Sophia Xepoleas covers and rocks Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady”.

Last fall semester, Chico State students were given the opportunity of a lifetime to audition for NBC’s “The Voice.”

Sophia Xepoleas, a sophomore journalism major with an option in public relations, was approached by the music department to participate in a class that gave her and other students the opportunity to audition.

“I know a friend that’s in the program and was like, ‘My teacher knows the producer, would you like to tryout for the class?'” Xepoleas said. “‘If you make it to the top five, we will send you through.'”

After participating in the first part of the class, Xepoleas made it to the top 10.

She performed in front of the class of 10 in a small room and that same night Xepoleas was told that she made it to the top five.

Along with four other Chico State students, Xepoleas prepared to travel to Los Angeles during finals week.

Xepoleas took all of her finals on Tuesday of finals week then drove home to the Bay Area. The next day, she and her family drove to LA for her audition at 6:50 p.m.

When she arrived, Xepoleas and the other contestants were put into a room while they waited to be called.

“I wasn’t exactly nervous at this point,” Xepoleas said. “But then I ended up waiting like four and half hours in this room and I hadn’t eaten since noon and I was a little bit sick, so I didn’t sound my best.”

She was told to prepare three songs. Xepoleas decided to do her weak song first so she could end with her stronger songs.

Her name was called, information processed and she said the nerves didn’t hit her until she walked through the door to audition.

“There were these two people sitting in a dark room, lights beaming down on the full stage,” Xepoleas said. “I was like, ‘okay, here we go.”

Xepoleas began her audition with Janis Joplin’s “Piece of my Heart,” her weakest song that she threw together last minute. She noticed her voice was a bit shaky.

“About 30 seconds in they stop me and they say, ‘It’s going to be a no,’ and I was like, ‘Can I do another song?’ but they said no,” Xepoleas said.

The judges told her she was very inward, not very confident and a bit pitchy.

If given the opportunity again, Xepoleas does not plan to go forward with it. Music to her is more of a hobby and she cannot picture herself doing it as a career.

However, Xepoleas will always have music in her life. Her father is a drummer and she joins him with her singing.

“It was a very anti-climactic experience,” Xepoleas said. “But I can’t complain. It was a very cool experience. I’m glad I did it. I can check that off my bucket list.”

Yzel Romo can be reached at [email protected] or @yzelromo on Twitter.