Duluth's Gaelynn Lea was the winner of NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest in 2016. She has collaborated with artists like Michael Stipe of REM, The Decemberists, Low and Wilco.
But Gaelynn is not just a celebrated Minnesota musician. She's also a longtime advocate for those with disabilities.
Gaelynn was born with a genetic condition that affected the development of her bones and limbs. Advocating on behalf of disability culture has become her passion.
Most recently, she was asked to take part in a video that was used in the closing ceremonies of the 2024 Paralympics that signified the handover of the games from Paris to Los Angeles for 2028.
Gaelynn was asked if she could come to Los Angeles only a week before the video was scheduled to be shot. She played violin and was joined by Matthew Whitaker, a blind pianist, and rapper Garnett Silver-Hall, who is also an adaptive skateboarder.
The video was filmed well in advance of the Paralympics, so Gaelynn and her husband Paul were able to watch the games every night on television.
Turns out they weren't the only ones watching. This year, the Paralympics had its highest ratings ever, and Gaelynn said on the KAXE Morning Show she was excited to see it become more mainstream.
“If you want to see more disability, excellence and inclusion, and just, like, empowerment, it’s important to pay attention," she said. " ... If (disabled people) have the support to be able to succeed, and if society is willing to make space and actually honor their contributions of valuable parts of our culture, then we can do just as amazing things as other groups.”
Gaelynn cofounded a group called Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities to create a network for disabled musicians and industry professionals to build awareness and connect artists to each other.
“If you want to see more disability, excellence, and inclusion, and just, like, empowerment, it’s important to pay attention"Gaelynn Lea
Along with disabled musicians Adrian Anantawan and Molly Joyce, Gaelynn co-directs the Music Inclusion Ensemble to bring light to the intersection of classical music and disabilities. She also collaborated with Minnesota disabled storyteller Kevin Kling for a new musical fable for the stage, Invisible Fences.
Gaelynn was also the recipient of a Disability Futures Fellowship from the Ford and Mellon Foundations and will give the keynote address at the Women in Leadership Conference on Sept. 30 in Duluth.
Looking ahead to 2025, Gaelynn has been working on a memoir, Linger in the Sun, described as a love letter to every body. Also on the horizon for Gaelynn is the release of a soundtrack to Macbeth, a Broadway musical revival that was on stage in 2022 with songs she composed.
Listen to our full conversation above, and learn more about Gaelynn Lea at violinscratches.com.
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