Gaelynn Lea : UK Disability History Month
Hello, I’m Nicola and to mark UK Disability History Month 16th November - 16th December 2022 (UKDHM), I’m going to be writing a series of mini introductory blogs on notable disabled and/or chronically ill musicians.
Why the series?
I am often frustrated with some of the more reductive narratives surrounding disabled creatives in the media and quite how intrusive interviewers’ questions can be when it comes to disability.
UKDHM provides an opportunity to challenge some of the more harmful historiography surrounding disabled artists. That may be false-inspirational and objectifying notions of ‘overcoming disability’ or lives erroneously painted in the monotone wash of a single characteristic. For this reason, I have tried to include wherever possible the artist’s own words on topics such as their craft, personal philosophy and views on access within the arts
This Things Musicians Don’t Talk About series aims to celebrate the artistry of each musician, provide a springboard to listening to their music and see where it takes you…
Gaelynn Lea (b. 1984)
“Disability is something we need to see as just a natural part of the human experience”
Copyright Bartek Buczkowski
Gaelynn Lea is an American folk singer/songwriter, violinist and disability rights advocate from Duluth, Minnesota. In 2016, she won the NPR Tiny Desk Contest for unsigned artists when her original song, Someday We’ll Linger in the Sun was selected from over 6000 submissions. Her subsequent NPR Tiny Desk concert has garnered millions of views on YouTube and helped launch a solo career which has taken Lea to 45 states and 9 different countries. As a performer, she has appeared at several major folk festivals including SXSW and Winnipeg Folk Festival and won the Spirit of Folk Award at the 2022 International Folk Music Awards. Lea recently made her Broadway debut as the composer for Sam Gold’s Tony-nominated production of Macbeth, starring Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga.
“Making the arts more welcoming, and in fact, inclusive of disability I think would change culture”
Lea is a sought-after public speaker and prior to a career in music, she majored in Political Science at Macalester College. As a disability rights advocate, she has used her platform to raise awareness about the realities of touring as a wheelchair user and in doing so, engage allies in her mission to create better access for performers and concert-goers alike. She is the co-founder and vice president of Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities (RAMP), a global network with a mission to amplify disabled culture and promote industry-wide accessibility and inclusivity. Lea is currently writing a memoir in which she hopes to reflect on her childhood, experiences on the road and advocacy.
Listen to Gaelynn Lea…
Got 5 minutes?
Someday We’ll Linger in the Sun (Gaelynn Lea)
Haunting and brimming with longing, Someday We’ll Linger in the Sun is characterised by Lea’s visceral lyricism and ethereal vocal performance. It is an earthy love song which encompasses both tender fragility and all-consuming desire.
Got half an hour?
Gaelynn Lea NPR Tiny Desk Concert
This intimate set showcases Lea’s signature looped fiddle playing and warm rapport with her audience. A mixture of original songs and traditional folk tunes, her Tiny Desk concert draws the listener in close for an open-hearted introduction to her music.
My personal choice
Breathe! You Are Alive (Gaelynn Lea, Paul Tressler)
Combining spoken word poetry and intertwining fiddle loops, Breathe! You Are Alive is both introspective and arresting. A mindful and meditative track, it offers the listener an outstretched hand giving them permission to stop, listen and be in the moment.
Gaelynn Lea in her own words:
Sexuality and Disability: Forging Identity in a World that Leaves You Out
Lea addresses an audience at Yale University and through reflecting on her own experiences, unpacks the stigma surrounding sex, beauty standards and disability under capitalism.
An Open Letter to the Music Industry - and a Call to Action
“I’m telling you about these barriers not to overwhelm or depress you. I’m telling you this because change is possible – if we all work together within the music industry.”
(Image copyright EvrGlo Media)
Why I Choose Enrichment over Progress (TEDx Talk)
In this TEDx talk, Lea examines the self-help genre and proposes her more inclusive personal philosophy of enrichment.
About Nicola Warner
I am a cellist and conductor from Hertfordshire on an interruption of postgraduate conservatoire studies due to poor physical health. Living with a chronic illness has irrevocably shaped my perception of accessibility within the arts and the aesthetics of what is to be both disabled and a musician. I would like to thank and acknowledge the charities who have supported me during this abeyance including: The National Youth Arts Trust, Hitchin Youth Trust and The Benslow Musical Instrument Loan Scheme.
In the spirit of Hattie and Rebecca's bios, I am also: an espresso drinker, recovering over-thinker, disciple of the holy church of hoop earrings, cat-less cat person, strawberry Carmex addict, advocate for Chicken Run (2000) being a feminist classic that 100% passes the Bechdel test and Dymo label maker evangelist (get one, it will change your life).
Read Nicola’s blog- The Tortoise and the Hare
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