Sheryl Crow was a math teacher before she became a singing star. Now another math teacher with Utah ties is hoping for the same result.

Chance McKinney, a part-time Sandy resident, is one of two finalists in Country Music Television's online competition "Music City Madness," a contest seeking to find the best unsigned country singer in America.

After a bracket-style competition modeled after the NCAA basketball tournament, McKinney has been chosen by online voters in each round to make it to the finals, which runs from today until Dec. 14.

The winner with the most online votes wins a meeting with country star Reba McEntire, a filmed online concert that will air on CMT.com, and an even bigger prize: A showcase in front of A & R reps at Valory Music Co., an imprint label that is home to McEntire, Jewel, Jimmy Wayne and Jack Ingram.

"It's been hectic for the past month-and-a-half," McKinney said from his part-time home in Washington state, the same day CMT executives notified him that he had reached the final round. "Today was really exciting."

McKinney teaches high school trigonometry and statistics at Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, a suburb of Seattle. He's got a deep voice reminiscent of George Strait, and experience singing the baritone part in a Motown revue for seven years, as well as opening concerts for Strait, Kenny Chesney, Gary Allan, Montgomery Gentry and fellow Utahns SHeDAISY.

His parents, Larry and Thea McKinney, live in Utah, and last month McKinney married Sandy resident Lisa B. Herron, whom he commutes to see nearly every weekend.

In the past, Utah singers have done well in CMT's contest, which registers more than one million votes every year; two years ago, 13-year-old Clinton resident Katelyn Jolley won the competition.

Mark Hall, director of off-air programming and production at CMT, said McKinney's "Be Real" music video has resonated with CMT voters. "He's obviously the real deal," Hall said. "He's really polished for an amateur. Legitimate is the word that comes to mind."

McKinney hopes this competition, regardless of where he finishes, will allow him to perform country music full-time.

"Music is completely numbers in learning how to write songs," he said.

And, after all, a math teacher knows a lot about numbers.