GAELYNN LEA'S MAY NEWSLETTER
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Greetings!
I hope this message finds you safe, healthy and enjoying all that the month of May has to offer! I am not sure how the seasons work where you live, but in Duluth, Minnesota we are FIIIINALLY starting to see the beautiful, bright green leaves unfurling on the trees. This is hands down my favorite part of Spring. It's not quite warm enough to sit outside at my favorite coffee shop without a jacket (yay for vaccines!) but it will be soon... I am soooo looking forward to working on my book in the fresh air with a delicious mocha and hearing the chatter of other humans around me! What are you looking forward to this month? Reply to this email and let me know!
Here's a roundup of the latest happenings online (and in my living room)... I hope you find something in here to enjoy:
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"PLUME" VIDEO: WORKING WITH HILARY HAHN!
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First, I wanted to let you know about the recent release of an innovative dance video for which I composed the score. Jacob Jonas reached out to me many months ago saying that he loved the improvisational piece I'd posted on Instagram about the wind and he wondered if he could have it arranged for solo violin. I happily agreed, but little did I know that Steve Hackman and Hilary Hahn would be the co-arrangers, and that Hilary would perform the piece herself! It was an honor to hear my musical vision brought to life on her instrument and through the amazing acrobats, animators, cinematographers, and directors... PLUME is like no other dance film I've seen and I am just so glad to have connected with this company during such an unusual year. Good things come out of connecting with others - even if that connection happens over Zoom! Learn about the Films.Dance project and watch the video here:
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SO LONG TO SOCIAL MEDIA, HELLO TO WRITING!
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As you likely know, I am currently working on a memoir about my childhood, my music, my travels, my activism, and my views on disability. As of this typing, I have the first 4 chapters written. I also have a book proposal due at the end of the month, which requires me to write up a summary of each chapter. This summary will be helpful even once the book proposal is submitted because then I'll have a detailed roadmap for the entire book.
I am aiming to have my rough draft completed by November 1st... I'll be sure to send you another newsletter when it's finished! In the meantime, you can get monthly updates and writing excepts at my Patreon page, plus a free copy of the book once it's published! I am so grateful for the support of my amazing Patreon Team as I continue chipping away at this new creative pursuit.
Anyway, to say writing a book feels like a big undertaking would be a big understatement! I realized a couple of weeks ago that if I'm going to successfully write an entire 80,000 words, that I need to get off social media to do it. So I have pressed "pause" for 7 months so I can get this rough draft completed without undue distraction. And truth be told, I am wondering if and how I can find a way to stay off of social media forever and still have a successful music career.
You see, social media is just not healthy for me. I know some people may get joy out of the connections they find on social media, but that just isn't true for me. I am, of course, grateful for the internet... I couldn't have entered NPR Music's Tiny Desk Contest without it! And I am so thankful that I could find a sense of virtual connection this past year with my Patreon Team, during my weekly YouTube shows, and on plain old Zoom, texting and phone calls.
But in my experience, my life doesn't feel improved because of social media. In fact, I feel addicted whenever I log on to Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram... My brain slips into that familiar wave pattern - zoning out, mindlessly consuming, and feeling the rush of a new notification. It really makes me uncomfortable, and I want out!
Perhaps that's not your experience, but I am curious if anyone else has disconnected from social media because they felt their brains couldn't handle it. Or if it's an experiment you might want to try. If that's the case, know you're not alone! I am right alongside you, rocking the flip phone in 2021 (or as I like to say, hip with the flip)!
I'll let you know how this 7-month experiment goes. I know it might seem extreme to opt out of social media, but ultimately we each have to follow our hearts... Cheers to each of us finding our unique paths in life... Both in-person and online!
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STATE DEPARTMENT INTERVIEW WITH LIBBY!
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As you may already know, I have done a fair amount of work with the State Department as an Arts Envoy artist. One of the highlights of this work was meeting the young Disability Rights activist named Libby Riggs, who started a blog and art contest called Perceptions International, which is dedicated to disability culture for youths. We had a chance to do a formal interview a few weeks ago, and this is the result:
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ACCESSIBILITY IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY PANEL!
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I am a huge proponent of making the music industry more accessible to disabled people, and in the past year, I have been fortunate to get to know the blind singer and activist Lachi. She is truly a powerhouse! She took it upon herself to organize a panel discussion on accessibility, hosted by none other than The Recording Academy (aka The GRAMMYs)! She got four other disabled artists and the Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer of The Recording Academy all together in the same (Zoom) room, and we were able to have a really honest conversation about what needs to change if we are going to see disability properly valued, supported and represented in our culture. Read more about it here or watch the entire discussion below:
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AND A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE KIDDOS...
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Last but not least, I wanted to share some kid-friendly videos that were released recently! If you haven't seen them yet, my educational videos for MPR's Class Notes are now available and open to everyone! I created 6 short videos that discuss my looping pedal, songwriting, fiddle music, and how music helps us to experience emotions. You can watch them all here.
And CJ Cassciota over at Ringbeller has created a lot of fun videos with his robot pal UNC that are geared towards whole-child education, and I was really excited that he wanted to film an interview with me! Here is the result:
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Phewfta! That's a whole lotta updates, but I wanted to make sure you know what's going on over in this neck of the woods! I'll write more later this summer, in the meantime I hope to hear from you on Patreon or a YouTube Concert! And if you're in Duluth perhaps you'll see me on the patio of a coffee shop, furiously scribbling down the next chapter for my book... Until then, take very good care of yourself as Spring turns to Summer!
Love,
Gaelynn Lea
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May 9th: Sunday Sessions with special guest Martin Atkins from Pigface! We'll discuss the 2019 reunion tour of the industrial rock supergroup Pigface, his teaching philosophy as a music business professor, and his latest pandemic-inspired project, Stay the F*@# Inside - this creative merch campaign helped raise money for music venues during lean times!
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May 11th: Tiny Desk Contest Family Hour! NPR Music is kicking off the 2021 Tiny Desk Contest with a big ol' party! I'll be playing a couple of tunes and chatting with Bob Boilen LIVE on YouTube... There will be performances from all the other previous winners, including Fantastic Negrito, Tank and the Bangas, Linda Diaz, Naia Izumi, and Quinn Christopherson... Not to be missed!
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May 16th: Sunday Sessions with Xanthe Alexis! She'll play us a few of her favorite tunes and then we'll chat about her healing work - both as a musician and as a trauma therapist. Captions are provided for Deaf and hard-of-hearing music lovers. Audience members are encouraged to post questions and comments in the chat... It's an online music club that everyone is welcome to join!
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