Cincinnati-area singer named a semifinalist on 'CBS Mornings' Mixtape Music Competition

A rising Cincinnati star has entered the national spotlight.

Local mother and gospel singer Andrea Hall has been selected as a semifinalist in the "CBS Mornings" Mixtape Music Competition.

In June, the popular morning show asked talented musicians, singers and bands across the country to send in videos of their covers of Johnny Nash's iconic tune "I Can See Clearly Now."

Hall and hundreds of others submitted their entries, each one showcasing a variety of styles including soul, rock, country and experimental.

Fourteen entries made the semifinal cut, CBS announced Wednesday, including Hall's rendition of the classic 1972 song.

"It was surreal, definitely, hearing (CBS) say my name, put my picture up on the screen and play a snippet of my submission," Hall told The Enquirer of Wednesday's announcement. "I had family members calling me and saying, 'Is that you on the TV right now?'"

The 43-year-old Hall, who currently resides in Greenhills, is a mother of two, a graduate of Walnut Hills High School, a lover of gospel and R&B, and the daughter of a local pastor − the "preacher's kid," as she calls it.

She's been singing in church choirs since she was young but didn't start posting cover songs online until her mother died in 2013. Since then, Hall has regularly posted videos of herself singing covers of songs as a way to pay tribute to her late mother, who was an "artsy" person, she said.

When she's not posting cover videos on her social media pages (or watching "CBS Mornings" almost every morning), she can often be found at World Outreach Christian Church in Lockland, where she sings in the adult choir and directs the children's one.

Hall is also a committed member of the Greater Cincinnati Choral Union, a local chapter of the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses .

Despite making it to the semifinals of the competition, Hall said she's not really feeling stressed about it and is "just going to soak it in and enjoy the moments when they come."

"With the support system I have − family, friends, friends of friends all over the country – I feel like I have a good chance," she said. "I'm just going to use whatever platform I get just to show the talents that I have, and whatever is going to be, let it be."

You can follow Hall and listen to more of her covers on her Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and YouTube .

How to vote

Fans can vote for their favorite semifinalist until Tuesday, Aug. 13. Up to three votes per person a day will be accepted.

The fans' vote, together with the judging panel decisions, will determine the top three finalist videos, which will be announced on Aug. 21. The judging panel will then select the winning video and the grand prize will be announced on "CBS Mornings" on Sept. 3.

The winner will get to record their song and be featured on "CBS Mornings." Their cover could even become the anthem for the show's new national promotional campaign.

Who are the semifinalists in the 'CBS Mornings' Mixtape Music Competition?

Here is the full list of the 14 semifinalists in the "CBS Mornings" Mixtape Music Competition:

• Andrea Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Brian Fitzy , Coatesville, Pennsylvania
• Chandler Flannery , New Haven, Connecticut
• Delia Chariker , Goose Creek, South Carolina
• Dezmulara , Los Angeles, California
• Dylan Rockoff , Nashville, Tennessee
• Forbes , Atlanta, Georgia
• Julia James , Nashua, New Hampshire
• Kyndle Wylde , Nashville, Tennessee
• Naiomi Israel , Brooklyn, New York
• Noah Deist , Hurricane, Utah
• RaiSan Sings , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Ryan Wirtz , Chino Hills, California
• Skyfactor , Maplewood, New Jersey and Westchester, New York

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati-area singer named a semifinalist on 'CBS Mornings' Mixtape Music Competition