Not many Aggies can say they wowed a group of judges that included Michael Bublé, Snoop Dogg, Niall Horan and Reba McEntire. But sophomore Aiden Ross can. With his remarkable talent, he impressed not only that lineup but the entire nation, taking home the top prize during the nail-biting finale of the popular musical competition “The Voice.”
After weeks of intense competition and a string of amazing performances, Ross’ hard work and talent paid off as he was declared the winner in the final round of competition, which saw him face off against five other talented finalists.
This season, Ross was coached by Niall Horan, who chose Ross to represent Team Horan during the tense finale. Ross says Horan was an amazing mentor to him during this season.
“I have a great connection with him. He has been a great mentor to me throughout this process. He also just makes the kind of music that I want to create one day,” Ross said. “I’m not a full-time student currently, but I am still taking classes, and so finding that balance between doing my schoolwork and doing my music work has been really fun, but really interesting.”
Ross learned to play guitar from his dad, who also bought him a left-handed guitar so that he would have an easier time learning the instrument. It worked, and he was soon playing advanced songs and eventually writing his own music.
Photos by Sarah Seymour/Texas A&M University Division of Marketing & Communications
Ross is studying industrial distribution at Texas A&M, confessing that he avoided a degree in music out of fear before taking the leap to throw his hat in the ring for a spot on “The Voice.”
“I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. I didn’t think that there was a space in it for me,” Ross said. “But since ‘The Voice’ started, I started to see this light. And the farther I’ve gotten in this process, like it’s just started to burn brighter and brighter.”
At Texas A&M, Ross continued feeding his love of music, joining the a cappella group HardChord DynaMix.
Photos by Sarah Seymour/Texas A&M University Division of Marketing & Communications
Although he didn’t decide to pursue a degree in music, he found a way to channel his passion for it while attending Texas A&M.
“I think the moment that I realized that I belonged at Aggieland was whenever I joined the a cappella group HardChord DynaMix. I joined late, and so they had already been well established, and I didn’t really know anybody in the group, but I was immediately welcomed with open arms.
“I think that’s just a really special thing about this university — that with it being such a big school, there’s a space for everybody, as long as you’re willing to seek it out,” he said.
Ross discovered his love of music while playing with his family. His supporters in Aggieland, including his girlfriend, Lauren Moore ’25, have helped catapult him into the winner’s seat of this year’s competition.
Photos by Sarah Seymour/Texas A&M University Division of Marketing & Communications
In September, Ross released his first single, “Everything and More,” which has nearly 150,000 streams. He said that winning “The Voice” has given him the confidence to pursue his dream.
“I’m ready to give music my everything,” he said.
