Spotlights, standing O’s, and deafening applause.

At 15 years old Maddy Wanke is used to being praised for her singing ability. Although she isn’t as well-known as Ariana Grande or Selena Gomez, many believe her talent will get her far.

From performing in competitions to singing the national anthem at Progressive Field, Wanke has been building her resume. Wanke said, “You just have to get out there and get singing, so people can hear you.”

With the help of her ‘momager,’ Wanke performs at gigs of all sizes; whether it’s in local restaurants or high scale competitions, she’s there. “More gigs come from other gigs,” Wanke said and because of that, she’s able to keep doing what she loves, which is performing.

The best way to get noticed, according to Wanke, is social media. With today’s society being filled with technology, it’s where producers and music lovers can search for new artists. Posting on YouTube, Instagram, and other social media sites is a way Maddy reveals her music to the world.

Currently she has a YouTube channel called Maddy Wanke-Topic where she posts her original songs. She has also posted covers of songs like “Titanium” and “I Will Always Love You” and a few of her original songs on iTunes under Maddy Wanke.

Her mom also has a YouTube channel that’s called Debbie Wanke, and she posts videos of her daughter singing live at competitions, vocal lessons, and other gigs.

Brian Fancher, a choir teacher, stressed the importance of doing gigs. He said, “Part of [gigs] is exposure and another part is the more you perform the better you get at it.” Wanke tries to perform at as many gigs as possible to continue spreading her talent.

Recently on Dec. 8, Wanke was on the radio station 93.1 and this is another way she is able to spread the word about who she is. She also has been in contact with producers for America’s Got Talent and the Voice, but has never advanced onto TV.

Even though she hasn’t advanced Paul Kinczel, a family friend to the Wanke’s, still feels TV competitions will vault Maddy to success. He said, “I think Maddy will get known from being a contestant on the Voice because it will get her recognized and start her career as a solo artist.”

She continues to submit videos to important producers while performing in competitions like National Singing Star, Troy Idol, Canton Idol, and Heights Got Talent. She has won National Singing Star, a competition where people from all over the country come to perform, six times and Troy Idol twice.

She is also writing her own music in hopes of getting noticed, but she said it’s probably the hardest part of the music industry. “If you’re not famous, your song doesn’t stand out because there’s a lot of similar songs out there.”

According to Wanke, producers and other important people are looking for specific kinds of artists, so you just have to get lucky. This could be why she has never gotten past the producers’ audition for America’s Got Talent and the Voice.

She said of her second time trying out for AGT, “I tried out again when I was 14 and I had submitted a video beforehand and was in contact with the producers so I got a pass to skip the line.”

To many it’s not surprising why Maddy was able to skip the line at AGT. For example, Vladis Alimova, a sophomore who has heard Maddy sing, said, “She sings very beautifully and I love the way she puts all that joy into singing!”

Kinczel also acknowledged Maddy’s talent. He said, “She’s a future star!”

Maddy acknowledged that it won’t be easy, but she hopes that in the future all her hard work will pay off and she will be just as famous as Ariana Grande.