Mandy

Mandy Feiler is an artist with an identity crisis. “When I was three I wanted to be a ballerina, when I was six I wanted to be Annie on Broadway, when I was twelve I wanted to be a commercial artist and when I was eighteen I wanted to be an opera singer. Guess I always knew I wanted to perform
but I was definitely confused.” But confusion is not always a bad thing. By exploring Mandy’s music you will see that all of her aspirations are alive in everything she writes, sings and performs.
After listening to her music you will see how her past influences act as her present inspiration.

So, after all of the lessons, classes and schools in everything other than pop music and songwriting how did she end up here? “I’ve been writing songs privately for over ten years, but to have them
push to the foreground I had to take years of art lessons, learn to belt, study opera, play the french horn to finally get sick of them all and use what I learned to express myself in my own way.” By the
time she graduated from The Boston Conservatory with her Masters Degree in Opera performance she decided to skip the opera singer bandwagon and take a desk job in the admissions office. It was time to take an inventory on her career path. “I knew I wanted to perform. I knew I had a lot to say. And I knew that I wanted to communicate with people and somehow bring them on a journey with me in which they would feel something special.” But still something was missing. “It was probably the best desk job a performer could have asked for. I got to guide young performers to a career in which I, ironically, wanted to be my own.”

When Mandy watched the graduates do what she dreamed she decided it was time to quit her job, move to New York and get back in the game. It was the risk she had to take and the decision of her lifetime. Although her move away from opera and desks was a clear one, her path afterwards wasn’t always as crystal. Once arriving in New York she immediately delved into the world of musical theater. “I literally
moved to New York and was offered my first professional contract and my membership to the Actor’s Equity Association in six months.” But unfortunately union membership didn’t guarantee performance opportunities. “I checked off a huge goal on my life list and hit a brick wall.” Without work or a show to do she decided to think
outside the box and reconnected with her friend and former high school drama director to co-direct a high school musical with him.

“In the beginning I thought I would only vocally direct, but as rehearsals commenced I had more and more input with the entire production and by tech week I felt like I was running the show. It
was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.” That experience not only rekindled a friendship but also opened up her musical partnership with Phil Bernardi and their current run of gigs in local bars where she can finally sing the songs she likes. And by singing the songs she likes she found herself writing and recording her own music again with a passion and honesty she never felt before.

“It’s a really exciting time for me right now with my singing, performing, writing and recording. I feel like a brand new door has opened up inside of my heart and I have just placed my pinky toe over the threshold.”

You can catch Mandy performing sets regularly at The Cornerstone in Hillsdale, NJ, Davey's Locker in Montvale, NJ, and The Porter House in Montvale, NJ. She has also played in Manhattan at Mo Pitkins and looks forwards to expanding her venues on the Island in the very near future along with the release of her first CD.