From SongSight to America’s Got Talent: Blind Artist Sarah Hardwig Learned to Believe
When people see an artist walk onto the stage of America’s Got Talent, they’re witnessing a single moment.
What they don’t see are the countless moments that came before it – the doubts overcome, the confidence built, and the courage discovered to keep pursuing a dream long before the spotlight.
Watch Sarah’s interview here.
We remember Sarah Hardwig’s voice filling the halls at our 2022 SongSight Music Mentoring Retreat for the Blind, surrounded by fellow blind and visually impaired musicians, each on their own similar journey of musical and personal discovery.
That’s what SongSight has always been about. Music is the vehicle, but something even deeper happens when blind musicians find the confidence to stop holding back and begin sharing the gifts they’ve been given.
For Sarah, that transformation was deeply personal.
“I learned to improve musically and express myself when it comes to music,” she shared. “I was really insecure about a lot of things and self critical, especially musically. I always doubted whether it was enough, but I learned when someone tells me I did a good job, believe it, just believe it. There’s no reason to doubt it.”
That kind of growth doesn’t end when the retreat is over. Witnessing Sarah step onto one of the country’s biggest stages via America’s Got Talent reminds us why this work of mentorship matters.
Sarah’s performance on national television showcases extraordinary talent. But it also tells every blind musician watching, “Your dreams are worth pursuing, too.”
Sarah put it beautifully:
“Imagination is powerful, blindness really doesn’t matter and you can achieve your dreams whether you can see or not.”
That belief is at the heart of what we hope every SongSight attendee leaves with—not simply becoming a better musician, but becoming someone who has the confidence to keep growing, creating, and sharing their music with the world.
For anyone wondering whether they should apply for SongSight, Sarah has one more piece of encouragement:
“If you’re thinking about coming to the SongSight retreat and you’re nervous, don’t be – when it comes to music, comfort zones need to be thrown out the window. You will improve and learn a lot of stuff from this retreat.”
We couldn’t be more proud of Sarah and all she has accomplished. Her appearance on America’s Got Talent is an incredible milestone, and we have a feeling it’s only one chapter in a much bigger story.