No water was thrown on the set of America"s Got Talent on Tuesday night.
But jaws were definitely dropped.
About six weeks after Mandy Harvey first took the stage on this NBC reality show, the deaf singer performed in the quarterfinals, hoping to take yet another step closer to winning it all.
(Yes, Harvey really is deaf.)
The aspiring singer-songwriter lost her hearing at the age of 18 due to a connective tissue disorder, but she refuses to let this condition get in the way of her dreams.
"When I lost my hearing, music died. I lost my way of communicating. And my parents were the ones who encouraged me to find music again," Harvey said in a pre-recorded package before her live performance at the Dolby Theater this week.
"I was told for such a long time that you had to have hearing to enjoy music.
"But I"ve found that music was meant to be felt. Feeling everything move – feeling the song through the floor, feeling my voice."
Harvey earned a Golden Buzzer for her debut audition, along with the admiration of viewers everywhere.
Standing by herself with nothing but her ukulele in this case, the 29-year-old poured her heart with a lovely, original ballad titled "Mara"s Song," which she wrote for her close friend"s wedding.
There is so much I could say to you – so much I want to say," Simon Cowell said in response.
"But your music, and you, says it all. All I"m gonna say is you are and you will make a difference. That was stunning."
Added Heidi Klum:
"There was no backing track, there was no production around it. It was just you, your beautiful voice, your ukulele, and it was very powerful."
This really was a unique performance…
… but a unique individual.
Watch it for yourself – and prepare to stand up and clap immediately afterward.
