Kaleigh de Palézieux - a lifetime of performance

When I was 4 years old I used to stand on my family’s fireplace hearth and sing songs, perform little plays and dance.

When I was older I would do little piano performances, and participate in my first stage plays.

By the time I was 13 I was performing in public, singing mostly, some acting and the stage had become a familiar place; and by the time I was 20 performing opera in public or holding a crowd’s attention with jokes, banter and a good song had become second nature.

Then I went to University. I was still a young woman.

I was 32 by the time I picked the harp for the first time. It was an immediate love. It reignited my passion for performing. It reminded me what I loved about the stage; making people happy.

Making people happy

The Celtic Lever harp (My instrument) is unique, it has the ability to heal, to calm, to soothe and to take people away. I started playing harp after having suffered a deep loss, the pain of which had almost consumed me; it was a last ditch effort to climb out of the darkness. To my amazement - it worked.

Before I realized what was happening, I felt happy again. Music can do that, and it wasn’t much longer before I realized it could do that for other people. The progress videos of my learning this instrument warmed the hearts of my relatives, the sick ones, the elderly ones, the little ones and the far away ones. It was making people happy.

Somewhere along the way the thought occurred to me: what if I could make MORE people happy? More than just myself, my husband and baby, more than siblings and aunts and grandparents - what if I could make my community happy? What if I could bring joy to their lives the way the harp had brought joy to mine.

Bringing Joy

The first wedding I performed was for my cousin - I’ll never forget the feeling as she walked down the aisle the music filled the space and made the moment feel even more special. The eyes were on the bride, her eyes were on the groom, but I was there too - filling the space, adding to the gravity, to the joy. It was a feeling I’ll never forget.

Looking for a little joy? Give me a shout :)

“You can tell how much time and effort she puts in to creating something beautiful - it was exactly what I was hoping for.”

- Robyn Heskin-Land, Bride