More Lindsey

My interest in Lindsey Stirling keeps growing. I recently read her memoir “The Only Pirate at the Party” and found it to be both a fascinating look into her life and an inspirational story. To watch her videos you’d never know what is going on behind that smiling face. Reading about her struggles with anorexia has made me take a closer look at my life and the psychological mindsets I struggle with, and it gives me hope that they can be overcome.

Of course the book is not all about her anorexia. Much of it is about where she comes from; her childhood, her family, her explorations of her talents. And yet the book is not all about that, either. She talks at length about her college career, and yet only in one brief mention do we ever hear what she studied there: film. It’s almost like it’s trivial information, and yet the impact of that decision is obvious. No wonder her videos are so impactful.

Nor does she really talk about where she developed such a head for business. We can tell some of the credit comes from growing up in a home with limited material resources. Some of it comes from simple drive. But somewhere along the way she learned to live on little while putting away money to further her career and provide for all those who work with her. That’s a high level of financial maturity for someone so young.

This book is definitely a memoir and not a biography. Don’t read this book if you’re simply looking for an exhaustive source of detail on her life. She has very specific things she wants to cover, and so many more than she doesn’t even touch on. I found it both enlightening and frustrating in that regard. But I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I’m glad I read it. I recommended it to my daughter and probably will recommend it to my sons when they’re a little older and are ready for the messages there.

Meanwhile, I happened upon her latest video today and was blown away. The quality of her videos has usually been the main draw for me–I’ll admit I wasn’t much of a fan of her music initially, and could only listen to it as part of the total audio-visual package. But “The Arena” may be the first one where all the pieces have really clicked for me. The music itself is highly listenable, reminiscent of Hans Zimmer, melodically interesting, and with a much better balance of the electronica elements. I like this one for itself, even without the video.

But the visual impact is stunning. It appears she teamed up with Derek Hough to choreograph the dancing, and the two of them are on fire. It’s fine dancing. I could watch it just for them alone. Once again she reaches into what seems to be her signature style: steampunk western with a touch of Mad Max. In this one she creates a surreal backdrop to tell her tale. Her videos often tell stories, but this transcends into allegory. Perhaps it’s because I read her memoir and can recognize the themes that come out here, but I found it powerful.

I hope this is the shape of things to come. Lindsey has managed to synergize her music, her dancing, and her visual storytelling into something powerful and potentially life-changing. I know it’s not something that everyone’s going to love. I’m not sure it’s even meant for old codgers like me, though it does seem as though her audience cuts across all demographics, but I believe she’s got an incredible vehicle for making a difference to young people. She’s got something to say, and I think she’s got the means to make people listen.

If she can keep this going I’m going to have to admit to being a fan, and not just an admirer. I’ve been able to see what she’s doing for a while now and have approved of her approach even if I didn’t appreciate all of the elements. But she seems to be maturing in her art, and it may just be in a direction I can embrace without reservation. I guess we’ll see, but she’s definitely got my attention now.