Keith Paluso grew up "jamming in (his) parents' garage" with his brother. Now the Atoka resident and Germantown park ranger is a contestant on "The Voice" this season.

"My brother and I started playing music in middle school," he said.

When he became a Tennessee park ranger, he hung up his guitar.

"I put music on the back burner to focus on my career," he said. "When our baby was born, it gave me a new zest for life. ... If you like something, life's too short not to go for it."

He went through the "The Voice" audition process for months, and his audition in front of a live studio audience premiered Tuesday.

The episode featured Paluso first, and he performed a cover of "Way Down We Go" by Kaleo, a rock band.

In the NBC show, contestants audition while coaches, who are accomplished recording artists, are turned in chairs backward. If they are interested in the singer, they turn the chair around, and at the end of the audition, the contestant chooses his or her coach.

"Months leading up to the day, just trying to visualize it, my stomach would turn," Paluso said. "But if this was my day, I was going to focus on playing my best show."

Country singer Blake Shelton turned first to watch the remainder of the performance by Paluso.

"The crowd was so hype, but out of the corner of my eye, I did see Blake turn his chair," Paluso said.

Adam Levine also turned his chair near the end of the performance but he was blocked by Shelton, leaving Paluso to join the country star's team.

Shelton was excited to get Paluso on his team.

Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson both described his voice as "soulful."

"The Voice" airs at 7 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC. Auditions will air through Oct. 9, and the Battle Rounds begin Oct. 15.