LI Boy, 14, Wins Next Round On 'The Voice': 'I Can't Believe It!'

SHOREHAM, NY — At just 14 years old, Carter Rubin has a voice and talent far beyond his years. And on Monday night, his Shoreham community and audiences far and wide watched him soar with a stand-out duet with teammate Larriah Jackson, 15, that saw him win the battle round on "The Voice" and advance to the next level of the competition.

Carter wowed coaches as he and Larriah sang "Like I'm Gonna Lose You," by Meghan Trainor and featuring John Legend.

Carter, who lives in Shoreham and is a sophomore at Shoreham-Wading River High School, said he was inspired by his grandfather, a guitarist and backup singer for Jay and the Americans.

Carter saw his first exhilarating success on the show during the blind audition during the second week of Season 19 of "The Voice," which airs on Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC.

The show is hosted by Carson Daly with coaches including Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, John Legend and Kelly Clarkson. After his blind audition, Carter chose "Team Gwen."

During the duet, Stefani and the other coaches were visibly moved. "Oh, my God!" Stefani said. "That was so beautiful!"

Both performers got accolades. "You guys were so incredible," Stefani said.

"That was so well done," said Clarkson. "You guys are 14 and 15; that's insane!"

The coaches had difficulty choosing the winner of the battle, and ultimately the final decision came down to Stefani.

"Carter, I think you have this incredible voice... and you're just getting started. To watch you perform the way you did, you just had a lot more confidence in your body language and I saw a big growth in that. Vocally, you were just so incredible today."

Only able to pick one, Stefani said her dream on the show was to work with young artists. "I've got two of them that I think are so magical...I'm going to say the winner of this battle is Carter."

Carter will now move on to the new "knockouts" round of the show.

"I love Carter and Larriah so much and that was the worst thing ever, to have to choose," Stefani said. "They were both equally so deserving. Ultimately, Carter had a little more of a unique sound to his voice and a unique gift, being so young and a male. And he has such a beautiful tone."

Carter was in tears after the win. "I can't believe it! The validation from Gwen, I think, just means a lot to me. Going to knockouts, I can't believe that. Oh, my God!"

In the end, Stefani voted to "save" Marriah, who will also be back.

This year, due to the pandemic, there are changes on the show: There is no live audience and judges are spaced farther apart.

During his blind audition, Carter sang "Before You Go" by Lewis Capaldi. His voice captivated the coaches — Stefani and Legend most of all, both of whom turned their chairs for his stand-out performance as his mom watched joyfully from the sidelines.

"You do not look like your voice," Stefani said. "I cannot believe what I am hearing and seeing right now. This is a shock."

"Where was the person who was singing?" Shelton said.

"Look at the dimples! I love your dimples," Clarkson said. "You have the most incredible smile I think I've possibly ever seen on any human."

When Carter said he was from Long Island, Legend said, "Strong Island." Legend then asked if Carter's parents were musical, too.

"No," Carter said. "My grandpa is, though, but it kind of skipped a generation."

"Carter, I turned for you very early on," Legend said. "You sounded polished, you sounded strong. Your voice has control, which a lot of people your age wouldn't have. And your tone is just piercing and brilliant. It just shimmers out there." He added that Carter was the youngest person he has ever turned for on the show.

Speaking with Patch, Carter said he's been interested in music for as long as he can remember but around seven years old, he began taking it more seriously. His first live performance was on the boardwalk at Long Beach, where he sang the National Anthem after the destruction of Hurricane Sandy.

"It just kind of escalated from there and now I'm here, so I must have done something right," Carter said.

Carter, who has never taken formal vocal lessons, feels as though he got the "singing gene" from his grandfather, who has been his vocal coach for years. "That's something special we share together. I don't think a lot of grandpas and grandsons can say that. It's super cool," he said.

Carter also loves singing and playing music with his older brother, Jack, 19, who was diagnosed with autism at two. They perform together at their family's autism foundation, Families in Arms, which helps bring kids with autism — whose families may not otherwise be able to afford the trip — to Disney World in Florida. Jack, Carter said, plays drums and loves Disney songs.

"It's really important for me to see the world through his eyes," Carter said. "He does see world a little differently. And that's not a bad thing at all. It's quite beautiful. We have the best bond."

In fact, Carter said he chose his audition song and dedicated it, in his heart, to his brother. "It has a different meaning for everyone. For me it's about not missing the chance to be there for someone — that someone being my brother. I want to be there for him, help him. You have to let the walls come down and allow others to help you."

