#tiny desk
How Gaelynn Lea Made The Video That Won Last Year’s Tiny Desk Contest
Nobody expects to win the Tiny Desk Contest, but Gaelynn Lea’s journey to the Tiny Desk at NPR national headquarters last year was perhaps more unexpected for her than for most. (Ed. Note - There’s still time for you to enter this year’s Contest — just get your video in by this Sunday at 11:59 p.m. ET.) It began with a pizza shop, a practice amplifier and a cell phone.
“I knew the Contest closed at the end of January, and I had picked out the song that I wanted to record via a vote at my pizza shop gig — like I played all three songs and I had people raise their hands and … 'Someday We’ll Linger In The Sun’ won,” she says.
Back then, Gaelynn was a fiddle teacher in Duluth, Minn. (She’s playing music full-time now.) Two students of hers had sent word of the Contest her way, and then her friend (and soon-to-be-videographer) Leah pushed her into doing it.
“By the third person, I was like, ‘Okay, fine, I’ll enter,’ “ Gaelynn says. “Not that I didn’t want to, but I was teaching and there was a lot going on — and playing — so I was like, ‘How am I going to find time to film a video?’ But it was cool that people were encouraging me and excited about it. So I found a way.”
It wasn’t easy at first, because Gaelynn thought she had to make a more complicated video than what she wound up making. (We say this all the time, but it really is about the music — not the video.)
“There was a couple videographers in Duluth,” she says, “But it was a busy time of year and they weren’t able to set aside time. So I, kind of as a last-ditch effort, called my friend Leah, and I was like, ‘I really want to enter this Contest but nobody will film the video, so will you come to my office before we go out for half-priced wine night (because we went out every Wednesday for half-priced wine night) … and we’ll film it?’ So, she came up, and all I had was my camera phone and my practice amp … and I had my practice pedal. But I was like, ‘Well, this is the only chance we have.’ ”
They filmed three takes. On the third, Gaelynn’s friend said she’d gotten goose bumps. They chose that take and went out for wine. Gaelynn added titles to it that night and entered it soon after. It took her just an hour to film.
What came next is well documented. A phone call from Bob Boilen, a surreal conversation, then this:
When I spoke to Gaelynn by phone a year later, she still remembered the moment she got the call.
“When they said that they had selected me as the winner I thought, ‘try to be present,’ “ she said. “Try to remember this moment. Because this is the beginning of something totally different.”
Take a chance. Shoot your video on a camera, on an iPad, on a computer — this doesn’t have to be fancy. It just has to be you.
–Ben
You can enter the 2017 Tiny Desk Contest until 11:59 p.m. ET on Jan. 29. Check out the Official Rules, film your video and submit it here!
Haven’t entered yet? Hurry! Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. ET on Jan. 29!
The Tiny Desk Contest Is Back!
Grab your desk, call your friends, and get ready for another Tiny Desk Contest! If you think you have what it takes to play @nprmusic’s Tiny Desk, then film a video of you or your band performing an original song behind a desk of your choosing and submit it to npr.org/tinydeskcontest. The winner will play a Tiny Desk and tour the United States of America with NPR Music and @lagunitasbeer.
Third time’s the charm. Good luck everybody — stay tuned on this blog, our newsletter,All Songs Considered and the Tiny Desk Contest website for updates.
In Desk We Trust,
Bob, Ben, Rachel & Marissa
If you’re interested in entering the contest, check out the Official Rules and film your video! We’re taking submissions from Jan. 13 until 11:59 p.m. ET on Jan. 29.
Unsigned Musicians: Send us your videos and you could win the chance to play the Tiny Desk!
We’re taking videos for our third-ever Tiny Desk Contest, and if you send in an original video of you or your band playing behind a desk between Jan. 13-29, you could win a Tiny Desk concert and a tour of the United States. Tell your friends: Send us music!
(viaVijay Iyer Trio: Tiny Desk Concert : NPR)
Acclaimed Jazz pianist Vijay Iyer stopped by the NPR offices after his concert at Sixth & I on Sunday, April 19. Slightly smaller audience, still larger-than-life performance.
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