Courtney Harrell was eliminated from The Voice when the eleventh season's Top 8 artists were determined.

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Courtney, a 36-year-old professional songwriter from Boston, MA who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, landed in the bottom three with Austin Allsup from Texas and Aaron Gibson from Georgia based on home viewer votes cast following Monday night's Top 10 performance show.

After the three artists sang a survival song, America tweeted to "instantly save" Aaron for the third week in a row. Aaron represents Miley Cyrus' team, while both Austin and Courtney were on Blake Shelton's team.

For her last regular performance on the show, Courtney sang "If I Could Turn Back Time" by Cher, and for her "Instant Save" song on the most recent live results show, she belted out "Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts.

In addition to talking to Reality TV World about whether she was surprised to be eliminated, Courtney spoke with reporters during a conference call about her experience on The Voice. Below is what she had to say. 

Your performance of "Bless the Broken Road" was really beautiful, I thought. Would you ever consider a country career?

Courtney Harrell: Yes. I would consider my career taking me into the country world, but I don't know. You know, Austin may laugh when I say this because he was surprised that I know this phrase, but they have one that says, you know, "All you need in country is three chords and the truth."

And the truth is, I'm not a country singer. But I do share similarities and I like to sing with truth in everything that I'm doing, every song that I take on. And if that led me to a song that might be considered traditionally country in the way "Bless the Broken Road" is... I would love to do more songs like that.

But, you know, it's funny it came to the point where, you know, every time I got to the chorus in practicing that song I would break down and cry because it really is my life leading up to even being on The Voice.

And so, I would love to find songs that suit me in that way, suit my story that my heart can shine on that and my voice can support what my heart is trying to sing. And, you know, if that means I end up in country in some way, shape or form, then absolutely. But it definitely isn't something that is on my immediate to-do list, to be known as a country artist.

You had been performing in the background musically for a long time. Where do you think this Voice experience is going to lead you? What do you see in your musical future?

Courtney Harrell: Wow. I'm still questioning where it's going to take me. Again, like, I didn't come here with, you know, the intention to win the show and/or once I do well, I'm going to just start off with this big musical career that I never got to fully live out. I do think there is some singing in my future. I don't know in what capacity.

I do have a passion for writing and for singing. I think I'll always do that. Whether or not I want to do that in the same way some of the other contestants have or even the people that I write for, I know it entails a lot. And one of the acts that I sang background for was John Legend. And, you know, it's a lot of work. It's a lot of work and lot of putting yourself out there.

And I'm trying to figure out whether or not that's in my future in the way that it is for some of the others. But I do, in addition to this, have a tremendous love for teaching. I was a schoolteacher before this. And coaching other artists, I was doing that as well. And, you know, I may go on and expand in that. I haven't figured it out quite yet how I'm going to do it.

So you're not really sure whether you'll be releasing music of your own?

Courtney Harrell: I think I owe it to myself and to the people who have followed me and have grown to love me to release the songs that I've written and to just to share my heart in that way. I just am unsure on how my career as a singer is going to look.

You know, is it something that I've put out just to say that I've done it and I go back to writing, or is it something that I'm going to go full throttle with? And I haven't figured that out yet.

Now that you're getting back to normal as more of, like, a behind-the-scenes person writing for other artists, whom do you think is your frontrunner to win The Voice? Who is your favorite to win the whole thing?

Courtney Harrell: I don't have a favorite, I think. And I'm not saying that to be politically correct. I really do think it's anyone's game. They're all incredibly talented and incredibly, you know, just deserving.

And the other reason I don't have a favorite is I know how hard everyone has to work to progress in the show. No one is there off of raw talent alone. They're all there because they're putting in the work. And when I consider, you know, who deserves to win, I consider how hard have you worked?

And they all are doing that. And so, I would be thrilled with whomever walks away with that title. Okay, it is politically correct, but it is the truth. And the one thing I can promise you is that I will be truthful with you. And to further that truth, we all are very close to each other, and I know some people have a hard time grasping that because the world sees a competition.

And in essence it is, but none of us carry it that way. Like, you know, I'll give you an example of [We McDonald], who I would love to see win the show. And what We says to me after -- she realized that I had confidence issues -- was how much I believed in everyone else around me.

She said, "Now I just wish you could believe in yourself in the same way you believe in us, you know, and then you could win." So for her to say that -- and she's slated as the one to win -- like, we all just really love each other. And Austin is right about the people who work for The Voice. They foster that love and that relationship.

I've been in the music business, like, mainstream music business, for a very long time. The Voice is hands down the most loving, nurturing, encouraging, affirming musical environment I have ever been in. And if I will miss anything about being on the show, it will be being in that beautiful family environment.

So while it is politically correct, I am most definitely telling you the truth... I don't have a favorite. I really don't. I really don't. They're all brilliant. Whoever wins, I hope I'm writing for them.

To read more from Courtney's post-The Voice elimination interview, click here and here.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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