THE VOICE -- “Blind Auditions” Episode 1905 -- Pictured: Julia Cooper -- (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)

Julia Cooper grew up performing on the Youngstown Playhouse stage with its Youth Theatre and at Powers Auditorium as one of the Little Rascals in Easy Street Productions’ “Miracle on Easy Street.”

Now the 21-year-old singer from Poland is sharing a stage with John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani as a contestant on the NBC reality competition series “The Voice.”

“Growing up I always dreamed of being on a show like that,” Cooper said. “To have it be my reality, I still don’t think it’s sunk in all the way. It’s so incredible.”

Cooper made her debut last week in the blind auditions, when the judges have their chairs turned away from those auditioning and only can judge their talent by their voice. Cooper was eight words into her rendition of Maura Rogers’ “Alaska” when 11-time Grammy winner Legend spun his chair around. Fellow judges Clarkson and Stefani soon followed.

Their quick response didn’t distract her.

“When I’m on stage, I have a certain focus,” she said. “I talked with a lot of people and said I’m not going to pay attention to them turning around. If they did, ‘OK, you’re through. Now I can really focus on this song and this performance’ … (But) inside I was freaking out.”

Before her audition in front of the judges, Cooper decided Legend would be her first choice for a mentor, but she admitted it was more difficult when she actually had to choose.

“I think as artists, we look at music in a similar way,” she said. “His genre is closest to mine. Even though his vocal style is very improvisational, because of my musical theater and jazz background, that’s something I love to bring to my performance.”

Cooper’s journey to a national television audience started in the Mahoning Valley. She cited several mentors and teachers who helped nurture her talent and her love of music and theater — Easy Street cofounder Maureen Collins, Kathi’s Dance and Gym Center in Poland, voice teachers that included Liz Rubino, Amanda Beagle and Michael Moritz.

“I’ve been singing and doing local theater since I was 5,” she said.

She was in Poland schools through eighth grade, but she decided to go to high school at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School in Midland, Pa., and from that point on she primarily did theater in the Pittsburgh area. She’s currently studying commercial songwriting at Middle Tennessee State University outside Nashville, but with classes online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she’s back home in Poland.

Cooper first submitted an audition for “The Voice” about a year ago because she heard they were going to be in Pittsburgh. She didn’t get picked that time, but she remained on the email list, and received notice earlier this year about an open mic audition in Nashville in March.

The coronavirus turned the in-person Nashville event into an Instagram Live event, she said, and it led to her invitation to appear on the show. Her audition that aired last week was recorded in August.

An NBC publicist said she did not know when Cooper’s next episode would be broadcast (“The Voice” airs at 8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC), but the battle r ounds (where singers face off against other members of their teams) begin tonight.

Cooper isn’t allowed to talk about anything that’s happened since the blind auditions, but she said she’s enjoyed working with Legend and the other judges / mentors.

“It’s been really incredible to work with him and just get his feedback,” she said. “Having these four in front of you giving you feedback is just incredible. I love constructive criticism. That’s just as important as getting positive feedback … I’ve learned so much during this process and my journey.”