STERLING, Kansas -- Chris Mann from Wichita hit it big this month by making it big on NBC's smash hit The Voice. He says the sky is the limit now that he's starring on the show.
Enter Kansans number two: Nicolle Galyon.
"Oh my gosh, excited does not cover it," says Nicolle Galyon from Sterling. "Excited is not the word. I am beside myself."
Nicolle made it on The Voice. Monday night, with millions watching, she was picked to keep going. Adam Levine of Maroon Five picked Nicolle to be on his team.
"I didn't realize until I did the audition how little faith I had that anyone would turn around," says Nicolle. "So when Adam turned around, and he turned around so early in the song, I pretty much blacked out. I don't remember anything after that."
Judges on The Voice listen with their backs turned. If they like what they hear, they hit a button and turn around to make an offer.
Nicolle played piano on the show, something her mom said began at the age of five.
"Oh, she would have started playing at age four but it's tough to find a piano teacher who will take a child that young," says mom, LaMonna Galyon. "She's a classical pianist. And she is loaded with talent. What a blessing. Now the rest of the world will find out how good she really is."
LaMonna put together a "watch party" at her home in Sterling this week so she could watch her daughter on TV. LaMonna also got to see herself on television.
"We went out there when they taped the show," explains LaMonna. "Cooper went with me. Cooper was an immediate hit with the producers of the show. They loved him."
Cooper is Nicolle's little brother. He's ten. And, since the show was taped in advance, he had to keep the results to himself.
"When is your sister going to be on? When is your sister going to be on? Who turned around? If they did turn around, who did? I'm like I can't tell you," says Cooper of his friends at school. "I told them I would tell them for a million bucks."
No takers on the million. But, Cooper may have a future with a camera. Nicolle came back home to Sterling and put together a video clip to put online. The video features Nicolle walking around her home of Sterling, dancing and showing off her love of the place she calls home.
"So I needed a camera operator," says Nicolle, "And Cooper did all of it. Of course I edited the video but Cooper did all the camera work. He was great."
Already an accomplished song writer, Nicolle can now rely on professional exposure in a national setting.
"I just feel like The Voice will open some doors," says Nicolle. "The exposure is really great. I'm just so blown away by the people of Sterling. It feels like I have a whole support group backing me. When people hear you are from Kansas, I think they automatically assume you are the underdog. I don't think that's true. Look out!"
Nicolle moves on with Chris Mann. You can check out both Kansas celebrities on The Voice, Mondays on KSN.
