Ever since she was young, Medford resident Hannah Turck always dreamed of singing in front of thousands of people at a major concert venue.
Not only did she get her chance on stage, but she would end up singing with a country music star.
On Aug. 15, Turck’s dream became a reality as she performed “We Were Us” with Keith Urban during a concert at the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel.
“It was just something I wanted to do since I was a little girl,” Turck said.
Turck, 18, earned the chance to sing after winning a contest held by Thunder 106, a country music radio station based in Eatontown. After hearing about the contest and receiving encouragement from her family and friends, she decided to submit an audition video.
“I love to sing and I always wanted to be on a stage that big,” she said. “I love Keith Urban.”
Thunder 106 held the contest to find someone to perform “We Were Us” with Urban. In his album ”Fuse,” Urban performs the song with country singer Miranda Lambert. However, with Lambert unable to be at the Aug. 15 concert, Thunder 106 looked for an area singer to fill the void.
Days after submitting her video, Turck learned she was the singer chosen.
“It was so surreal,” Turck said upon learning she had won.
Turck has been a singer for most of her childhood. She performed in the chorus in elementary school and in ensemble in middle school. She has spent some time singing at local events such as the Harvest Festival in Marlton. In addition, Turck writes her own songs during her free time.
“I absolutely love it,” she said. “I love the people and I love the music. I’m a huge supporter of people who pursue their passion.”
Even though she always had dreams of performing in front of a large crowd, taking the stage at the PNC Arts Center was beyond anything Turck could imagine.
“When I was waiting off the stage, I was thinking ‘Oh my goodness, there’s about 30,000 people out there,’” Turck said.
After talking for a minute with Urban and saying hi to her family in the crowd, the song began and all the nerves Turck felt disappeared.
“When I stepped on the stage, all my fears went away,” she said. “I thought to myself, ‘This is always where I wanted to be.’”
At the end of the night, Turck received a surprise from Urban. He left her a guitar with a special message.
“It was a gift to say thank you,” Turck said. “He said ‘Hannah, thank you for filling in for us.’ He signed his name. It was really an awesome surprise.”
A 2014 graduate of Shawnee High School, Turck began attending Mount St. Mary’s College just days after the concert. While Turck plans to focus on academics and earning her degree, she is not giving up on her dream of having a career in music.
“I want to be able to have the best of both worlds,” she said.
To see Turck’s full performance with Urban, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNPKtNFl-6s#t=25.
