IT’S fourth time’s a charm for Communication Arts alumna Odessa “Ody” Patron after she earned a four-chair turn on her Blind Audition performance of Whitney Houston’s “So Emotional” on Sept. 16 in the reality talent competition “The Voice of Germany.”
Patron, 38, was fond of singing as a child but considered it only a hobby until 2018, when she joined the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Austria as one of the country’s representatives.
“I was always surrounded by music my whole life, parang normal lang na nagkakantahan,” she told the Varsitarian.
She grew up in a family of singers but did not join singing competitions as a child.
“It was so nerve-wracking to go on that stage and sing […] I have to know all my lyrics; I have to hit all my notes, engage with the audience and move correctly,” she said.
Patron launched several attempts to join “The Voice” and WCOPA, the latter of which she reached the final round thrice but fell short of reaping the grand award.
“Syempre nawalan ako ng confidence [so], I thought last year, ‘di ko masyadong seseryosohin. I said if they take me now, good. If not, fine,” she said.
Patron’s father, Apolinario Patron, died last year due to an accident, which caused her to hesitate to join singing competitions any further.
But that hesitation faded when she decided, for the fourth time, to step onto the stage of “The Voice” – the signs, she said, were already conspicuous to her.
“I just wanted to be a part of it [The Voice]. Very inspiring ‘yung mga singers na kasali doon, so I wanted to be a part of that and prove to myself that I can do it,” Patron said.
Patron reached The Battles round and although she failed to advance to the next stage, she remains thankful for the mentorship of her coach, German pop singer-songwriter Mark Forster.
“I just wanted to give a good show and do the best that I can. The best thing was to make it to the next round, but the next best thing was to get good feedback and walk away with pride that I did well,” she said.
Patron’s performance on “The Voice” led to a gig at the Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Conference (COP 27) special event in Egypt last Nov. 10, attended by policymakers and delegates of international organizations.
“Just keep trying and being part of a competition, or getting through stages or winning—that’s just outside validation. You may want it, but it should be secondary. Just keep working on being a good singer,” she said.
Patron currently works in the Circular Economy Environment Protection Department at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization based in Vienna, Austria.
