When something bad happens to you, how do you grieve it without getting stuck in suffering? -Halley Elwell
Imagine being 11 years old when your face suddenly begins to change. Tumors form on your jaw, and the diagnosis is an incurable condition called Neurofibromatosis. This is the story of singer/songwriter Halley Elwell www.halswellmusic.com. Raised off the grid in Maine by an artist mom, she was told to ignore what was happening to her face and to live her life. She runs free in the woods around her neighborhood, learns to sing old Irish songs, plays piano, and dives into community theatre. In this episode of The Story Behind Her Success, we learn how Halley held onto her light, despite adversity, to become an accomplished singer, songwriter, and advocate for those with facial differences. The secret ingredient? Creativity. Describing her voice, a Maine music critic said: “Imagine Rickie Lee Jones recording with Norah Jones and Natalie Merchant and you’ll have an idea of how Elwell’s music sounds.” Her latest album and podcast series have the same name: Spontaneous Mutation. Both artistic efforts explore the narratives around facial differences. In science, a spontaneous mutation is a genetic change with no known cause. Halley takes this concept one step further with words, voice, and heart: “When you have an incurable condition, you can’t be fixed. But there are different lenses to look through, and that has freed me.” For 25 minutes of inspiration (and the chance to hear Halley’s gorgeous voice), just hit that download button. Check out her podcast series here: spontaneousmutation.podbean.com.

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