Meet Leah Keane, Our Newest Affiliated Artist!
Our newest Affiliated Artist is Leah Keane, a local folk singer/songwriter who creates music that is both captivating and relatable. Leah recently performed for the 2019 San Diego Climate Summit attendees at the Sunset Reception. Read the Q&A below to get to know the newest artist in the Alliance family!
Climate Science Alliance (Alliance): Have you always known you wanted to make music?
Leah Keane (Leah): My parents got me started in music at age three with piano lessons. I think it was always clear music would be a part of my life. I was the kind of kid who knew all the words to every nursery rhyme, Disney song, radio commercial etc. I graduated from UCSD with a degree in Economics and a minor in Music. Deciding to pursue a career in music felt risky but I realized if I didnāt give it a shot I would regret never trying.
Alliance: Where has been your favorite location to perform, and what made it so special?
Leah: My favorite location to perform is in a pub called āNelliefredsā located in Dingle, Ireland. I traveled to Dingle in the summer of 2017 and on the Tuesday I arrived Nelliefredās was having their open mic night. When performing I didnāt feel like I was competing with anyone or being judged. Thereās nothing like having on old Irishman come up to you and say āThanks for sharing loveā. Thatās what music is all about ā sharing a gift, a story, a feeling!
Climate Science Alliance: How has climate change impacted your life?
Leah: I had the great fortune of growing up in a small country town, east San Diego county, called Julian. Our house sits on eight acres of beautiful land surrounded by pines, oak trees, natural creeks and wildlife. The air is clean, the stars shine bright at night, and life is slower in a small town. Whenever I traveled to the city, the contrast was always so sad. Smoggy air, polluted streets, hardly any trees. Now I am more aware of how climate change is affecting even my small town of Julian. Our hot, dry summers increase the risk of fire. Our impressive oak trees are dying as the heat dries their bark and allows a nasty beetle to infest it. Weāve lost five gorgeous trees on our property alone. Itās sad to watch.
Alliance: What advice would you give to a Climate Kid?
Leah: I would say donāt be discouraged! Climate change is a daunting reality but nothing will change if the average person doesnāt take small steps in their own life. What you do matters! You have the ability to educate your peers and set a positive example in your own life.
Alliance: Anything else you would like our partners to know about you?
Leah: If youāre interested in learning more please check out my website at leahkeane.com. There you can find links to my music and check out where I am performing next! I play for local wineries, coffee shops, farmers markets, and private parties. If youāre interested in contacting me you can do so through my website as well. Thank you for your support!
The Alliance team had the pleasure of featuring Leah Keane as a performer at the 2019 San Diego Climate Summit for the sunset reception. For the event, Leah wrote and composed an original song, "A Garden Taught Me". The song will be publicly available soon ā stay tuned!
