Fiddling with the Heart: Gaelynn Lea’s Fearless Sound

Gaelynn Lea plays the violin like a cello — a technique she discovered almost by accident, one that would eventually carry her from a small-town orchestra to NPR's Tiny Desk Concert and, later, to composing the original music for Broadway's revival of Macbeth, starring Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga. In this episode of Constant Wonder, she talks with Marcus Smith about her unconventional technique, the unexpected opportunities it opened up, and how her songwriting continues to evolve. Gaelynn Lea was born into a family of artists, with musical parents and an early start in youth theater. But everything changed in elementary school, when an orchestra teacher encouraged her to try holding the violin like a cello — a small discovery that would shape the rest of her career. Guest: Gaelynn Lea is a violinist, songwriter, composer, disability advocate, and author of "It Wasn't Meant to Be Perfect: A Memoir." Photo credits to Mike Madison