Geyserville caterer nails blind audition on 'The Voice'

When Summer Schappell delivered a sweet rendition of “Strawberry Wine” on NBC’s “The Voice” Monday night, Judge Adam Levine likened the “glassy” sound to “pixie dust.”

By the time she finished the piece two judges had swiveled around in their chairs, the signal that she had passed the “Blind Audition” for a chance to compete on the coaching team of either Gwen Stefani or singer/songwriter/rapper, Pharrell Williams. Admitting that Summer’s country sound is “completely out of my wheelhouse,” Williams nonetheless tried to persuade the 22-year-old singer to pick him as a coach for the next round.

“I pushed my button because I think there were some impressive things you were doing,” Williams, a 10-time Grammy winner, said.

But Schappell, a Redding native who works weekends as a caterer’s assistant in Geyserville while awaiting her show biz break, graciously thanked the panel and picked Team Stefani.

“I think you have a really pretty voice. It is really soothing,” said Stefani, a rocker herself.

The petite 22-year-old performed wearing a shiny silver baby doll dress with her long hair dyed a pale gray with a hint of purple.

The two other judges, Blake Shelton and Levine praised Schappel. But both had already completed their teams in earlier rounds so their swivel buttons had been de-activated.

“That song is harder to do than people realize,” said Shelton, who called out her “yodel” as “right on pitch.”

Schappell is known for her perfect pitch, said her proud grandfather Bill Schappell, a Shasta County supervisor who raised Summer. The girl’s mother struggled with substance abuse problems, it was revealed in a short profile aired Monday night.

“Her voice is perfectly in tune,” he said. “Some singers have boxes and they sing into the mike that goes into the box and corrects their voice. You’d be surprised how many popular singers use pro tools. Summer doesn’t. That’s a gift. It’s really rare.”

Schappell and her grandmother Kay commute down from Redding several weekends a month to assist on the catering team at The Geyserville Inn and Hoffman House Restaurant in Geyserville. She tends bar, serves and has sometimes performed as a vocalist at events.

Manager Cheryl Rochioli, who met and befriended the Schappell family several years ago on a visit to the Shasta area, said Summer “is like a daughter to me.” She took her to the coast for weekend getaway last week to help celebrate the young performer’s twenty second birthday.

“She has a heart of gold,” said Rochioli, who hosts the Schappell’s are her own home when they’re in town. “She’s very caring and enjoys being around kids.”

Next week Schappell advances to “The Battle Rounds” when the celebrity coaches develop their team of budding artists, giving them advice and sharing the secrets of their success. During the battle rounds, the coaches pit two of their own team members against each other to sing the same song together in front of a studio audience. Coaches must then choose which of their singers will advance to the next round of competition. But the losing artists can still be stolen by another coach.

Schappell faces stiff competition in her quest for the ultimate prize - a recording contract. The breakout performance on Monday’s show came from 26-year-old New Yorker Amy Vachal whose ethereal interpretation of the pop standard, “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” led all four judges to swoon.

Levine had already picked his team. But he said of the singer, who evokes the earthy voice of Norah Jones and accompanied herself on guitar, “You could win this whole thing.”

You can reach Staff Writer Meg McConahey at meg.mcconahey@pressdemocrat.com or 521-5204. On Twitter @megmcconahey.