Gaelynn Lea

By: Samantha Cantrall, Communications Specialist

Are you aware of the violinist, Gaelynn Lea? If not, you should be. This woman is a professional musician, expert conversationalist, and motivational speaker all wrapped into one. She hails from Duluth, Minnesota, and she happens to live with a disability called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or Brittle Bone Disease.

I was lucky enough to experience one of her concerts recently, and it blew me away. Some of the people Hammer supports attended as well. Gaelynn was hosted by a local disability arts organization called Upstream Arts, and she played her show at Surly Brewing Company. Before I discuss the concert and artist, let me first commend Surly Brewing for the beautiful space they offered us for free, as part of their nonprofit Monday deal. The mood was set by the space, and the food, beverages, and company could not be beat.

Gaelynn Lea performing at Surly Brewing Co. in Minneapolis.

Gaelynn Lea has been playing violin since she was in fifth grade. She gave a shout-out to her first music teacher, who worked with her to adapt her style of playing, so that she would be able to play the instrument. Her methods may be unconventional due to her disability, but her music sings. The night began with a few Irish fiddle tunes, and then took off into some of her own compositions. Her sound was hauntingly sweet, looping slow and smooth violin riffs on top of one another until the entire hall shook with sound.

After a short intermission, Gaelynn again took the stage, this time as a speaker and activist. In her allotted fifteen minutes, she spoke about her top three advocacy priorities regarding people with disabilities: accessibility, healthcare reform, and art. She implored her audience to pay attention to these issues, as they affect the disability community everywhere. “It has to be part of our consciousness to gain traction,” Gaelynn noted.

Gaelynn also spoke about her ideas of enrichment as a measure of success, rather than personal progress. “Some people cannot measure success in terms of progress, and that’s okay,” she said. “Instead of progress, think: how am I enriching my life and the lives of others?”

When she finished speaking, she played a few more songs. After a standing ovation begging for an encore, she finished her set with a lullaby medley. It was the perfect ending to a lovely evening.

Gaelynn Lea’s 6-track EP.

Gaelynn Lea has released two full length albums and one EP. You can purchase her CDs online. She is originally from Duluth, MN and is touring around the United States and Europe for an entire year with her husband, Paul. She took the year off from teaching, and he took a leave of absence from work to make the trip. I was inspired many times throughout this evening of music, but if I had to choose one main takeaway, it would be to live the life you were dealt, and take pride in that life. Gaelynn certainly embodies that message, and her talent is an extraordinary gift.

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Music is important. This may seem like an obvious statement, but sometimes we need reminding. Music is one of a few things that has the power to move us, help us, or inspire us. Most importantly, music has the ability to bring people together. Music helps us celebrate good times and it gets us through bad times. Music molds our personalities and helps choose our friends. And, music is best when shared with someone else!

I started working at Hammer’s Plymouth Colony program almost two years ago. I was entering an entirely new field of work and wasn’t quite sure what to expect. But, I found out (yet again) that no matter the situation, music always finds a way to be a part of it.

One of my first shifts had me going to the other side of town. I hadn’t yet met the individual I was driving, and as I pulled the van around to the front of the building, Andrew was ready to go. I introduced myself, as did he. We sat quietly for most of the ride. We had a short, uninvolved conversation, and as soon as we arrived, he hopped out of the van.

At the end of the evening, I went back to pick up Andrew. Unsure of radio station etiquette, I had quietly driven Andrew to his event.  However, on my way to pick him up, I was alone and naturally blasted KOOL108. When I arrived, Andrew jumped in, and before I had the time to turn the radio down, he started singing along. We spent that 25-minute drive back singing oldies and switching stations to find hair band songs we could jam to. Aside from loudly singing along, we talked about bands/songs we liked and concerts we had seen.  The music gave us a connection.

Most, if not all, of our time spent together during my first year supporting Andrew was in the van. Aside from our other shared love of talking sports, we spent almost every drive talking about music or singing along to our favorite hair bands, oldies and TV theme songs.

As time went on, I had yet to think about other ways music could influence my work at Hammer. The first two years out of college I was a music teacher, and I have been teaching lesson for years. Somehow, it never occurred to me that I could bring music to my role as a Direct Support Professional. Luckily, Andrew heard that I was in a band and played some instruments. Thus, we began what we now call: “What Could Have Been the Greatest ‘80s Hair/Rock Tribute Band Ever.” When Andrew came to me asking if I could teach him guitar, a light went off in my head…What a perfect way to use my skills to make this shared connection we have more meaningful!

We had one minor problem. I had switched to a position at our central office and only worked at Plymouth Colony a few shifts each month. We talked about expectations – the hard work and practice that come with learning a new instrument and the personal responsibility he would need between lessons. He agreed and we set off on the magical voyage of making music!

Andrew and I had twelve lessons over six months (which is not very many). Sometimes we had lessons in back to back weeks. Other times there were multiple weeks between meetings. It was a tough schedule to work through, but Andrew had the desire for and love of music to make it work (not to mention the giant inspirational Winger poster). He was diligent with his practicing. He asked question upon question. He was genuinely excited every second of each lesson we had.  We worked hard in those dozen lessons. Andrew had never played an instrument in his life, and learning to play any instrument, especially your first, is not easy. Then again, when you are doing something you love, like music, it doesn’t seem so hard. It may have been challenging, but in a good way. Besides, Andrew and I had a whole lot of fun!

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To me, music is everything. There is something about the way a song can bring you back to a memory you once cherished but has lost its clarity in your mind. Personally, my musical heroes are Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Johnny Cash. The distinction between these three artists is something not everyone can appreciate, or wants to. Country music has such a distinctive and special history, with so many significant people and stories.

In fact, I had never met anybody who was as fascinated by country music as I am until I started to visit Lynn at his Hammer home. Being seventeen years old, none of my friends listen to Johnny Cash or Elvis Presley in the car when we are together, which means I never get to choose the radio station! Thankfully, Lynn is my one friend who understands the twang and story-telling ability of country music just like I do. That twang means everything to me. I sing, play, and write country music, and aspire to be a songwriter in Nashville, as soon as next year. I know that may seem like a pretty far-fetched dream, but I could never see myself doing anything different with my life. Country music is my hobby, career path, and number one love. Lynn may not have a dream to become a songwriter in Nashville as I do, but he sure does have a strong passion for music.

When I first met Lynn, I had been told of his love for Elvis Presley, but I never would have suspected that country music was something he needs, just like I do. The first day I visited him, I brought my guitar and I played Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” I wasn’t sure if he would recognize the melody or know the words, but he sang ever word! The way he lights up when he hears me begin to strum the chords to that song, is something I can’t describe. To most people, it is simply another Elvis Presley song, but to Lynn it’s so much more…it means we are together on a Saturday afternoon, with me in his green chair strumming my guitar, and Lynn sitting on the bed singing his heart out.

Although Elvis Presley contributes to our friendship, I think Lynn draws inspiration from country music for his day-to-day life just as much as I do. Each day during the week, Lynn catches a bus to his job, comes home, eats dinner, and does it all over again the next day. But Saturdays are different – and special. We spend an hour singing the classics that have developed country music into the mega industry it is today. The staff at his house says Lynn occasionally has behavioral issues in the weeks I can’t make it for our Saturday time together. Hearing how our weekly music jam sessions contributes to his happiness, assures me that I’m not the only one who has a strong attachment to this music. Lynn gives me hope that I can someday make people smile with my music, just the way Elvis does for him, and me, each Saturday.

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