by Todd Betzold

Collin McLoughlin was a grad student at NYU pursuing his Masters in Music Business degree when he decided he wanted to leave school and pursue his dreams of singing. He had one year left and his parents weren't thrilled, but he had to follow his dreams and it is starting to pay off. He has made it to the Knockout Rounds on The Voice and even closer to the live shows and a chance at winning it all this season. Today, he talked with RealityWanted in an exclusive interview about the upcoming Knockout Rounds, how his parents are feeling about his decision now and much more.

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: What made you initially try out for The Voice?
A. Collin: I just looked at The Voice as an amazing opportunity for me to essentially gain a whole bunch of new fans and show what I've been doing to a much bigger audience. It's a great show, it's really engaging and not only that, but the opportunity to work with the celebrity coaches was an opportunity I was hoping would work out for and lucky for me that it did.

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: What was your strategy going into the battle with Bryan?
A. Collin: Bryan is an incredible singer, an incredible artist. I definitely had my work cut out for me in that battle. Going into it, I basically wanted to do the best I could and take all of Adam's advice about connecting with the song and giving it a little bit more grit and just making sure that shined through in my performance. In my case, it looks like it didn't for Adam, but it did for Blake and Cee Lo, so that was enough for me.

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: After your battle, Adam did pick Bryan, but then Cee Lo and Blake hit their buttons to steal you. What made you choose Team Blake?
A. Collin: I think it was just the combination of what Blake said after the battles. Basically he was the only person that said I should have won, for example. After the Battles and what he said after the Blinds too, he sort of had a good sense of what I was trying to be as an artist and he got me and got my acoustic sound and I was excited to join his team.

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: What is your strategy going into the Knockout Rounds?
A. Collin: The Knockout Rounds are a bit different. For the Knockout Rounds, we chose our own song this time. It wasn't the coach telling us to work on a specific song and we had a little more freedom with it. It was an exciting round for me and you'll have to tune in to see how that went for me.

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: From dropping out of grad school and living in your childhood bedroom to now being on The Voice. What has this experience been like for you so far?
A. Collin: It's been incredible. I've met some amazing people. I've definitely learned a lot about myself and a lot about my music and what it takes to really have a career in this. I've just been enjoying every minute of the ride. It's been an amazing experience and I'm definitely trying to use this as a platform to really do bigger things well beyond the show.

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: Your parents were upset about you dropping out of grad school. How are they feeling about it now?
A. Collin: They are much more excited now than they were. I think after hearing everything that coaches said and seeing how the show has been going, they sort of believe that me taking the leave of absence was the right thing to do. They definitely are not on back as much now (laughs).

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: What's it been like seeing your Blind Audition and Battle on TV?
A. Collin: It's been incredible. It's funny because we don't see any footage until it is on TV. I really had no idea what to expect, but I think they did an amazing job editing the show and everyone is portrayed exactly as they are in real life. It's really awesome to see because we put in so much work to make this show happen and to finally see it on TV and to see how people are responding to it, it's really exciting.

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: You have quite a few fans out there. Anything to say to those fans reading this?
A. Collin: I just want to thank every single person that has supported me before the show, during the show and hopefully after the show. You guys are the reason that I'm able to do this and I'm able to pursue this dream. Hopefully keep tuning in and keep checking out what I've been working on. I really appreciate it. If anyone wants to follow me on Twitter, @McLoughlinMusic, that's where you can keep the most up-to-date on what I am working on and what is going on in my life and music.

The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC.

(Image courtesy of NBC)

Follow Todd on Twitter @TopicalTodd