Gaelynn Lea collection

Since winning NPR Music's Tiny Desk Contest in 2016, Gaelynn Lea (class of 2006) has captivated audiences around the world with her haunting original songs and traditional fiddle tunes. Over the years, she has collaborated with artists such as Michael Stipe, The Decemberists, and the industrial rock supergroup Pigface. In 2022, Gaelynn Lea composed the original score for Macbeth on Broadway, starring Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga. Thanks to a recent Whippoorwill Arts Fellowship, her soundtrack is set to be released in Spring 2025; a Music from Macbeth UK album tour will follow soon after.

Gaelynn Lea is a sought-after public speaker about accessibility in the arts. She has been featured on PBS NewsHour, On Being with Krista Tippett, The Moth Radio Hour, The Science of Happiness Podcast, and via two widely-viewed TEDx Talks. In 2024, Gaelynn was awarded the prestigious Disability Futures Fellowship from the Ford and Mellon Foundations, which spotlights the work of disabled creatives across disciplines.

One of Gaelynn Lea's biggest passions is promoting Disability Culture. To that end, she co-founded RAMPD [Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities] with NYC-based recording artist Lachi in early 2022.The mission of this fast-growing global network of disabled music professionals is to amplify Disability Culture, promote equitable inclusion & advocate for accessibility in the music industry.

Most recently, Gaelynn Lea co-wrote, acted, and sang in a new musical fable for the stage called Invisible Fences with disabled storyteller Kevin Kling. This fantastical, music-filled production touches on disability, identity, and the storytelling. Gaelynn also helped to develop and now co-directs the Music Inclusion Ensemble with fellow disabled musicians Adrian Anantawan and Molly Joyce. Their mission is to create a more explicit culture around classical music and disability and to perform a diverse repertoire of music by disabled composers.

Currently, Gaelynn Lea is writing a book about her touring adventures & disability advocacy that has been acquired by Algonquin Books and will be published late next year. Linger in the Sun is a love-letter to every body; a warm, funny and deeply-felt memoir about disability, music, and the messy creativity of an artist's life.