Lindsey Stirling
Lindsey Stirling (born September 21, 1986) is an American violinist, songwriter, and dancer.[3][4][5] She presents choreographed violin performances, in live and music videos found on her official YouTube channel, which she created in 2007.[6]
"Lindseystomp" redirects here. For the musician's 2010 debut EP, see Lindsey Stomp. For her 2012 debut studio album, see Lindsey Stirling (album).
Lindsey Stirling
September 21, 1986
- Violinist
- songwriter
- dancer
Violin
2007–present
Music
14 million[1]
3.95 billion[1]
Stirling performs a variety of music styles, from classical to pop and rock to electronic dance music. Aside from original work, her discography contains covers of songs by other musicians such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Antonio Vivaldi and various soundtracks.[7][8] Her music video "Crystallize" finished as the eighth-most watched video of 2012 on YouTube,[9] and her cover version of "Radioactive" with Pentatonix won Response of the Year in the first YouTube Music Awards in 2013.[10] Stirling achieved one million singles sold worldwide by August 2014.[11] As of May 10, 2023, her Lindseystomp YouTube channel exceeded 13 million subscribers and over 3 billion total views.[12]
Stirling has been named in Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 in Music: The Class of 2015. Forbes notes her quarter-finalist position on America's Got Talent season five in 2010,[13][14] a No. 2 position on the Billboard 200 for her second album Shatter Me in 2014, and her 11 million subscribers on YouTube.[15]
Stirling's eponymous debut album was a commercial success in Europe, selling 200,000 copies in Germany, winning a platinum certification; three additional certifications were given by Austria, Switzerland, and Poland. The album was nominated for the 2014 Billboard Music Awards for Top Dance/Electronic Albums.[16] Stirling's second album Shatter Me won Top Dance/Electronic Album at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards.[17]
Early life[edit]
Stirling is the middle child of three daughters of Stephen and Diane Stirling. Stirling describes her childhood as being raised in a modest household and stated "I would not trade my humble childhood years for anything else."[18] Due to her family's financial limitations, her parents could only afford to find a violin teacher who would give her half lessons. Although they were told by instructors that "a child isn't going to learn how to play in 15 minutes a week", her parents persisted, and at the age of five, she began taking violin lessons.[19]
Living in Gilbert, Arizona, Stirling attended Greenfield Junior High, and at age sixteen,[20] Stirling attended Mesquite High School and joined four friends in a rock band called Stomp on Melvin. As part of her experience with the group, Stirling wrote a solo violin rock song, and her performance helped her to win the state title of Arizona's Junior Miss and claim the Spirit Award in the America's Junior Miss Finals competition.[21] Stirling was also a member of Charley Jenkins Band for about a year.[22]
From a young age, Stirling had a fascination for dance and desired to take both dancing and violin lessons. In an interview with NewMediaRockstars, she said, "...ever since I was a kid, I've always wished that I could dance, but my parents said, 'You [can] choose violin or you [can] choose dance, but we can't afford both', and I chose violin. So this is kind of a fulfillment – it's funny to say, but this is something I've always wanted to do."[23]
Career[edit]
2010–2012: America's Got Talent and debut studio album[edit]
In 2010, at the age of 23, Stirling was a quarter-finalist on season five of America's Got Talent, where she was described as a "hip hop violinist".[13][14] She impressed the judges not only by mixing hip-hop, pop, and classical music on the violin, but by incorporating dancing with playing the violin, which she also does on her tours and official music videos. On a live-chat, Stirling explained, "It is very unnatural to dance while playing the violin. I had to practice so hard to learn how to do it, but now it is part of my expression and it comes naturally. I have to know a song perfectly before I can even begin to move. Once I know a song really well, I can then have fun dancing."[24] Dancing made a huge impact not only in her performances, but also with her music: "I loved dance music so I started with that and wrote 'Transcendence', 'Electric Daisy', and 'Spontaneous Me'."[25]
