Portsmouth resident and Suffolk native Beverly Harper is preparing for an audition on a national stage that’s fast approaching.

Harper, 24, said she’s planning to attend the open-call audition for NBC’s “The Voice” television series in Atlanta, Ga., on July 27.

The four-time Emmy Award-winning series will return in September for its 17th season, “with the strongest vocalists from across the country invited to compete in NBC’s blockbuster vocal competition show,” according to nbcthevoice.com.

Harper is preparing to make a great impression at her July audition in order to receive the Red Card she needs for a callback audition. That will put her one step closer to performing on “The Voice.”

“It’s exciting. It’s a little scary, but every day that it gets closer I feel a little more at ease with it, which is great,” Harper said in a phone interview. “I’m filled with emotions. I’m excited though, overall.”

She sang back when she was a student at Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth and for three years at Trinity Episcopal Church in Portsmouth.

Her parents fostered her passion for singing at a young age. Her mother, Beverly Walker, has been a big influence on her, she said, as was her late father, Leslie “Big Harp” Harper, who died in 2018.

She said that people knew her father from his time singing in churches for funerals and weddings. Her parents raised her in the church and encouraged her dreams as a vocalist.

She said “Big Harp” always made it to her talent shows.

“He encouraged me to do these things, and before he passed, he told me I should do a show because he believed in me,” she said. “So, I finally decided to do it.”

Harper has raised $305 towards her $1,000 goal on her GoFundMe page as of Monday evening to help cover travel expenses for her audition. To make a donation, search for “Beverly’s trip to The Voice” on GoFundMe.com.