For 21-year-old Mudgee local Lauren 'Lau' Abend, the dream has become reality after she takes a shot at being part of The Voice Australia, Season 10.

"It was pretty surreal to find out I would get to audition and I'm very grateful," Ms Abend said.

"There are so many amazing singers who apply, so for me to even get through to a blind audition was so exciting."

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The excitement brought with it huge nerves, as Abend faced judges Guy Sebastian, Rita Ora, Jessica Mauboy and Keith Urban, and hoped to impress them with her pipes.

"It's pretty insane walking on stage and seeing the backs of those four chairs, but knowing who is sitting in those chairs is even scarier," Ms Abend said.

"In that moment before walking out, you're completely alone with your thoughts and you realise no one else can do this for you."

The journey to Abend's on stage dream, a moment which could be pivotal for her musical career, was in part born from a nightmare.

Five years ago, Abend and her family were on a scuba diving trip overseas when their guide became disoriented.

When the group surfaced, they discovered the tour boat had left them behind at sea.

As the hours ticked by, and the reef sharks circled below, the then 16-year-old's thoughts turned to her future, and a determination to follow her musical dreams if she survived.

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"Music has always been a safe space for me and I sang to keep the morale up when we were floating," she said.

"When you're in such a difficult situation, music can really bond you together, it universally connects people and I love that notion."

The group was eventually rescued, and Abend has been making good on her promise to herself in the water ever since.

After graduating high school, she moved to Sydney to study music at JMC Academy, a leading college for creative industries in Australia.

She released her first single "Rivers" as Lau in December 2020 and decided to audition for The Voice Season 10 to help progress her career.

"I felt like this was the time for me to audition because I was finally ready and couldn't be more prepared than I am in this moment," she said.

"The song I chose for the audition was "You Broke Me First". It's a song I really love and connected with lyrically and melodically.

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"It's all about overcoming being broken and I think that's something many people can relate to, whether it's from a relationship or another life experience."

It'll be up to the judges as to how Abend will progress in the competition, and up to the Mudgee audience to tune in to see our girl.

"I'm excited for everyone back home to watch it. It's such an epic season being 10 years of The Voice," Ms Abend said.

"I love Mudgee, it's such a beautiful place, it's my home town, and I'm really proud to be representing Mudgee on national television."

The Voice starts 7.00pm on Sunday, August 8 on Channel 7.

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