"I finished and I looked around and everyone was on their feet. I had Jason and Rachel standing and slowly Chris stood."
The biggest encouragement came from judge and Opshop frontman Kerrison, she said.
"He said, 'I was going to say you're one of the best singers in this competition but you're one of the best singers I've ever heard'. I just froze. It was incredible," she said.
It was an agonising wait between the initial auditions in Tauranga and getting the news, during maths class, that she had been selected to audition for the judges in Auckland.
The two-month wait between the Auckland audition and last night's screening was almost as bad, she said. Now it's back to waiting again to see if she made it to the semifinals.
The Year 10 student unsuccessfully auditioned for the show last year and would not have given it another shot if it was not for the encouragement of her proud mother.
Mother Sheryl Gray knew her daughter was a talented singer from a young age but it was not until she auditioned for the school choir when she was 9 years old that Calista had realised how good she was.
"My music teacher started crying and I thought I was so bad but she was like, 'That was beautiful'," Calista said.
Vocal coach Scott Braid said there was no doubt Calista had raw talent but it was her dedication that set her apart.
"What's happening now is not an overnight thing.
"It's four years of a hell of a lot of hard work.
"This one's a machine because she's so desperate to succeed. She wants to do this for a living," he said.
"It's not just someone opening their gob and seeing what happens. It's a skill that's learnt over time.
"I personally think Calista is a superstar in the making."
For Calista the show is a chance to do what she loves and begin to make a career of it.
"I just love performing - even if it means busking on the streets, I'll do it."
