Gaelynn Lea Music Lessons by Your Classical Class Notes / Minnesota Public Radio and Gaelynn Lea
Gaelynn Lea Music Lessons
*These lessons were developed by Your Classical Class Notes and Gaelynn Lea herself and link to an external source.
Gaelynn Lea is a violinist, singer, and songwriter from Duluth, Minnesota. These free resources from YourClassical Class Notes use her music and practice as the basis for K-8 music lessons on songwriting, instrument technique, and music technology. A disability-informed teaching note follows the resource descriptions below.
Summary
This set of three lesson plans introduces students to Gaelynn Lea through her music. Younger grades explore the parts of the violin and how musicians learn in different ways. Middle grades use her songwriting practice as a launching point for students to create and perform their own songs. Upper grades explore the function of a looping pedal and create layered musical performances. All three lessons include listening to Gaelynn Lea's music as a core activity.
Subject: Music
Grade level: K-8 (some lessons have distinct lesson bands)
Duration: One class period or less
Gaelynn Lea Lesson Plans (2018-2019)
Three grade-band lesson plans covering violin/fiddle parts, songwriting, and the loop pedal. Originally created by Classical MPR for in-school concert visits.
K-1: Instrument parts and how musicians learn
Gr 2-3: Songwriting
Gr 4-6: The loop pedal and layered sound
The Audio Backpack playlist link in the lesson plan PDF is no longer active, but either of these playlist links can be used in its place:
Preferred: Virtual Class Notes Concert and Educational Materials
Additional: Gaelynn Lea's Elementary School Program on YouTube (2020)
Virtual Concert: Gaelynn Lea (2020)
A virtual concert experience designed for all ages, adaptable across multiple sessions. Includes before, during, and after frameworks with listening, discussion, and reflection prompts built around Gaelynn Lea's music. Features her six-part elementary school video series and links to the K-6 lesson plans and concert curriculum.
Find the lesson here: www.yourclassical.org/story/2020/05/01/classical-kids-music-lessons-class-notes-concert-featuring-gaelynn-lea
Gaelynn Lea created this six-part video series to accompany school visits and home learning. It is available as a standalone playlist on her YouTube channel:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKg9-mRGJKPR6w6bECE1khTzEhi2Sbhle
Virtual Concert: Gaelynn Lea (2023)
A no-prep listening lesson built around a six-part video series. Includes a concert script, concert guide, and reflection worksheet. Similar in structure to the 2020 YourClassical virtual concert above, but with updated materials. Grades K-8, approximately 30-35 minutes.
Find the lesson here: www.classnotes.org/story/2023/05/11/virtual-concert-gaelynn-lea
Instrument Exploration: Loop Pedal
A short standalone lesson on how loop pedals work, featuring Gaelynn Lea demonstrating the instrument. Grades K-6, approximately 20 minutes.
Our suggestions when teaching these lessons:
Gaelynn Lea has spoken openly about her disability, osteogenesis imperfecta, and how it shapes the way she holds and plays her instrument. Her technique grew out of a "what if" question she asked herself, developed with a teacher who chose to help her adapt rather than redirect her elsewhere. We name her disability here because she has named it herself, and because understanding that context helps teachers make sense of what students will observe in the lesson materials. She has said she will never overcome her disability because it is part of who she is, and she actively resists being called an inspiration. As her career grew, she became a dedicated advocate pushing back against the inaccessibility and barriers she encountered in the music world.
Gaelynn Lea co-founded RAMP'd (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities) with blind singer-songwriter and advocate Lachi. RAMP'd maintains a directory of working disabled music professionals and advocates for industry access and inclusion, and is a useful resource for teachers who want to extend this lesson beyond a single musician. www.rampd.org
For guidance on teaching notable disabled individuals without inspiration framing: www.DisabilityEqualityEducation.org/guidance-on-teaching-notable-disabled-page