Why Madame Muze is competing in Next Music Star 2026
Music helped me find my way forward when I needed hope. Now I have an opportunity to use my voice to inspire and uplift a wider audience: I've been accepted into Next Music Star 2026.
If you're meeting me for the first time, I'm Madame Muze, a singer, songwriter, mental health advocate, and digital content creator from Central Wisconsin. I aspire to inspire, and I'm building a music career around that purpose. I want someone chasing their dreams or going through a difficult chapter to hear me sing and feel a little more able to take their next step.
I'd love your support as I take this next step. Voting is scheduled to begin October 15, 2026. Save my contestant profile so you can find me when it opens.
- My official Next Music Star profile can be found HERE
Why this competition is bigger than just you and me
This is a competition with a purpose, where all proceeds earned through the fundraising are donated to Musicians On Call, a 501(c)(3) charity, which brings performing musicians as well as recorded music to the bedsides of patients, families, and caregivers in healthcare environments to uplift the hearts and minds of people who are experiencing difficult times.
What Next Music Star could make possible
For me, those opportunities connect directly to the work I'm already doing. Mentorship could help me develop my craft. The prize money could help me invest in my voice and original music. A larger audience could introduce my songs to people who connect with the experiences behind them.
I want to earn that opportunity by continuing to practice, write honestly, and grow as a performer.
- Next Music Star is an online music competition operated by Elevate Global, with iHeart serving as a prize provider. Public voting helps determine which artists advance.
- The advertised grand prize includes $10,000, a mentor meeting, a performance at iHeart's KIIS FM Jingle Ball Village in Los Angeles, and potential airplay on 102.7 KIIS FM, subject to iHeart's approval and the official prize terms.
Why I chose to start over
After facing trauma and being diagnosed with PTSD while already struggling with chronic illness, I turned to music as part of my healing. It regulated me while I was facing struggles with my mental health, gave me a way to express what I was carrying, and helped me discover a purpose I wanted to pursue.
- That meant making a difficult choice. I left a successful digital marketing career to develop as a vocalist and songwriter, knowing that starting over would bring long hours and financial uncertainty.
- Letting people hear you while you're still learning a new skill on a livestream is vulnerable, but it is also freeing to give yourself permission to begin before you have every answer.
- Facing ridicule and criticism has been challenging, but adversity also holds opportunity. Every time someone has made a hurtful comment as I have been learning and growing my skill set, I see it as an opportunity to be the light. I understand that hurt people hurt people, and to be the change we want to see in the world, we must be unlike the energy that causes injuries. Compassion is the key, and kindness is free. Choosing to respond rather than react in these moments is something I have witnessed make a difference in many people
- My business and marketing experience taught me how much work goes into building something that lasts. I bring that same discipline to my music, along with the courage and aspiration to set an example for people who are struggling that it is possible to start over and be successful.
- If you've ever had to rebuild your life or reconsider the future you imagined, you may understand why this matters so much to me. Starting over asks you to keep showing up while the outcome is still uncertain. Music is healing and something I am truly passionate about.
- Music saves lives. My passion is beautiful because it has given me a way to fulfill my purpose. I aspire to inspire and uplift others who are chasing their dreams or going through a tough time. I post content and am writing music that helps shift perspectives as well as motivate and shift mindsets!
Learning to trust my voice
I haven't had formal vocal training since I took choir in middle school. I'm learning through practice and experimentation, discovering what my voice can do and how to use it with more confidence.
- I love the moment a new technique starts to make sense. Hearing that progress in a cover or finding a place for it in an original song makes me want to keep working. The growth is meaningful because I know what it took to get there.
- Performing also asks me to step outside my comfort zone in front of other people. I'm letting others see me learn. I hope someone watching feels encouraged to try something they've been afraid to begin.
When a song I sing comforts someone on a hard night, I feel connected to why I started. Developing my voice gives me more ways to express what I mean and reach the person listening.
The people I want my music to reach
When I think about who I'm singing for, I think about someone who is close to giving up on themselves or a dream they still carry.
I want that person to hear my music and think, "Maybe I can keep going, too."
That hope is at the heart of the Muze Tribe, the community growing around my music and live performances. I want our time together to be a place where people feel seen, supported, and welcome to be themselves.
The artists who helped me believe again
Livingston, Able Heart, and Taylor Swift inspire the kind of artist I want to become.
- Livingston's emotional honesty resonates deeply with me. During a difficult chapter, his song "Glow" gave me hope I thought I had lost. I know what it feels like when someone else's music reaches you when you need it.
- Able Heart's drive as an independent singer, songwriter, and producer inspires me, too. His uplifting messages and his own story helped me believe in possibility again.
- I admire Taylor's songwriting, business instincts, and persistence. With my background in digital marketing, I appreciate the care that goes into building a career that can support a creative life over time.
All three are dream collaborators. I would love to learn from their creative processes and write music together. What stays with me most is the hope their work gave me. I want to offer that feeling to someone else through my own songs.
Beyond Grateful
To everyone who has listened, shared a kind word, or encouraged me to keep growing: thank you. Your support belongs in this next chapter. When I talk about the butterfly effect, I think about how one person's encouragement can give another person the courage to act.
My Purpose Drives Me
My long-term dream is to found a nonprofit for people facing chronic illness, mental health challenges, or the effects of trauma and domestic violence. I want to help people turn adversity into art by giving them tools, resources, and encouragement to develop their talents and pursue their dreams.
Building a sustainable music career is part of how I hope to work toward that future. I want the resources to give back consistently and with care.
How I would put the prize to work
My goal is purposeful profitability: building a sustainable career that gives me the resources to give back. If I won the $10,000 grand prize, I would focus on:
- Vocal development, so I can keep strengthening my voice and confidence as a performer.
- Recording equipment and creative assets, to support my original music and how I share it.
- My brand and website, giving listeners a clear place to discover my work and stay connected.
- Thoughtful music marketing, using my professional experience to connect my songs with the people most likely to find meaning in them.
Those investments would strengthen the foundation of the career I'm building. Over time, I want that stability to help me create opportunities I can pay forward.
How to support Madame Muze in Next Music Star 2026
If my story or my music connects with you, here's how you can help:
- Save my official contestant profile. Voting is scheduled to open October 15. Bookmark the page so it's easy to return.
- Use the free voting option when voting opens. Follow the site's eligibility and verification steps. The competition FAQ describes one free vote per person every 24 hours during active voting periods.
- Set a personal reminder to return or sign up to receive daily reminders either on this website or with the voting website. Check your voting page for your next eligible vote and the current round deadline.
- Share my story with someone who may connect with it. A personal introduction can help a new listener understand who I am and why I'm pursuing this.
Free votes and shares are meaningful ways to support me. The current Top 20 round ends October 26, 2026; check the official competition schedule for updates in case anything changes.
2026 Competition Schedule:
- Top 20 Round: Ends October 26, 2026
- Top 15 Round: Ends October 29, 2026
- Top 10 Round: Ends November 1, 2026
- Top 5 Round: Ends November 4, 2026
- Finals Round: Ends November 8, 2026
- Wildcard Round: Ends November 9, 2026
- Quarterfinals: Ends November 19, 2026
- Semifinals: November 20 – November 24, 2026
- Finals: November 25 – November 29, 2026
Save my Next Music Star profile and join me for this next chapter
I'm grateful for the opportunity to keep growing and for every person willing to come along. I hope that sharing this journey gives you a reason to take a chance on something that matters to you, too.
I aspire to inspire, one song and one human connection at a time.
Yours truly,
Madame Muze
Be the light. Be the good. Be the love that’s misunderstood.
