For all you struggling artists, singers, dancers and actors out there, I certainly don’t need to tell you how hard it is to get noticed – to get those precious 15 minutes that it takes to convince a producer, casting director or agent that you are worth the investment. And some of us may not be as lucky as the Snookis, Teresa Giudices or Heidi Montags out there and get noticed the good old fashioned way – by groveling, cajoling and wheedling our ways into a director’s heart.

But fortunately, the barrier to entry for entertainers has been lowered, and you no longer have to know a friend whose cousin had a college roommate whose great uncle used to know the casting director of “Friends.” Now, all you need is a Web cam, a laptop, a killer talent and that little thing called the Internet.

Back in 2008, a kid with silly hair first got discovered after he posted a YouTube video of himself singing and the video quickly amassed millions of followers, which attracted the attention of music icon Usher. That teenager was named Justin Bieber, and since that fateful day the Canadian singer-songwriter has gone on to become one of the most successful artists of his generation, going platinum with his debut album only a year later. Bieber’s success showed the world just how far the entertainment business had come in that you no longer needed money or the right connections to get noticed. You just had to be a “Belieber.” 

Around that same time, America’s Got Talent – NBC’s reality TV series that searches for a $1 million Vegas act – also realized that YouTube phenomenons deserved a chance for instant stardom. Consequently, the show amended the rules in Season Five to include contestants who had amassed substantial followings of their act on YouTube. That change has allowed TV viewers to get to see some of the greatest dance, magic, and singing acts to date and once again illustrated just how quickly technology has taken over the role of the casting director.

This month, it appears one unknown individual is trying to make his singing dreams come true – ala Justin Bieber style – as an 18-year-old named Noah, whose YouTube alias is “only1noah,” has been posting cover after cover of leading pop and R&B songs, and amassing millions of views in the process. His most recent posting on May 9 of “Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO gained over seven million hits in just a week.

And judging by the comments, the world might be getting a glimpse of the next big star. From “Time to get Famous my friend,” to “This is just awesome,” to “Oh god, you gonna be super famous soon!,” the South Carolina native is racking up comments every minute on the video sharing site for his covers. In fact, Noah has become such an overnight sensation that he recently appeared on “The Today Show.”

In addition to posting a new video every week – and covering popular songs from “It Will Rain” to “We are Young” to “Someone Like You” – Noah has created a Facebook and Twitter page, and judging by his over 15,000 Twitter followers, the teen is well on his way to instant stardom.

What Noah has shown us, along with good ole’ Bieber, is that the only thing standing in the way of you reaching your dreams in this 21^st century tech world, is you. So get out there, show the world your talent, and accept the fact that today your resume has a much better chance of getting noticed in the form of a YouTube video than through an agency.

And to you Noah: here’s hoping this article gets you even a little bit more exposure so everyone can see your greatness. Can’t wait for your first concert!