‘We’re a dream duo!’
Despite the 12 years between them, singing teacher Kelsi and her student Jess are the perfect TV pair
When 13-year-old Jessica Laffan first saw Kelsi Boyden perform on stage in a musical, she was so captivated, she decided to do her own version of the song and post it on Instagram. When Kelsi heard Jess’ rendition, she was floored.
“I was like, ‘Who is this girl?’” Kelsi, 25, tells Woman’s Day. “We got in contact and started singing lessons together.”
A year later, they’re about to perform on The Voice Australia: Generations and Jess couldn’t be more excited.
“I’ve always wanted to audition for The Voice,” she says. “But my parents didn’t really like the idea because of all of the exposure so young. When the opportunity came along, we went to Kelsi and decided to give it a go together.”
With COVID lockdowns affecting them in Sydney, preparing for their time in the spotlight proved difficult. “It made it hard for us to be in the same room, so all our lessons were done over Zoom,” Kelsi explains. “It was tricky, but we made it work.”
Thankfully, the process was fun for the pair. “We both love musical theatre and pop music, so it was about finding a song that would show off our vocals,” says Kelsi.
That’s not where the similarities between the pair end, though. While there are 12 years between them, Jess and Kelsi still have a lot in common.
“We both love to sing, dance and act,” tells Jess. “We went to the same high school, we both tap dance and we performed in our school productions – and Kelsi studied at the Western Australian Academy Of Performing Arts, which is where I’m heading one day, hopefully.”
Both girls admit they were incredibly apprehensive during filming, however, they felt more at ease having a friend by their side.
“It was nerve-wracking, but we helped each other through it,” says Kelsi. “I don’t think we would have done as well if we were doing solo performances. Being together really made us be better.”