Call or text 864.580.6506
Where would you like me to show up?
I travel gently and blend well...
How can we work together?
Contact me directly to set up a collaboration.
You can call/text at 864-580-6506 or email me at vagabondoboist@gmail.com.
How does origami mami show up?
OBOIST
Lessons
Reed making
Performances
Studio work
Ensembles:
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Orchestra, wind band
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Chamber, choir, church
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Local musicians, improv
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Jams of all kinds
ORATOR
Storytelling
Performances
Poetry on demand
CONTACT
Call/text: 864.580.6506
Email: vagabondoboist@gmail.com
WATCH AND LISTEN
TIPS AND PAYMENTS
Cash or check to Kelsey Leahy
Barter and trade accepted
ORIGAMI MAMI
Classes
Workshops
Commissions
Pop up markets
Artist at large
Apprenticeships
ORGANIZATIONAL WIZARD
Exceedingly useful handy woman
Volunteer management and work
Migrant farm work and trail maintenance
CPR/first aid/AED certified
Chainsaw trained in AmeriCorps 2019
Wilderness first aid certified October 2021
What does a performance look like?
Performances by Origami Mami are a mixture of original spoken word pieces, songs, and stories from their experience as a vagabond oboist accompanied by a turtle shell drum. That is interspersed with solo oboe repertoire from their classical training, fiddle tunes played on oboe, along with tiny tunes played on various ocarinas and bamboo flutes (and occasionally a kazoo).
Acoustic around a fire, in a room, on a porch, or anywhere in between.
Amplified by two mics: one for voice/ocarinas, and one for oboe.
Comes with instruments, a music stand, and origami shenanigans as needed.
Kelsey Leahy, aka Origami Mami, is a freelance musician, performer, and organizational wizard who operates on a sliding scale and knows the importance of mutual aid.
Payments accepted include cash, check made out to Kelsey Leahy, or electronically:
PayPal: @KelseyLeahy, Venmo @VagabondOboist, CashApp: $VagabondOboist Barter and trade also accepted and encouraged in the form of: Safe spaces, experiences, hearty meals, tasty snacks, nature treasures, and handmade items.
Contact via email vagabondoboist@gmail.com or call/text 864.580.6506
Bios
My name is Kelsey Leahy and I am exceedingly useful.
I live in the here and now; I am from the universe herself.
I am an entropy engineer: I skillfully and artfully arrange the gradual decline into disorder
to help create situations and events.
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Origami Mami performs Faeral Folk Songs and Stories wherever their travels take them.
Playing tunes on oboe, ocarinas, bamboo flutes, and accompanying songs and spoken word pieces with a turtle shell drum, there always seems to be another facet to this performance of self.
Kelsey Leahy, known as a vagabond oboist, is a classically trained oboist who has earned her chops improvising in various settings. From singer/songwriter open mic nights across the southeast, sitting in on bluegrass jams, and even playing in funk jams on stages in Atlanta and at festivals in the region. Drum circles are an especially interesting venue for Origami Mami to appear with the myriad tiny flutes she carries and all the spoken word pieces that she shares for the moment itself.
A head full of words and tunes from her years of practicing the art of listening deeply and living in the moment, Kelsey is always ready to share in the co-creation of a moment in time with a song, story, tune, or spoken word piece that engages and inspires the people present (and oftentimes enchants the other creatures present as well).
Evidence
Videos, recordings, and pictures exist of Kelsey in the act of existence as performance art.
Some highlights include:
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Getting folks from Midtown Atlanta to McCarthy, Alaska to sing "We are the Faery Folk"
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Being interviewed live on the radio by Katia Kool for WRFG in Atlanta May 2023
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Being interview by Tamora Israel, the spoken word artist who inspired Origami Mami to perform more
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The premiere of Faeral Folk Songs and Stories in March 2023
For a deeper dive explore the menu above to hear more recordings, see where else they have made appearances, or to find out more about origami and the oboe (with an even deeper dive into the reeds).
Photo slide show below, captured in the moments by event photographers and friends.
File names give attribution to photographers in gratitude.