I spend quite a bit of time talking with people in my community about “Indie” musicians, and one response I am continuously met with is skepticism. There seems to be a widespread misconception that “Independent” must be synonymous with “poor quality” or “low popularity”.
I would invite each of these doubting friends to attend a concert by Lindsey Stirling: dubstep violinist, dancer, actor, and Indie ringleader!
I was first introduced to Lindsey’s work when she hired a friend and long-time supporter of my blog, Malece Miller, dance in her international “Music Box Tour”. As a person who spends several hours a day absorbed in his computer, I immediately found myself exploring videos and interviews with Lindsey.
Stirling’s YouTube channel had me hooked on the first video!
In the three plus minutes I spent watching “Roundtable Rival” (youtube.com/watch?v=jvipPYFebWc), I learned three things: this musician was powerful, she was fascinating, and I wanted to be a part of her journey.
It isn’t often I think of the violin as powerful or energetic, but Lindsey wielded the instrument like a weapon. In her video she pushed through sandstorms and bad guys like a musical super hero, smashing her opponent with sound waves from enormous speakers.
Several hours went by as I clicked video after heart-pumping video. Stirling seemed to have so many great things incorporated into her videos.
The music was great, fast-paced and inspiring, but the visual effects were equally fantastic. Her videos had story lines and unique characters, mesmerizing dances and themes that seemed to be born from my world.
Needless to say, I was very excited when my wife and I were invited to attend Lindsey’s concert at the Red Hat Amphitheatre in Raleigh, NC.
It took us about 4 hours to get there from our home in Charleston, and the day had been miserably hot.
Indie by Choice: the Reign of Lindsey Stirling
8