I first met Gaelynn Lea when she had a show at Treefort. I scheduled an interview with her after-hours, and couldn’t wait to see what surprises the night would bring with her solo performance in our studio. She had previously won NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert competition.
Since then, I’ve learned so many things about Gaelynn. Not only is she brilliant, she’s perseverant, and has a positive outlook and great sense of humor. She mentioned at her session that she was working on a memoir, so I was really excited to see her audiobook available for a listen.
She talks about friends who helped her get through middle school and high school. She talks about having to change her dream instrument of cello, to violin with a custom bow. She mentions a temporary fear/obsession with death. She talks about her Brittle Bone Disease, and other instances of broken bones and surgeries over the years. She remembers the heartbreak of being turned down for an orchestra audition, being told “we didn’t want to give you a position because of a disability. We also didn’t want to turn you down because of a disability.”
“It Wasn’t Meant To Be Perfect,” is an inspiring book. Gaelynn has been through so much, but talks about the total joy she feels playing music. She addresses fears and challenges like a warrior, and encourages you to do the same. Get this book or audiobook to get your brain in a better place! If you want to do it, just do it.
3 years ago, I took part of her interview and studio performance, and made a short film out of it. Violin Scratches is named after her website. This short film went on to be shown in a few different countries, and win a couple of awards. It’s all Gaelynn. She’s magical.
