MURWILLUMBAH teenager Nina Baumer lived a very placid life with her mother Martina as a Year 12 student of Wollumbin High School and a part-time waitress at a Thai-Vietnamese restaurant.

All that changed last night when the 17-year-old singer became one of the finalists in this year's The Voice TV contest, after performing Something's Gotta Hold, originally sung by Etta James.

Ms Baumer received a great response from the audience and the judging panel, and joined Delta Goodrem's team.

Ms Baumer was born in Chicago in the US and moved to Murwillumbah when she was two years old with her mother, father Jeurg and sister Carla.

Her mother was born in Austria and her father is Swiss.

"My parents were the original owners of The Laser Expert (a laser welding and drilling business). They came here to settle and to raise my sister and me," she said.

"This is such a beautiful area and growing up in a country area has really reflected on us."

The singer said living on the North Coast allowed her to enjoy a quiet childhood focused on music.

She plays piano and saxophone, but started focusing on her singing some years ago.

"The influence from my parents, growing up in a family interested in culture and music, that made it very easy for me to choose this path," she said.

"At this point I am still at school, and until now my life has been very normal, but now that may change."

Local voice

Nina Baumer performed at the NSW Training Awards ceremony in Byron Bay last June and in Lismore last year.

She used to be the lead singer of local band Dressing the Drummer.

The 18-year-old will also be a featured artist at the School Spectacular event in Sydney later this year.