It's Just a Stop Sign: An Interview with Canadian Idol 2’s Manoah Hartmann

Manoah Hartmann was the second victim of Canada's votes in this year's Canadian Idol Top 10. I had a chance to chat with her and find out what her journey was like, her plans for the future, and just how she managed to get through everything after the car accident she was in the day of her audition.

First of all I asked Manoah how it all started. It actually came as a result of a dare from her students! She agreed that if they raised over $13,000, she would try out for Canadian Idol. The previous year they raised $3000. But this year and "$15,000 later, (Manoah) was off to Canadian Idol!" On the way there, though, she had an accident. One that would change things for her quite dramatically...

What most viewers don't know is that Manoah had severe head trauma and her brain was actually swollen and she was having seizures. In her Group of 8, when she performed "My Immortal," they flashed a light and it actually put her into a mini-seizure during her performance. She said, "When it seemed like I forgot my words, I was actually having a mini seizure... God, or whatever you want to call it, got me through that. I thought I was going to drop." Right after her performance, she had a large seizure offstage.

It's remarkable that she pushed through the way she has. She also needed to see a doctor for her vocal cords. When the accident happened, it also affected her neck and it swelled to the point that it's (at least temporarily) damaged her vocal cords. She told me it affects her upper range. A few of the judges even said to her, "Canada hasn't even seen what you can do." The adrenaline pushed her through the audition but the damage had already been done.

I personally want to say what dedication Manoah has both professionally and personally for her students. She went through with the audition after getting in an accident because she promised them she would. She said that she told them she would do it if they raised the money and they did so she wasn't going to let anything stop her. I think we all need teachers like this!

Unfortunately, Manoah doesn't have a job come September. I was a little shocked and asked her if it had to do with Canadian Idol. She said, "Well... sort of," and she laughed. She added that they (the administrators) like to have their teachers keep a professional distance from their students and because now everyone knows her name and her background, that's hard to do. I think that's a shame because this is one dedicated teacher and a woman that loves children and has a lot to share with them.

When I spoke to her, I told her how my children adore her. All I hear is "Manoah, Manoah, Manoah." She asked me if she could speak to them. I didn't ask her and I never would have but she wanted to and she did speak to my son (my daughter was too shy) and I think that speaks volumes about the type of person that she is.

Was she shocked to leave when she did? Yes, to be quite honest, she was. She did say, "At least I went out with a bang!" I asked her if she thought that having Theresa in the same province (Saskatchewan) may have affected the results. She said, "Definitely." Both Theresa and Manoah chatted about that at length. Saskatchewan is a very small province with under a million people living there. Manoah added that there was no way they both got through on Saskatchewan's votes alone. They have "national appeal." She also said that, like Newfoundland, Saskatchewan is a very musical province. "There's nothing else to do!"

I actually know quite a few people from Saskatchewan and they are some of the nicest, friendliest, fun-loving people you'd ever want to meet – Manoah is no exception.

Rosanne Simunovic had a few questions for Manoah as well. I passed them along for her. Rosanne wanted to know which judge was the most supportive. "Jake... by far... Jake Gold." And, surprisingly Zack as well, but Jake was the front runner. She also adores Jon Dore and found him to be a huge support to the Idols.

I also asked her (for Rosanne) about Debra Byrd. "Love her!" is the response I got. Debra did a lot for the Idols. After the performances and judging, Debra actually would go up and say, "Well, why did you say that? What can they do to improve?" Manoah said that Debra is an amazing woman and a great vocal coach. She couldn't say enough good things about her. She's obviously a welcome addition to Canadian Idol this year!

As for what Manoah is going to do next, she said it's been crazy! Completely hectic! She equated it to, "being on a freeway and hitting a stop sign. You're like whoa! It's not a dead end though, it's just a stop sign." Sass gave Manoah some advice when she made the Top 32. She told her that now she knows people, she knows people that other people spend years trying to meet. She said that you can't buy this kind of exposure. And, it's true. Whether Manoah made it eight weeks or two weeks, everyone knows her name.

I have to tell you, this girl was an amazing person to talk to. I admire her spirit and love of life, music, children, etc. We even chatted about the Northern Lights and living in small towns out west. It was like talking to a friend on the phone.

Canada loves you, Manoah, and I'm sure we haven't seen the last of you. Just keep going through that stop sign. It's Saskatchewan, no one's coming! Ha! Seriously, I wish the best of luck to this amazing woman.

You can send Paris fan mail, hate mail, or junk mail at pariscosby@hotmail.com.

Be sure to sign up for the RealityNewsOnline/FoxesOnIdol e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on both sites! For all of our articles, check out our sections on American Idol, American Juniors, Nashville Star, and Canadian Idol. Also make sure to check out RealityNewsOnline for recaps and articles covering other reality TV shows.

For even more news about reality TV, be sure to check SirLinksALot and Reality TV Fever!