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One of the larger performers at the tiny desk, Mucca Pazza
The second year of NPR's Tiny Desk Concert Contest has come and gone. Out of thousands of submissions, including numerous from San Antonio, "one rose to the top."
For those unfamiliar with the concert series, bands from all over the world come into the NPR studios and perform a stripped down set of several songs, giving the "concert" an incredibly intimate, personal feel. Here is an example of SA's Girl in a Coma performing on the show.
Gaelynn Lea, a violin player who has been studying and teaching the instrument for over 20 years, is the 2016 winner. Bob Boilen, one of the hosts of the famous concert series had this to say about Lea's performance and composition, "The melody of this song wouldn't let go – it just stuck with me. It conveys an overwhelming emotion of yearning and love that's unforgettable."
Lea, a native of Minnesota, melds together the Anglo and Celtic ballads of the British Isles with the folk pining so popular in the Midwest, much like another famous Minnesotan.
The Black Keys/ Arcs frontman Dan Auerbach, another judge, stated, "This song starts off with the sound of 20 old floorboards groaning and creaking in unison, and then Karen Dalton and Joanna Newsom melt together in the form of Gaelynn Lea and set about absolutely obliterating your heart."
For a sample of some of our city's entries click here. Below is Lea's winning submission. Look for her to appear behind the well-known tiny desk of Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton in the coming months. Until next year.
