She's Got Pipes — And Now She Wants To Be The Next Blind Idol.

Juana Mikels still remembers the day she discovered her daughter’s talent for singing. Mary was 7 years old and heard the soundtrack to “The Sound of Music” for the first time. “I could hear this voice booming out of the room. I had to open the door because I could not tell if it was Julie Andrews or if it was Mary,” Juana says. “And it was Mary.” Now, Mary Mikels is 20 years old and wants to be the next Blind Idol. “It could open up some doors that I might not be expecting and it could turn my whole life around,” Mary says. Blind Idol is a live event where legally blind singers compete to win $1,000 and studio recording time. This year’s final will be on August 12 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Mary has qualified. Anastasia Powell helped found the competition three years ago. She too is legally blind, and a fan of the popular TV show American Idol. Blind contestants, she thought, have some unique challenges on stage and could use their own space to compete. “Vocally, we’re on