Stirling's performances were dubbed "electrifying" by the judges, and won the acclaim of the audience, but after she attempted to step up the dance level in her quarter-final performance, judge Piers Morgan buzzed her. He told her: "You're not untalented, but you're not good enough, I don't think, to get away with flying through the air and trying to play the violin at the same time."[26] Sharon Osbourne commented: "You need to be in a group. ... What you're doing is not enough to fill a theater in Vegas."[27][28] In her blog, Stirling confided: "I was devastated at the results ... It was painful, and a bit humiliating; however, I had to relearn where it was that I drew my strength."[29][30] Stirling decided to continue to embrace her unique style of performance, promoting herself on the Internet. In a 2012 interview she remarked: "A lot of people have told me along the way that my style and the music I do ... is unmarketable. But the only reason I'm successful is because I have stayed true to myself."[19]
Shortly after her performance on America's Got Talent, cinematographer Devin Graham contacted her in hopes of collaborating on a YouTube video. They agreed to shoot a music video for her song, "Spontaneous Me", that was filmed the week of May 9, 2011. The video boosted Stirling's popularity, and she began making music videos regularly for her YouTube channel. Stirling's channel, Lindseystomp, which she created in 2007 and named after her first band Stomp on Melvin, is the main repository for her music videos. Throughout 2011, the channel rapidly gained popularity and has since reached over 3 billion total views and over 12 million subscribers, as of November 2018.[31] Her music is featured on Pandora and Spotify. Stirling created a second YouTube channel, LindseyTime, in September 2012, in which she posts videos related to her life, vlogs, and behind-the-scenes content.
Philanthropy[edit]
On October 1, 2013, Stirling teamed with the non-profit Atlanta Music Project to help spread appreciation of music to children who might not otherwise have the chance. The Atlanta Music Project's mission was "to inspire social change by providing Atlanta's under-served youth the opportunity to learn and perform music in orchestras and choirs." For this, Stirling made available two limited-edition Lindsey Stirling/The Power of Music shirts. The money collected from the sale of those shirts went directly to the Atlanta Music Project with the combined goal of raising enough to provide music training for 50 children.[296]
On March 22, 2014, Stirling joined Cirque du Soleil for the second annual One Night for One Drop in Las Vegas.[297] The non-profit organization presented the show in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in celebration of World Water Day, a day which encourages people to conserve water resources in an effort to make clean water accessible to all.[298]
During her 2017 Warmer in the Winter tour, VIP guests were encouraged to bring an unopened toy to donate to Toys for Tots. Donors received an exclusive photo laminate of Stirling and pet chihuahua Luna Latte.[299]
On December 15, 2018, as part of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western New York's concert series, Stirling performed at Shea's Buffalo Theatre. All proceeds from the show went to Buffalo Ronald McDonald House and the Family Lounge & Happy Wheel Cart at John R. Oishei Children's Hospital.[300]
In April 2020, Stirling launched The Upside Fund a non-profit charity to support individuals struggling throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.[301][302] In a July interview, it was revealed she had donated hundreds of thousands of dollars, and was broadening the scope of the charity to include anyone struggling economically at the time.[303] Later that month, a partnership was forged with Tea North a Canadian company who would donate 100% of their online profits for a month to The Upside Fund.[304] On August 27, 2020, Stirling announced she would be auctioning off a number of her performance outfits on eBay with all revenue donated to the charity.[305] Stirling repeated this in May 2021 with auction lots including her Roundtable Rival music video outfit.[306] For the 2021 festive season, Stirling partnered with Resolve Partners to drive donations through The Upside Fund to help those in need of financial support for medical bills.[307][308] In November 2021, Stirling partnered with Fandiem to run an online giveaway where fans could donate and win a Yamaha Crystallize limited edition violin and a virtual lesson with her.[309] In February 2022, Stirling ran another outfit auction to support The Upside Fund on eBay.[310]
On May 8, 2020, Stirling participated at the 320 Festival, a mental health awareness event created by Talinda Bennington and Kevin Lyman.[311] Due to the quarantine restrictions of COVID-19, the performance was live-streamed from her sister's farm in Missouri. All net proceeds from the event were donated to its nonprofit partners.[312]
