Gaelynn

Lea

Composer & Musician

Disability Rights Advocate & Author

Travels from: Minneapolis, MN

“Gaelynn’s story is beautiful… She writes with a depth and honesty that only comes from being bold and unafraid to dream big.” — Glory Edim, author of Gather Me and Well-Read Black Girl

Gaelynn Lea got her big break when she won NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest in 2016. Since then, she has been captivating audiences around the world with her haunting original songs and traditional fiddle tunes, and has collaborated with many musicians, including Michael Stipe, The Decemberists, Wilco, and even Pigface.

In 2022, Gaelynn Lea composed and recorded the original score for Macbeth on Broadway, starring Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga. Her theatrically-inspired soundtrack, titled “Music From Macbeth”, came out in May 2025. She followed this up with a 10-city UK album release tour.

Music aside, 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, and via two widely-viewed TEDx Talks. Gaelynn is also a member of the Recording Academy, where she currently serves as a Governor for the Chicago Chapter.

One of Gaelynn Lea’s biggest passions is promoting Disability Culture. She co-founded RAMPD [Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities] with NYC-based recording artist Lachi in early 2022. In 2024, Gaelynn was awarded a prestigious Disability Futures Fellowship from the Ford and Mellon Foundations, which spotlights the work of disabled creatives across disciplines.

Gaelynn Lea just finished writing her first book, which is about her touring adventures and disability advocacy. Her forthcoming memoir, It Wasn’t Meant To Be Perfect, is a love-letter to every body — a warm, funny and deeply-felt exploration of disability, music, and the messy creativity of an artist’s life. It will be published by Algonquin Books on April 14, 2026.

Gaelynn's Featured Titles

It Wasn’t Meant to Be Perfect: A Memoir

Algonquin Books |

April 14, 2026

Memoir

Folk musician, Broadway composer, and disability advocate Gaelynn Lea’s warm, funny, poignant memoir is a love letter to every kind of body, to music, and to making it work––inviting us to embrace all of life’s experiences with heart and determination

Gaelynn Lea was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Her parents were loving, cash-strapped theater kids, and she grew up racing about in her first electric wheelchair, having adventures with her siblings, and handing out playbills at her parents’ dinner theater shows. Transfixed by an orchestra performance in 5th grade, Gaelynn was determined to play the cello. When her shortened limbs made playing the instrument challenging, she employed a familiar tactic: adapting. What if she held a violin upright in her wheelchair, like the world’s tiniest cello? That what if was the key that unlocked her lifelong music career.

After winning NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert in 2016, Lea became a full-time touring musician—and that’s when she began to truly struggle with the inaccessibility of the music world. Out of necessity, she became a dedicated advocate and activist, pushing back against the prevailing stereotypes, assumptions, and barriers with her own gently defiant style. Lea’s warm, funny, deeply-felt memoir addresses love and faith, sexuality and mortality, the frustration and the joy of difference. She shows how disability inspires and enables unique and indispensable contributions to the world, and reminds readers to think creatively, fight for what they love, and savor the journey.

Disability Awareness, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Memoir & Personal Journeys, Performing Arts

Disability Awareness

Gaelynn shares her personal experience of living with a disability. She discusses the barriers still facing disabled people and highlights activism efforts that can help further the goal of equality for all. She reframes disability as a form of cultural diversity that can be celebrated.

Enrichment

Gaelynn shares how she gained a greater sense of well-being and intrinsic value when she shifted her focus from making progress in the traditional sense to creating a more enriching life for herself and others.

Claiming Your Inner Freedom

Gaelynn shares how the intersection of sexuality and disability led to an epiphany that helped her to claim inner freedom. She then discusses how true inner freedom is available to everyone.

Accessibility in the Arts

Gaelynn shares her personal experience as a touring musician with a disability. She discusses why disability inclusion and representation in the arts are so important for social change, and then gives practical tips to promote better access for disabled artists from the ground up.

#AccessIsLove: Practical Tips for Embracing Inclusion, Accessibility and Disability Culture in YOUR Workplace

If you’ve never mapped out an access and inclusion plan for your creative business, this is the time and the place to get started! Disabled artist Gaelynn Lea will help you to identify ways you can make your creative business more accessible and welcoming to disabled folx.

