Lynn O’Brien CD Release Show

Lynn was blessed to grow up in a very musical family; she a self-taught-by-ear musician and songwriter (piano, guitar, flute, soprano/baritone ukulele).  Lynn sang harmony with family at home, performed in nursing homes, community theater, wrote poetry, performed in talent shows, centers for children with special needs and severe disabilities, coffeehouses, bars, radio stations and theaters throughout Champaign-Urbana, IL.  In addition to performance and composition, Lynn developed a passion for Music Therapy, after observing the many ways in which music affects the brain, body and spirit for individuals from all walks of life.

In order to study research behind music and its effect, Lynn pursued a 5-year degree in Music Therapy.  During this degree, she conducted music therapy techniques in local hospitals, homes (with Hospice patients), nursing/assisted living homes, and schools.  She continued to write and perform for personal pleasure, and was voted “Best New Artist” in the 2006 WPGU Local Music Awards in Champaign-Urbana and performed in the Pygmalion Music Festival.

Lynn also delights in collaboration; at age 19, she wrote, arranged and produced her first album, Umbrella, with the help of audio master, Eric Gross, which featured a multitude of other musicians. She composed music for film/art pieces, sang with various hip hop groups, participated in Children’s Story Time groups with her mother, provided accompaniment for local theater performances and generally said “yes” to any creative opportunities that life presented her.

After a semester of studying and performing in Florence, Italy, Lynn returned to the USA and released her her second full-length album,“YES!”  and designed an audio/visual performance at a local planetarium in Champaign, IL.

Lynn, now 25, lives in Minneapolis, MN and works full-time in St. Paul as a board-certified Music Therapist in a trauma hospital. She currently performs solo, as well as with “Hummingbirds,” a lovely female folk trio in the cities.