NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The music bug hit Hailey Verhaalen at an early age.
"First performance I can remember was a third-grade talent show at Gaffney Lane Elementary School," Verhaalen said from her home in Nashville. "I just fell in love with the performing aspect."
Seven years ago, the 2011 Oregon City High School grad moved from her hometown to Nashville to help get her music career moving.
"I didn't know much about this city, but I knew I needed to be here to surround myself by a city that is doing the exact same thing I was doing," Verhaalen said. "They call this a 10-year town. A lot of people say that you don't get anywhere until you get to your 10th year."
She's is in year seven of her move.
"It is so hard in Nashville to get anybody to believe in your music, your sound," Verhaalen said. "There's so many people doing the same thing. One of the biggest ways to cut through in this industry is by winning something like this."
She's talking about the Tractor Supply Emerging Artist Program, led by some big-name country music stars.
Hailey submitted a video applying for the program.
"I quickly did this video; I messed up a few lines and didn't realize it until after I posted it," Verhaalen said.
She said she was on vacation with her husband when she saw an e-mail saying she had made the final five. Each of the five finalists will be paired with a country music star over the next year to help them guide their music career.
Verhaalen's mentor is Grammy-winning artist Ashley McBryde.
"I'm like what is happening? What the heck! I could not believe it. I could not believe what I was reading," Verhaalen said. "I've been telling every single person that I've talked to in the last week that I truly, I've had to pinch myself at least a hundred times a day."
In just the first few weeks since she was selected there have been plenty of those pinch-me moments.
She's recorded music at the famous Black Bird Studio in the same room as artists like Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift.
In early June she opened for Lainey Wilson at CMA Fest and then joined her onstage to sing Wilson's hit song "Heart Like a Truck."
"All of those moments combined into one," Verhaalen said of the experience. "I just watched all of my dreams come true in a couple weeks time."
In September, she will play on one of country music's biggest stages at the Grand Ole Opry again with Wilson and will be one of the headliners locally at the Oregon City Concerts in the Park on Aug. 10.