His family, including his mother Alonna, father David and brother Jack, are the "most supportive people I could ever ask to have in my corner," he said. "They've been encouraging me to follow my dream ever since I was born. I would not be able to do this without their support and encouragement."

A self-professed "theater nerd," Carter has taken in part in school productions including "The Wiz," "Mamma Mia," and "Pippin."

He's been wanting to perform on "The Voice" for years, he said. "That's my dream, to get my name out there. I want to sing because I love music but I also want to touch people with my voice. I want to heal people and make them happy."

Carter auditioned for the show in Boston and "was lucky enough" to advance to the blind audition.

"It was such an incredible experience to be so lucky to have gotten to that point," he said. "It's really hard, because you are all alone out there. It's just you, performing to the back of four chairs. And you're hoping and praying."

It was a relief when Legend turned his chair around first, followed by Stefani, Carter said.

Choosing between the coaches was a "tough decision," he said. "I went with Gwen because there was something about her that drew me in. . . I could not be happier because she is the sweetest."

Seeing the famous stars up close and personal was "pretty crazy," Carter said. "You are so used to seeing them on TV and then they are right in front of you. But they are all so genuine and down to earth, so sweet. They are just ordinary people even though they are huge superstars. It's really awesome."

The blind audition took place at "The Voice" set at Universal Studios in Hollywood. It was Carter's first trip to California.

"I wanted to go to California for the longest time. And I did something right, to get my mom and myself there. It was just a dream come true," Carter said.

Of his mom, Carter added: "She is awesome, the most hardworking, supportive and encouraging mother. I could not ask for a better role model."

When his next air date comes, friends in Shoreham will be cheering along. "They are super excited," he said.

The community even came together with a car parade on the night his blind audition aired, October 26. The parade, organized by Caryn Albert, was "awesome," Carter said. "There were kids from my school district, with signs, cheering. It was so cool."

Carter was also friends with Boy Scout Andrew McMorris, who was killed by a drunk driver while out on a hike two years ago.

His family is very good friends with the McMorris family, Carter said; when she heard about Carter's being chosen for "The Voice," Alisa McMorris, Andrew's mom, wrote about how excited her son would have been to hear the news. Andrew, too, loved to perform.

"She stopped by and gave me a key chain with Andrew's fingerprint on it, to put in my pocket when I go onstage for future performances — so he's always with me. I thought that was really nice of her," he said.

Carter, Alisa McMorris said, "is the real deal — the beauty of his voice shines right on through to his true and honest heart. I was blessed to be introduced to this incredible family through our work together at the SWR PTA and again when Andrew developed a friendship with Carter."

The boys performed together a number of times, McMorris said. "They made a promise to both audition for either 'American Idol' or 'The Voice' together. I know Andrew is there with him — cheering his friend on as they promised to do for each other, no matter what the outcome. And I don't think it was a coincidence that one of the judge's comments was, 'You must be flying inside.' No matter what happens, Carter is a winner already," she said.

If he were to advise other young people with a dream, Carter said he would encourage them to take a chance. "Just go for it. You have to be comfortable taking a risk. I know it's hard when you are competing with older people but that doesn't mean you are any less talented. Go for it and follow your dream. Do exactly what I did. If you miss that chance you could miss out on great things in your future, things that you really want," Carter said. "You have to do what makes you happy and this makes me happy."

Also, he said, it's important to believe in yourself. Not being cocky or arrogant, but confident. "Knowing your worth radiates into other people," he said.

Along with his grandfather, Carter said his musical influences include Capaldi, Harry Styles and Ariana Grande, as well as all four of his coaches on "The Voice."

When he's not singing, Carter enjoys being with his family and friends. "And I love roller coasters. I enjoy going to different amusement parks and getting on as many roller coasters as I can," he said.

He also loves travel and road trips. "Just stopping at random Buffalo Wild Wings in the middle of nowhere," he said.

Of being able to realize a dream in the middle of a pandemic, Carter said: "It honestly feels like a miracle."

He commended the production team of "The Voice" for "pulling it off, keeping us all safe, healthy and happy. 2020 has been a pretty bad year overall for a lot of people but I think that 'The Voice,' and all the coaches, the cast, the crew and the contestants, are all trying to bring some light and joy into other people's lives. I think people need music right now."

Music, Carter said, is healing. "It's mending to the soul, heart and mind. It's a blessing that we are able to do this in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. I am so happy to be a part of 'The Voice' family."