoff: I chose Adam as my coach because out of all the coaches, I feel I have the most in common with him musically. We are both songwriters and multi-instrumentalists, and I have the utmost respect for his ability as both a writer and a performer. He has helped me greatly by encouraging me to stay confident in who I am and to stay true to myself, above all.
IBT: If Adam hadn't turned around, who would you have chosen as your coach?
Danoff: I would have been incredibly fortunate to work with any of the coaches, but if Adam hadn't turned around I think I would have chosen Pharrell. Aside from being brilliant and amazingly talented, Pharrell is an incredibly genuine, kind, and grounded person. I spent a little bit of time with him throughout my run on the show and I was always amazed at how obvious it was that he had the best interests of his contestants at heart.
IBT: Who is/are your favourite contestant(s) this season?
Danoff: I love every contestant equally. Going through this experience together has made us all close friends, and I want everyone to succeed equally. Of the people who are left on the show I have spent the most time with Laith Al-Saadi and Shalyah Fearing because we were all on Team Adam together. Laith and I got dinner together all the time and Shalyah is like a little sister to me. Alisan Porter is also wonderful, and wore an Owen Danoff t-shirt to my Playoffs performance.
IBT: What is the most important lesson you learned from this chapter of your life?
Danoff: The most important lesson I've learned is that it's incredibly important to go after what you want and chase your dreams. No matter what rejection you may face, the things you gain make up for it – and then some.
IBT: Many of your fans were disheartened to see you go and have been blowing up social media pages. Do you have any message for them?
Danoff: Hi, everybody! I've said it before, but thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your support. Not a minute goes by when I don't think of the crazy amount of love that has been directed my way since my journey on "The Voice" began. I feel it, and I appreciate it more than I can put into words. My time on "The Voice" might be over, but the journey is just beginning, and I am so happy to have you with me.
