Back in 2017, you might have seen Mandy Harvey’s viral golden-buzzer moment from “America’s Got Talent.” On Feb. 11, she performed on a much different stage at ETSU.
The Deaf singer-songwriter gave a talk titled “Hidden Challenges: Understanding Invisible Disabilities,” discussing the obstacles she has faced in life as part of the university’s Festival of Ideas and 2020 Evening of Health, Wellness and the Arts program.
“We were interested in Mandy because she was on ‘America’s Got Talent,’ and she is a Deaf singer-songwriter,” Mary B. Martin School of the Arts Director Anita DeAngelis said. “She lost her hearing when she was a freshmen in college. We also felt that what she was talking about is relevant to our student population.”
DeAngelis mentioned that Harvey also shares a lesser known connection to East Tennessee. Her parents went to Milligan College, she has had family members work for and graduate from ETSU, and she frequently visits her family at Roan Mountain.
During her presentation, Harvey talked about how she had been involved in music from a young age. She started choir class at the age of four and spent time playing guitar with her father. She knew she wanted to pursue a career in music education, but all that fell apart when her deafness became a barrier in the process.
“My hearing loss continued to progress, and soon I was handed another piece of paper that said, ‘Thank you so much for your interest in being a part of the Music Education program, unfortunately…’” Harvey said. “It did not make any sense to me because this was everything that I was – everything that I ever thought of myself, the things that I valued of myself, my potential, my dream. I only had the one [dream].”
Harvey taught herself how to sing and play music again with the help of her music coach and self-training. She first sat down in front of a mirror with a tuner and tried to match the note until it worked. She memorized how the patterns felt in her throat, nasal cavity and chest to get through the musical scales.
Throughout the night she also sang some of her own music accompanied by the ukulele. She performed original songs like “Try” and “This Time.”
ETSU students and the community came out in masses to support Harvey and spent time getting to talk with her at the reception that followed. Kristen Bennett, an American Sign Language and music minor, said she was inspired by the event.
“In our Deaf Culture class, we learned that deafness is frequently viewed as a limitation and that many hearing individuals are unaware of the rich language and culture that is present in the Deaf community,” Bennett said. “However, due to the association that typically exists between sound and music, her accomplishments as a musician prove that deafness is not a limitation. Through performing, she is not only able to share her passion for music, but she is also able to open the eyes of individuals everywhere to the beauty of American Sign Language and the Deaf community.”
Attendees snapped pictures with Harvey, some tearing up as they shared their stories with her. DeAngelis agreed that Harvey’s presence at ETSU was crucial.
“Every year we try to bring artists that represent different communities just because we think it is really important to include [them], not only for our student population, but for our community,” DeAngelis said. “We are saying these are good things regardless of our preconceived notions about that individual artist.”
