Always Sometimes: Wall's Jessica Poland Ready For Live Show On The Voice

The pressure is on for Wall's Jessica Poland, one of 24 finalists on NBC's The Voice, as the show enters its live shows beginning Monday.

Poland, a Wall Township High School graduate who sings under the name Charlotte Sometimes, may sing Monday before a live television audience of millions as she continues in the national singing cometition.

Wall Patch caught up with Poland, who is in Los Angeles preparing for her performance.

In the week that the finalists have been in L.A., there has been little down time, Poland said. She's rooming with contestant Naia Kete and has been rehearsing with her vocal coach and with her vocal coach. A full dress rehearsal is set for Monday afternoon, she said.

"I am still having fun but the pressure is nuts!,'' Poland said.

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NBC will air The Voice beginning at 8 p.m. Monday, with results to air Tuesday. This short video explains how to vote for your favorite artist.
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Poland advanced to the live show rounds after beating out a teammate in a battle round, .

Country star Blake Shelton chose following the battle, where Poland and another teammate sang the same song before a studio audience and the four judges.

“Charlotte got up there and you can’t take your eyes off her, which is what you need to make a star,’’ Shelton said before choosing Poland to continue in the show.

Poland began writing songs and singing when she was 14 – just about the same time a rare degenerative disease began to eat away at her jaw, threatening a promising singing career before it really even began.

She was diagnosed with Condylar Resorption when she was a student at .

The disease, in which the bones of the jaw are steadily broken down and disintegrate, is nine times more likely to affect women and generally begins at puberty. There is no known cause.

Poland considers herself lucky. She was able to get the medical attention and the reconstructive surgery she needed to rebuild her jaw. She is currently setting up a nonprofit organization to raise money and awareness about her disease.

“It’s really hard for these girls to find help,’’ Poland has said. “It’s tough to find information, because there’s not a lot of research going on. I feel like if there’s anything I can do, any way I can help that I should that.’’

Poland now lives in New York City, she is a lifelong resident of Wall. She attended , and graduated from in 2006. Her parents, Hartson and Tracy Poland, live in North Wall.

She’s continuing a promising singing career. She has released a studio album, three EPs and performed on the 2008 Warped Tour, among other accomplishments.

Poland's stage name -- Charlotte Sometimes -- is one part her middle name (Charlotte) and one part a nod to a 1960s novel by the same name about a boarding school girl who travels back in time to live another girl's life. The book was popularized by a song, also by the same name, recorded by '80s New Wave band The Cure.