Mandy Harvey
Encyclopedia
Mandy Harvey is a deaf American
jazz
singer and songwriter
. A Vocal Music Education major at Colorado State University
, Mandy lost her hearing in 2006-2007 at age eighteen and left. She pursued several career options, including education, but returned to music in 2008. Smile (2009) is a self-produced album and has received acclaim from Jazz critics. She plans two more before December 2010.
before moving to Florida at age two. Daughter to a minister and to an educator, Mandy showed an early talent for singing, but also suffered infrequent periods of deafness. At age ten, her family moved to Colorado. Her vocal talent blossomed and she won numerous school awards, notably Top Female Vocalist of 2006 as a high school senior.
and the University of Northern Colorado
.. Mandy was one of fifteen students that year that were accepted to be vocal majors. During her first semester, Mandy noticed she had to move closer to hear recordings. Hearing aids helped at first. Six months later, she had no hearing left. Discouraged, Mandy left school and returned home to take American Sign Language
classes and pursue Elementary Education at a local community college. Once she returned home Mandy decided that she would take a year off of singing, but she did continue to play the guitar with her father. One day while searching the internet Mandy and her father discovered a song titled "Come Home" by One Republic. Mandy's father suggested that she learn the lyrics. Mandy thought this would be impossible but she gave it her best effort, and to her surprise she was able to learn the lyrics, and this is what made her suddenly realize that she didn't have to give up on singing.
Until January 2009, Mandy had not considered recording an album until meeting Bob and Donna Visocky while performing on her birthday. The Visockys were taken aback by Mandy's performance of "Smile" and commented their daughter who died in a car crash used to sing the same song. Bob and Donna encouraged Mandy to produce a CD. Smile became the feature song of the album.
Mandy recruited Mark Sloniker, Erik Applegate for bass, Mark Raynes for drums, and Andrew Vogt for saxophone. Together, they recorded all sixteen songs in two eight-hour sessions. The CD was released October, 2009 at Jay's Bistro.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
singer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. A Vocal Music Education major at Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
, Mandy lost her hearing in 2006-2007 at age eighteen and left. She pursued several career options, including education, but returned to music in 2008. Smile (2009) is a self-produced album and has received acclaim from Jazz critics. She plans two more before December 2010.
Early life
Mandy was born in Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
before moving to Florida at age two. Daughter to a minister and to an educator, Mandy showed an early talent for singing, but also suffered infrequent periods of deafness. At age ten, her family moved to Colorado. Her vocal talent blossomed and she won numerous school awards, notably Top Female Vocalist of 2006 as a high school senior.
College career
After graduating, Mandy applied and was accepted to Colorado State UniversityColorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
and the University of Northern Colorado
University of Northern Colorado
-Organization:The University of Northern Colorado offers 100 undergraduate programs and more than 100 graduate programs. The university has a satellite campus in Denver, Colorado...
.. Mandy was one of fifteen students that year that were accepted to be vocal majors. During her first semester, Mandy noticed she had to move closer to hear recordings. Hearing aids helped at first. Six months later, she had no hearing left. Discouraged, Mandy left school and returned home to take American Sign Language
American Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
classes and pursue Elementary Education at a local community college. Once she returned home Mandy decided that she would take a year off of singing, but she did continue to play the guitar with her father. One day while searching the internet Mandy and her father discovered a song titled "Come Home" by One Republic. Mandy's father suggested that she learn the lyrics. Mandy thought this would be impossible but she gave it her best effort, and to her surprise she was able to learn the lyrics, and this is what made her suddenly realize that she didn't have to give up on singing.
Career
A 2008 chance encounter with her former high school teacher, Cynthia Vaughn, led Mandy to revive her music passion. Vaughn offered music lessons and Mandy drove an hour each way twice a week. Impressed by the quality of Mandy's vocal talent after deafness, Vaughn introduced Mandy to renown Jazz Pianist Mark Sloniker at Jay's Bistro in Fort Collins. Sloniker invited Mandy to play on Thursdays. She is now a fixture at the bistro and continues to perform weekly. In addition to being a remarkable singer with a voice like an angel, Mandy is an avid football fan and delightful company.Until January 2009, Mandy had not considered recording an album until meeting Bob and Donna Visocky while performing on her birthday. The Visockys were taken aback by Mandy's performance of "Smile" and commented their daughter who died in a car crash used to sing the same song. Bob and Donna encouraged Mandy to produce a CD. Smile became the feature song of the album.
Mandy recruited Mark Sloniker, Erik Applegate for bass, Mark Raynes for drums, and Andrew Vogt for saxophone. Together, they recorded all sixteen songs in two eight-hour sessions. The CD was released October, 2009 at Jay's Bistro.