How important is playing your instrument to you? Ask yourself that question. Would it be more important than being able to walk? That is exactly the question Gaelynn Lea faced recently and she chose playing her violin over walking. Most of us take these two choices for granted. We can do both (well maybe not play the violin. I’ve tried my best and it’s too hard for me and most others).
Gaelynn was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disease that affects the bones and makes them brittle. Growing up in Duluth, Minnesota she dreamed of playing the cello because of its mellow sound. She was recognized as having musical talent by her teachers but because of her very short stature, the relatively large cello was not an option for her, So she opted for the violin. Even with the much smaller instrument, her gnarled body did not allow her to hold it properly but even that limitation didn’t stop her. She learned to play it upright like a cello!
At 18 Gaelynn decided to leave her classical base and take up Celtic and folk music. Since then she has developed her own style of electro-folk music using a foot pedal to loop melodies around as she plays through them. She has toured Europe and America and has won awards on National Public Radio.
Next time you get to feeling sorry for yourself take a moment to thing about it. Okay, so you can’t play that Bill Cheatham break that seems so easy for everyone else. Get over it! Take inspiration from people like Gaelynn and don’t let anything stop you!
The BBC web site has a nice article about Gaelynn this month. Recently, her doctors proposed a surgery to strengthen her brittle bones with metal rods in her legs that might possibly allow her to walk. There was some risk however that her operation might impair her ability to make music. She chose to stick with her wheelchair and her violin. She says that she is happy with her decision. And I have no doubt she chose wisely.
