TU's Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon advances on "American Idol"

By Rebecca Kirkman on March 25, 2019

Towson University vocal performance major Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon continued to impress the “American Idol” judges, making it into the season’s top 38 contestants on Monday.

“I’m surprised every time I make it through eliminations,” laughs Harmon, who put his senior spring semester at TU on hold to compete in the reality series. “And I’m kind of wondering, When am I gonna get cut? But as long as I’m in the competition I’m just going to enjoy it and have fun and try to make the most out of the experience.”

In Sunday’s “Hollywood Week” episode, 175 contestants competed in the “line of ten” challenge, where hopefuls sing short solos in rounds of ten, and then half from each round are sent home.

Harmon wowed judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan with his performance of Carole King’s “Beautiful.” He advanced to the group challenge with 97 other competitors.

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For the group challenge, Harmon’s trio performed “Stop! In The Name Of Love” by The Supremes.

“The group round was the most intense out of the three Hollywood Week rounds,” Harmon recalls. “We had to find a group, chose a name, pick a song, arrange a song and learn choreography. That was definitely outside of my comfort zone. I’m not a dancer by any means, so that was pretty nerve-wracking.”

Despite the challenge, Harmon moved on to the third and final Hollywood Week round: solo performances with a backing band. His rendition of “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack brought the judges to their feet. “That was a lot of fun to have the band behind me,” Harmon adds.

The positive response to his original song “Almost Heaven” from the audition episode has been the best part of the “American Idol” experience so far for Harmon.

“It’s really amazing that people are connecting to my original song, and with my story,” Harmon says. “As an artist, that’s what I do everything for, so it broadens my perspective about my music not just as a part of this competition but in the bigger picture, as well.”

Read more: Watch TU singer Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon on “American Idol”

Back at TU, the music department faculty continue to support Harmon as he progresses through the competition.

“Anyone who has heard Jeremiah sing can attest to his clear, flexible and beautiful voice,” says Jason Widney, Harmon’s vocal teacher since he came to TU in 2017. “Jeremiah has a rare gift of being able to assimilate and authentically perform many diverse musical styles. Whether it is an aria from a Vivaldi opera or an art song by Poulenc, he performs it with the same genuine heartfelt authenticity that we have all seen in his own music on 'American Idol.'

“I believe that people are drawn to Jeremiah, not just because of his voice and the beauty of his music, but they can see and hear his heartfelt and truthful expression.”

Department of Music Chair Phillip Collister says Harmon is an example of how courage can lead to new opportunities. “I am thrilled to see one of our own music majors competing in such a high-profile and life-changing arena,” says Collister. “I am excited for every opportunity Jeremiah will receive as a result. I am cheering him on with every note he sings and every new avenue of expression he opens as a result of this amazing experience.”

The experience has confirmed Harmon’s passion as a singer-songwriter. “The most impactful thing to me is that my story is connecting with people, and my original music is what people are jazzed about,” he says. “To me that’s really exciting, because that has more implications on a long-term career for me, as opposed to just singing covers in this music competition. It transcends any competition or show when my artistry connects with people on this platform.”

The next episode of “American Idol” airs Sunday, March 31 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.

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Learn more about Towson University’s Department of Music.