This isn’t about the legal bare minimum, it’s about finding creative access solutions and getting excited about Disability Culture as an entrepreneur! Gaelynn Lea will share strategies and resources that have helped her in the past, discuss potential barriers, and talk about the ways around them. After all, the ultimate goal is holistic inclusion—inclusion that takes into account programming, team-building, outreach and leadership.

“Gaelynn has such a winning personality and her message about enrichment was so thought provoking. And her music was incredible, loved every minute of it.” — Women In Leadership Conference, 2024

“Gaelynn Lea’s message was so positive and uplifting-that was one of my favorite speeches of all time. 10/10.” — Women In Leadership Conference, 2024

“Gaelynn Lea was a dynamic, thoughtful, and engaging speaker. Her messages around disability justice, culture, and the positive impacts of different types of enrichment was a new lens for me and I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn.” — Women In Leadership Conference, 2024

“Gaelynn was an excellent speaker and she covered a lot, not just for people with disabilities but for everyone.” — Health and Human Services Conference, 2018

“The music was the perfect sensory means to take the message deeper and ensure it becomes actionable.” — Health and Human Services Conference, 2018

“Very engaging and informative. Great presenter and ideas I can clearly take and apply with my clients and in daily life. And I loved that she incorporated her music!” — Health and Human Services Conference, 2018

“Entertaining – informative – inspirational.” — Speaking Event Attendee

“She is real. Not afraid to tackle tough issues.” — Speaking Event Attendee

“Engaging, funny, very easy to listen to, eye-opening!” — Speaking Event Attendee

“Candid, open story-telling. Kept my attention!” — Speaking Event Attendee

“Riveting – and I am not easily riveted.” — Speaking Event Attendee

“I was amazed at how beautiful the music was.” — Speaking Event Attendee

“Karen Dalton and Joanna Newsom melt together in the form of Gaelynn Lea & set about absolutely obliterating your heart.” — Dan Auerbach, The Black Keys

“The way her voice resonates is so unusual & beautiful, like nothing I’ve ever heard before.” — Jess Wolfe, Lucius

“Gaelynn Lea makes music imbued with a melancholic poetry so potent it must be heard to be believed.” — The Boston Globe

“Gaelynn Lea has once again left us speechless.” — Daytrotter

“Don’t miss this magical performer.” — Bob Boilen, formerly of All Songs Considered

“Gaelynn Lea is a true original with immense strength . . . She has infinite optimism and energy to make the world better. I look forward to the next time I find myself under her spell.” — Jeff Tweedy [Wilco], author of Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back)

“Gaelynn’s… words are inviting and approachable for anyone seeking to connect with the disability experience.” — Emily Ladau, author of Demystifying Disability

Gaelynn’s Disability Survey

Disability Inclusion Toolkit Link

Honors, Awards & Recognition

Eames Institute: “The Curious 100” 2025 Recipient (Richmond, CA)
A celebration of 100 courageous leaders and creative minds across the United States.

Ford & Mellon Foundations: “Disability Futures Fellowship”: 2024 Recipient (New York, NY)
Recognizes disabled creatives across disciplines and geography and amplify their voices

Whippoorwill Arts: “Whippoorwill Artist Fellowship”: 2024 Recipient (Berkeley, CA)
Celebrates artists’ musical accomplishments, extraordinary talent, community spirit and creativity

Folk Alliance Internationals’s “Spirit of Folk” Award: 2022 Recipient (Kansas City, MO)
Presented to honor those actively involved in the promotion and preservation of folk music

NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest: 2016 Winner (Washington, DC)
Gaelynn Lea was chosen as the winner unanimously from the judges from over 6,000 submissions

Duluth News Tribune’s “20 Under 40” Award: 2014 Recipient (Duluth, MN)
Awarded to high achievers younger than 40 years old from the greater Duluth area

NASS Medallion Award: 2009 Recipient (Duluth, MN)
Awarded by Minnesota Secretary of State for outstanding service during the 2008 election

UMD Outstanding Student Organization: 2008 Recipient (Duluth, MN)
Awarded to the coordinators of Access For All for its service to UMD and Duluth