Amanda Lynn Harvey (born January 2, 1988) is an American jazz and pop singer and songwriter who is deaf and who took part in the 12th season of America's Got Talent.
Video Mandy Harvey
Biography
Harvey was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. She had hearing problems and underwent several surgeries as a child to try to correct them. Her family moved to Colorado when she was a young child. She sang throughout her childhood and her talent was recognized at Longmont High School, where she graduated in 2006. Harvey gradually lost her hearing as a result of the connective tissues disorder Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. She lost her remaining hearing when she was eighteen, while she was majoring in vocal music education at Colorado State University; as a result she left the university.
In 2008 she met jazz pianist Mark Sloniker at Jay's Bistro in Fort Collins, where she began performing regularly. She later performed at Dazzle Jazz Lounge in Denver and recorded several jazz albums. JazzTimes wrote of her debut album, Smile, "The vocals are rich and captivating." In 2011 Harvey won VSA's International Young Soloist Award. She later returned to perform at the Kennedy Center. She is an Ambassador for the nonprofit organization No Barriers to help people with disabilities overcome obstacles. Harvey uses "visual tuners" to help her find pitches.
In 2017, Harvey appeared on America's Got Talent, season 12, where she took 4th place, using her ukulele while performing original songs during the competition. The same year, she published a memoir with co-author Mark Atteberry, Sensing the Rhythm: Finding My Voice in a World Without Sound.
In a November 15, 2017 interview for the BBC, Harvey described how she was accused of promoting oralism when she first took to the stage and has received death threats from within the Deaf community for promoting a "hearing" activity.
Maps Mandy Harvey
References
External links
- Mandy Harvey's Website
- NBC video profile, 2015
- BBC video profile, 2017
Source of article : Wikipedia
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