Chloe Marie Watterud is the winner of Prairie Public TV’s Celebration of Music Talent Search competition. She has her own website at www.chloemariemusic.com.

Chloe Marie Watterud, a junior at Minot High School-Magic City Campus, is the winner of Prairie Public TV’s Celebration of Music Talent Search Competition.

Watterud learned she was the winner on Sept. 23 during Ethan Bortnick’s Generations of Music concert at the Belle Mehus Auditorium in Bismarck. She was among 13 finalists for the state honor and was chosen as the top contestant in both an online vote and in a vote by producers. She will now go to California next summer to represent the state during the national Celebration of Music Concert, which will be aired on Prairie Public TV.

“I’ve been (singing) ever since I could remember,” said Watterud, who wrote her first song when she was eight.

She always loved to sing along to a karaoke machine and has been involved in school music groups.

In the last two years, her love of music turned into a business, Chloe Marie Music.

“I can do like any type of gig – weddings, funerals, events, festivals,” said Watterud. “I’ve done a backyard party before. It kind of varies.”

Some of the events she has performed at include Oh!, Arts in the Park, The Minot Food Truck Festival, North Dakota Chokecherry Festival in Williston, First Lutheran’s Parking Lot Party in Bottineau, Mountrail County Rib Cook Off in Stanley, and others, according to her biography. She also has performed at events in Bismarck.

Watterud launched her business with an Instagram account, where she posted videos. According to the bio, she wrote and produced her first single, “Adore,” when she was in ninth grade, and then two more singles, “Don’t Have to Be” and “Now It’s Maybe.” At the end of her sophomore year, she released her first 5-song EP titled “New Start,” produced by Adapt Audio.

“Now that’s my job as a 17-year-old,” said­­ Watterud.

Watterud is also a cheerleader and a serious student, so juggling her various commitments can be a challenge.

“I try to take a lot of weekend gigs,” said Watterud. “It’s a lot of time management. It’s not always the easiest thing to do.” But Watterud said she has managed it.

While the appearance on Prairie Public should definitely give her even greater exposure, right now Watterud wants to take a practical approach to her future career.

She plans to major in music at North Dakota State University in Fargo and eventually become a music teacher so she can share her love of music with others.

Watterud is the daughter of Tony and Tanya Watterud. The family moved to Minot from Horace when Watterud was in the fifth grade.

(Prairie Profile is a weekly feature profiling interesting people in our region. We welcome suggestions from our readers. Call Editor Mike Sasser at 857-1959 or Regional Editor Eloise Ogden at 857-1944. Either can be reached at 1-800-735-3229. You also can send e-mail suggestions to msasser@minotdailynews.com.)