In March 2022, Stirling announced she was running an auction to support UNICEF in Ukraine following the Russian invasion. Lots included video and tour outfits, along with her violin used as a teenager.[313][314] The items collectively sold for over $16,000.[315]
Stirling uses a variety of violins depending on her performance. For live performances, she mostly uses Yamaha SV-250 Silent Violin Pro and Luis and Clark "Nero" carbon fiber acoustic violin.[316][317][318] Stirling has been using the Yamaha electric violin since 2000,[319] and the Luis and Clark violin became famous after she used it for her cover version of "Radioactive" with Pentatonix in 2013. For studio recording, Stirling uses an early-1900s Ernst Heinrich Roth "Roth" acoustic violin most of the time[316] and her Yamaha Silent violin for an extremely clean sound.[319] Before using the "Nero", Stirling used her "Roth" during live performances. However, she stopped using the "Roth" live because she was sweating so much during the show.[316] Stirling also owns three other violins: a $40 eBay violin "Ingrid", a purple Wood Viper violin "Viper" and a Yamaha Silent violin "Steampunk".[316][320] "Steampunk" was her first electric violin, and "Ingrid" is used for dangerous stunts in her music videos.[316]
In an interview in August 2016 with Strings Magazine, Stirling stated that Yamaha electric violins are her "weapon of choice" while the "Roth" she calls Excalibur is her favorite.[321] In 2020, Stirling joined Reverb to talk through her five favorite violins including David Bowie, her crossbow violin.[322] In a 2022 video uploaded to TikTok, Stirling showed fans all of her violins.[323]
Other violins include:
Stirling uses the L.R. Baggs violin pickup for her "Roth" and "Nero".[316] In March 2022, Stirling auctioned off a violin she used as a teenager for the charity Unicef. The violin sold for $7,200.[324]
Personal life[edit]
Stirling attended Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, to study filmmaking.[18] She later served as a missionary in New York City for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).[325][326] A story she wrote about her mission was later published in the compilation Do Not Attempt in Heels: Mission Stories and Advice from Sisters Who've Been There.[327] Stirling returned to Provo in 2009 to continue studying at BYU. She then moved back to Arizona, in December 2012, to be with her family. In August 2015, she graduated from the BYU Marriott School of Management with a Bachelor of Science degree in recreation management.[328] At this time, Forbes estimated her net worth as $6million.[329] She moved to Los Angeles in 2013,[330] and in 2019 bought a Hollywood Hills property from film director John Stalberg Jr..[331][332]
In December 2015, Stirling became the owner of Luna, a chihuahua.[333] Appearing on stage and in photoshoots, Stirling credits Luna with helping her through the loss of close friends and family.[334][335]
In 2024, Stirling hired a private investigator to track a stalker who had previously attempted to illegally enter a property owned by Taylor Swift.[336]
For a short time she dated filmmaker Devin Graham, who had attended the same university and church.[337] The two began dating shortly after the filming of "Crystallize" and Graham moved to Utah.[338][339] The two have since ended their professional and personal relationship.[339] In October 2017, on Dancing with the Stars Stirling revealed her year and a half relationship with Ryan Weed ended.[340]
Stirling has publicly spoken about her battle with anorexia. She discovered her disorder while working for a treatment center for troubled girls. Stirling said in an interview with Good Morning America that her song "Shatter Me" was "actually my story of overcoming my eating disorder".[341] The cover art of the album is a reference to her struggle which showcases a "seemingly perfect-looking ballerina standing in the middle of a cracked glass globe".[342] In 2013, Stirling was featured by the LDS Church in its I'm a Mormon campaign in which she spoke openly about how her faith helped in her battle during high school and college.[18][338] On November 25, 2014, she performed and answered questions in a live world broadcast to LDS youth.[343] A one-hour video recording of the event was featured on the LDS Church home page.[344]
Stirling is a teetotaler, and during tours, she has a ban on her team consuming alcohol on her tour bus.[345]
Stirling has a celestial body named after her, Asteroid 242516 Lindseystirling, about 2–3 km diameter, semi-major axis of 2.72AU, eccentricity of 0.051, inclined 3.7 degrees to ecliptic.[346]
Former