Gaelynn Lea, a classically trained violinist and songwriter, will be making her way to Dickinson for two performances. She will be performing at DSU Tuesday and the Dickinson Area Public Library on Wednesday.
"For me, Gaelynn is nothing short of inspiring: she has confronted very particular circumstances to become a polished artist and performer," said DSU Professor Kevin Anzzolin. "I think her presence is especially important for the Dickinson community, a place which has been tasked with accepting greater demographic and cultural diversity during the last decade."
Lea is not only a musical performer but she also hosts public speaking opportunities to discuss her challenges with the very rare brittle bone disease.
"When the Multicultural Committee heard of the opportunity to invite Gaelynn Lea to DSU, we all agreed that this would be a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase a different type of diversity to the DSU and Dickinson Community," said Amy Rassier, international student services coordinator. "We were intrigued by videos we had seen of Gaelynn perform and of her story. Gaelynn is a very experienced violinist and really engages her crowds by discussing how she overcomes the challenges she has with brittle bone disease."
Lea has been playing violin for over 20 years where she has performed alongside notable Minnesota musicians. She recently won NPR's Music's 2016 Tiny Desk Contest from more than 6,000 musician submissions across the country.
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"(It has been) great to work with the Dickinson Public Library on bringing Gaelynn to Dickinson for two concerts,
Lea will be performing at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Beck Auditorium and 4 p.m. on Wednesday at the Dickinson Public Library. The events are free and open to the public.
