WILTON — Sixteen-year-old Darby Sabin has wanted to be a singer since she was a young child.

She has continued to pursue her goal and when she became a little older she focused some of her frustration and other emotions over family matters into her music and songwriting, Sabin said Thursday.

Her rock has been her father, Paul Sabin, with whom she lives.

She wrote her first song when she was in the fourth grade. She laughs at it now and calls it disgusting. But she has developed both her songwriting skills and her voice through the years.

On Saturday in Chicago, she will audition for a chance to appear on “The Voice,” a reality TV show singing competition.

She and her father planned to leave Friday and were expected to go to the House of Blues Restaurant on Friday night and listen to the bands that perform there.

Throughout her entire life, music has been her passion, Sabin said.

“My big thing was I wanted to be a singer,” she said.

When she started getting into plays and musicals, her singing improved, she said. She performed in her first musical play in the first grade as a magical poppy.

She had been involved in the Missoula Children’s Theatre when it came to Wilton each year. By the time she was in the sixth grade, she decided she wanted to do shows and concerts. Since then, she has been in a number of musicals and even sang “Fly Me to the Moon” in a Russian accent.

Once she started putting her emotions into her music she began performing a variety of music including songs by Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and 1990s grunge music.

The Mt. Blue junior also has sung the national anthem at high school football games and most recently sang at Special Olympics Maine on Monday in Carrabassett Valley. She records Mt. Blue High School football games, manages the team and has become kind of like the team princess, Sabin said.

She has performed at Tuck’s Ale House in downtown Farmington and sang Adele’s hit “Hello,” Elvis songs and War Pigs all in the same night.

Sabin has learned to perform different genres of music, including country.

“The reason I learn all kinds of genres is so that I don’t have to say no to people who want a certain style of music,” Sabin said.

She is hoping to release a CD within a year.

She said she was very excited about her audition for “The Voice.” Her stomach was full of butterflies. If she does well, she may be called back for another audition.

“I think no matter what happens, it is going to be a great experience,” she said.

Her consideration of songs to sing for the audition range from “Girls on Fire,” to “If I Ain’t Got You,” to Christine Aguilera’s version of “Tough Lover.”

She and her father have lived together for the past six years and he has helped her in every way possible to pursue her dream.

“My dad is pretty much my inspiration for me,” she said. “I don’t always give him enough credit, but he has made sure I’ve had what I needed. He is really awesome. We are pretty much alike. He is pretty much my best friend.”

NOTE: This story has been amended since it was first published.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net

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