Welcome to Gaelynn Lea's monthly newsletter! 
Stay in touch with show updates, musical musings, and life happenings.
DECEMBER 2015 NEWSLETTER
Happy Holidays! My how time flies... I can't believe it's already the middle of December! This is the third edition of my monthly newsletter to keep friends, family & music fans in the loop about my upcoming shows and life happenings. I hope that you are enjoying the beginning of the holiday season and that December is lots of fun. Thanks for all your support, and keep in touch!
Gaelynn's Debut Solo Album Out Now!
The last month has been a whirlwind of musical activity -- most of it revolving around the release of my debut solo album... on November 1st, "All the Roads that Lead Us Home" was born!  This project has brought me so much joy because of all the support I received during its creation and to this day. The CD's came in the mail  ju st in time for my first CD Release show at Bulldog Pizza. In the following weeks I had two other CD Release shows at The Red Herring and Beaners Central. E ach show was magical in its own way - read all about them  here .

There was another really exciting piece of releasing an album that I hadn't thought about much in advance: CD reviews! On the day of my Red Herring release show, my sister woke me up with a text message that said "Congratulations on the awesome review in the paper!" And sure enough, Tony Bennett of the Duluth News Tribune had written a super positive review that morning... I was so surprised and pleased! Then a couple weeks later, Paul Whyte of the Duluth Reader weekly also wrote a sweet article about the album. It's hard to explain the relief of seeing positive album reviews after putting so much time, energy & love into a project. Needless to say, both articles made my November quite a bit brighter! 

The album is officially for sale at my website (it's name your price). If you'd rather have a digital download of the album, you can purchase it at iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and CD Baby. If you are planning to give someone my album as a Christmas present, you should place your order by December 16th to ensure timely delivery! 

Thanks again to all the early supporters who helped to fund this project - you know who you are! I mailed all of you copies of the album as a token of my appreciation; if you haven't received your CD yet please let me know! I'm so grateful for your support!
Support Music, Fund Medical Relief:
50% of December Album Sales Donated to 

PEACE*LOVE*HAITI
The past few months have been filled with many blessings and special moments. But even in times of great joy, it is important to remember our brothers and sisters across the world who struggle to secure necessary food, water, shelter and medical care. 

I have had the honor to get to know the amazing people who run the locally-based nonprofit organization PEACE*LOVE*HAITI; they are a small but mighty group of doctors and nurses who provide medical relief to the people of Haiti twice a year. Haiti has never truly recovered from the earthquake of 2010. There is still mass poverty, homelessness, malnutrition, and a lack of clean water. People are dying of entirely preventable diseases because of the scarcity of medications and clinics. The loving servants of PEACE*LOVE*HAITI provide much-needed medical relief to the people of Haiti.

I first met Tricia, the founding member of PEACE*LOVE*HAITI, about four years ago at an audition in Minneapolis for the TV show "America's Got Talent". She was there supporting her daughter and I had decided to try out on a whim (obviously I didn't make it past auditions). Our chance meeting was meant to be; we ended up talking all afternoon about her new project PEACE*LOVE*HAITI. Tricia's passion for the people of Haiti was undeniable and her project captured my heart. Her mission work has been growing stronger ever since. Tricia and her team are brave and compassionate people whose work is saving lives. 

This holiday season, I wanted to give others the opportunity to learn about and support the amazing mission of PEACE*LOVE*HAITI. So during the month of December, I am donating 50% of my CD sales to this nonprofit... that means every album you buy off my website or at a show will help fund their next trip to Haiti! Want to give more? You can also donate directly to PEACE*LOVE*HAITI at their website

In a world with so much hurting, it is even more necessary to shine our lights of love. No act of kindness, generosity or caring is too small... Every day we are alive we have the choice to be a force for good. May we choose to live with love as our aim this holiday season. 

Part of the PEACE*LOVE*HAITI Team
 
 
Recital for Fiddle Students & Other Fun Holiday Plans
 This is my favorite time of year to teach fiddle lessons and the reason is quite simply this: Christmas carols! My wonderful students and I have been learn ing some festive tunes as of late, and on December 17th they will be showcasing all their hard work at Duluth Congregational Church for the annual holiday recital! All are welcome to attend this fun event! I've joined forces yet again with piano teachers Kay and Elena, so there will be a great variety of music that evening. We'll have a reception with lots of yummy treats following the recital! 

The rest of the month will be busy with holiday-themed gigs,  Christmas celebrations with family and friends, and a brief getaway with Paul to celebrate our second wedding anniversary (I have always been a fan of the Christmas spirit so we had our wedding on December 21st). It should be a fun couple of weeks as we near the end of 2015!

Anyway, that's all for now... thanks for reading! Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season. I hope you get plenty of time to connect with loved ones, a few luxurious moments to unwind, and plenty of tasty meals to enjoy! May loving thoughts, kind deeds, and good will towards all help carry us into a more peaceful 2016. Cheers!
Upcoming Performances
I am excited to be doing a number of performances this month... Hoping to see you out and about this holiday season!
  • December 16th: Gaelynn Lea Opens for Emily Heart and Kristy Marie and the Forget Me Nots at The Red Herring Lounge, 8pm-11pm
  • December 19th: Gaelynn Lea Plays Christmas Music for  Edgewood Vista in Virginia, MN, 1:30-3:30pm
  • December 22nd: Gaelynn Lea plays Christmas Carols during Lady Ocalat's Yule Celebration at Lady Ocalat's Emporium, 12pm