Gaelynn Lea won NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest in 2016, and not long after she took to the road. Since then, she has toured in 45 states and 9 countries, captivating audiences around the world with her unique mix of haunting original songs and traditional fiddle tunes. Gaelynn Lea has appeared in several major festivals, including SXSW and Winnipeg Folk Festival. She’s also opened for well-known bands such as Wilco, The Decemberists, LOW, and the industrial rock supergroup Pigface.

In addition to performing and recording, Gaelynn also does speaking engagements about Disability Rights, finding inner freedom, and accessibility in the arts. She uses her music as a platform to advocate for disabled people and to promote positive social change. In recent years, she has shared her perspective on PBS NewsHour, On Being with Krista Tippett, The Moth Radio Hour, NowThis, The Science of Happiness Podcast, and via two widely-viewed TEDx Talks. She is currently working on a memoir about her childhood in Minnesota, touring adventures, and disability advocacy.

Gaelynn Lea joined the Recording Academy with the class of 2021. She is also one of the Founding Members of a change-making group called RAMPD – Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities. RAMPD’s mission is to serve as a resource for disabled recording artists and music professionals and their allies by amplifying disability culture, promoting inclusion, and advocating for accessibility in the music industry. You can join the RAMPD Revolution by taking this survey.

When the pandemic interrupted her touring schedule, Gaelynn Lea began performing live-streamed concerts called Sunday Sessions on YouTube. Fans from all over the world continue to join her on select Sunday afternoons for this interactive concert series which features improvisational live-looped violin, original songs, and a different special guest every episode. Captions are provided for Deaf and hard-of-hearing music lovers. To top it all off, Gaelynn recently started editing some of these conversations with the guest artists into an audio show called Sunday Sessions: The Podcast.