'America's Got Talent' finalist Mandy Harvey to appear at UP Abilities

Deaf singer-songwriter Mandy Harvey will speak at ReelPeople: UP Abilities, part of the ReelAbilities Film & Arts Festival, Feb. 15, 2018, in Houston. Deaf singer-songwriter Mandy Harvey will speak at ReelPeople: UP Abilities, part of the ReelAbilities Film & Arts Festival, Feb. 15, 2018, in Houston. Photo: Noam Galai Photo: Noam Galai Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close 'America's Got Talent' finalist Mandy Harvey to appear at UP Abilities 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Back in December, Mandy Harvey posted a selfie while sporting a reindeer hat with jingle bells and wrote, "Hahaha it makes me laugh knowing I'm making a bunch of noise!"

The woman has a sense of humor.

The ukulele-playing singer-songwriter, who turned 30 in January, was a finalist lauded for her perfect pitch and original songs on Season 12 of "America's Got Talent" last year, placing fourth. This despite going deaf from a connective tissue disorder as a college freshman — while studying vocal music education. Then came a big fall: dropping out of school and into depression, until she found her way back to music.

Since her "AGT" run, she's co-written a memoir, "Sensing the Rhythm: Finding My Voice in a World Without Sound," sung the national anthem for the New York Giants and served as an ambassador for No Barriers USA, a nonprofit that organizes life-changing experiences for youth, veterans and people with disabilities.

Harvey will speak and perform at ReelAbilities Houston Film & Arts Festival's UP Abilities speaker series. Ahead of her appearance, she talked about her remarkable 2017, adapting to a new normal as a musician, what she misses hearing — and what she doesn't. She spoke by phone from Tampa, Fla., reading then answering questions orally via closed captioning.

Q: What kind of reaction have you gotten from people, particularly those with disabilities, since you appeared on "AGT"?

A: It's very interesting that a lot of people tell me I'm the only person who does this. I am surrounded by brilliant deaf musicians all the time. So it's kind of beautiful to be helping to further the idea that "deaf can" and to shed a little bit of a light on how there's different types of disabilities.

There are invisible disabilities. I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type 3. My whole body dislocates all the time, and it causes extreme pain. I have fragile nerves and joints, and sometimes I have trouble walking. … I'm seeing more and more people who have stuff like EDS, and they'll show up in their wheelchair, and this'll be the first time that they've left their house in a very long time. We just kind of hold onto each other and cry for a minute because the struggle that you deal with on a day-to-day basis, people just don't see it, and they don't understand it. It's nice to be able to show that I'm very much OK with my scars, and your scars are beautiful, too.

Q: What are visual tuners, and how do they help you?

A: I use one called Pano Tuner. It's a free app. You can sing into it, and you can see what notes you're singing. You plug them into software programs so you can see how your tone is shaped. There's a lot of technology out there that never used to be. I work a lot with dynamics of how loud I'm talking, like speaking into balloons and then feeling the texture on my fingertips, and then I get used to the feeling on my throat. I'll have other people talk into the balloon so I can feel them be so much louder or so much softer than me and adjust accordingly.

More Information ReelPeople: UP Abilities What: ReelAbilities' speaker series featuring Mandy Harvey; Joseph Bensmihen, advocate for people with disabilities who has cerebral palsy; and Caroline Casey, Dublin-based entrepreneur behind the global #valuable campaign for inclusion in the workplace When: 7-9 p.m. (doors open at 6:15) Feb. 15 Where: HCC West Loop South Campus Tickets: $18; reelabilitieshouston.org

I play music using vibrating speakers. … When somebody sits with you and breaks down this thing that you're feeling over here, that's the bass, versus this thing that you're feeling here, this rhythm pattern, that's the drums, and this sporadic thing over here, that's the singer. You can kind of paint a picture and then play it while looking at it to see what notes they're singing or what key it's being played (in).

Q: You write at the beginning of your book about the heartbreak of not remembering your father's voice. What sound do you miss hearing most?

A: I do miss his voice. I miss the common things, the things that used to really annoy me, like an alarm clock. The sound of your zipper as your fly is being pulled up so that you know it actually is up. The sound of the door as it closes, to know that it's really shut. My feeling of security really went down the tubes when I couldn't hear anymore. When it got dark, I'd get very afraid because I can't hear people coming up behind me. It took me a very long time to be able to sleep with the silence. … But I don't allow myself to dwell on what I'm missing and instead focus on what I've gained, which is I'm a better person, I love people more, and I appreciate music more.

Q: On the flip side, what don't you miss hearing?

A: (Laughs.) Oh, my gosh! If I want to take a nap on a plane where there's a screaming baby sitting right next to me, I can just close my eyes, and they're gone. How many people would pay good money to have that temporary fix? I used to joke with my mom that I wanted to ignore her so well that I lost my hearing. That's just a joke! I love my mom. But I can meditate on the busiest subway station. There are some significant beauties to it.

Q: You told the BBC you received death threats from within the deaf community for reading lips and speaking orally. What did you think about that?

A: It's a small percentage of people, and I feel like the BBC interview really blew it out of proportion. … The deaf community has been pushed down for such a long time. We haven't even recognized American Sign Language as a true language for very long. We used to institutionalize people. There's a lot of pain in the history of having deafness as part of your life. For me, I just see it as, this person has pain that they're dealing with. But it has not deterred me. … You can allow those voices to be big or just not give them the power they're wanting. Why give them a voice?

Q: What's next?

A: We need to work on creating a more inclusive music experience. I'm really so frustrated with going to festivals and there not being any closed captioning or interpreters. Why not allow the vast majority of people to understand what's being said? And not just ASL or English. I'm making a point this year to learn to sing a couple of songs in different languages and then sign them in their appropriate language as well. I want to sing a song in French and then sign using French Sign Language. We're going to break down some barriers this year. That's my goal.