Deaf performer Justina Miles on energetic ASL performance of Rihanna’s Halftime show

Welcome back to CBS Mornings. Instead of our usual talk of the table, we're bringing you a very special conversation with a surprise superstar from the Super Bowl halftime show. I know you saw her deaf performer. Look at her go. Justina Miles went viral for her very high energy, American Sign Language interpretation of Rihanna's Medley. Look at you. She also signed Lift Every Voice and Sing Before the Big Game.

Now, Miles is the first deaf woman to sign the Super Bowl halftime show. She's a nursing student at Bowie State University. That's in Maryland. And she joins us for her very first TV interview since the Super Bowl, along with her ASL interpreter. That's Alberto Madero. We welcome you all. Good morning.

Good to see you, Alberto. I want to talk to you. Bravo, Bravo, Bravo, Justina. You were so fun to watch. You were so fun to watch. You just jumped off the screen. And we keep describing you as the first deaf performer, but watching you, you appear to be able to hear the songs.

Can you tell us your process? How were you able to do what you did? Right, so just, I can hear it. But so when you go to an audiologist and take a test to see how, what he can do, they have levels to deafness. So it's like over 30 or 40. They'll consider you're deaf, so either you're light. Like I can hear, well, but I'm still deaf. Or so moderately deaf, to severely deaf, to profoundly deaf. So they have those levels, but they're all still deaf.

So I'm like, considered deaf. You're still considered deaf. So watching you was really, I got such a kick out of watching your expressions and the way that you signed, you were so into what you were doing. How far in advance did you get the set list? Yes, like that goes like into like the preparation within everything. So I got the set list about like five days before the show. And I was like, never is before like getting this. I was like, oh my God, what's she gonna do? Like she hasn't been on stage.

I was like, oh, she's gonna do a song. I'm listening to all her different songs. So I got it. I'm like, I know all the songs. I was confident. I was like, yes. So what I did was look over the lyrics, make sure, you know, I got all the meanings right.

So do you memorize the lyrics? Yes, I memorize the lyrics and the beats. So that way I can sign the lyrics and move to the beat so they can see the beat rather than they can hear the beat. Yeah. I would like ring, ring, ring. You hear a boom, boom, boom. I'm like, boom, boom, boom. Like it's getting higher.

You feel me, you feel me. Yes. That's what I did. Yes. I mean, so did you practice ahead of time? Were you able to practice ahead of time? Yes, I did. With the set list, with the track, I practiced for a week. And we rehearsed with everybody.

The whole show, we ran through it again and again all week. So. No, did you ever meet Rihanna? Did you ever meet her and talk with her? I did not. And I could have chanced to meet her, but she did. The enemy. She did? I got it! Can you tell us what she said? She said she was like, Black Queen, yes, you're amazing. You'd be FFs in my head.

You were, oh, you were amazing. I would glad we killed it. So she did, it was beautiful. But we were, everybody was so busy, we didn't get a chance to, like, meet. But we practiced in the same vicinity. And I was like, she did not look pregnant. Oh my God! No, no.

Weren't you a surprise too? You were surprised. I was surprised. You were a surprise. Yes, I found out after, way after, because we were doing everything. So how do you decide the interpretations you're going to give? Because it's almost like you're giving a performance yourself. Is that what you're trying to do? Trying to perform and entertain? I'm really like trying to show her art, like really show her art. Like show it through how I feel, through her songs, how the artist is herself.

Like she's a visual performer. Yes. So like, I try to be, yeah, right. You work too. I try to be as visual as possible. So what was your thinking going into the performance? Because it seems like this is such a huge opportunity. So many people who didn't know about you and didn't know about your skill, this is a huge opportunity.

Isn't it for the deaf community? Yes. 500%. That was my thinking before, like, getting there. I was like, I just hope I pop off on a big scale. I just hope I get a big scale for the deaf community. Like that's what I do and how I got in my zone. I'm quiet.

You are not quiet, Justina. You are not. Yeah, yeah, everybody. So you're a nursing student, but what's your dream job? Do you have a dream job? It would be like a performer. Like I grew up, I really, really, really love dancing. I danced 25A. I was dancing in my whole family, dances.

Yes, so I really wanted to be a dancer, performer, but with nursing, like, my goal was to really pave the way for deaf people to become nurses and like help deaf people. Like when they go into a hospital or whatever, they need that access right there. Like they need to help. Well, Justina told me before we went on stage, before we came on set, she said, I had the attitude of go big or go home. You went big. I said big. Congratulations.

Congratulations. Cheering you on. You made us all so proud, all so proud. Justina Miles and Elberto, we thank you too. Nice to meet you too.

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