Halley Elwell Contributed photo
AUGUSTA — Singer and songwriter Halley Elwell of Augusta plans to celebrate her EP release and highlight Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month with a fundraising concert for Neurofibromatosis Northeast.
The streaming concert is to be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 29. Tickets cost $10, and proceeds will raise money for NF Northeast, an organization that supports families living with NF.
Neurofibromatosis affects more people than cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy combined, yet most people have never even heard of it, according to a news release.
Elwell was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis when she was 11, and underwent several surgeries to remove tumors from her jaw. The condition, which has no cure, affects everyone who has it differently and can lead to vision loss, hearing loss, paralysis, learning disabilities, and chronic pain because of tumors growing on nerves. One in 3,000 children are born with NF and 2.5 million people around the world have it.
This EP is Elwell’s first official release in 10 years. “I am well aware that I did not pick the easy road. Not only because of the problems NF presents in my chosen line of work as a singer and musician, but as a freelance musician trying to obtain health insurance with a condition like this, it can be brutal. Any awareness I can help bring to the world about what life is like with these conditions and to open up a dialogue of kind curiosity, I am happy to do it,” Elwell said in the news release.
Elwell’s new EP, “The Last of What I Know,” is a collection of four original songs inspired by 1970s songwriters. The first song on the EP, “Sisters on the J Train,” was recently named a finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition.
Tickets for the upcoming show can be purchased at eventbrite.com/e/halley-elwell-ep-release-concert-and-fundraiser-tickets-154149237519.
For more information, contact Elwell at 207-240-7936 or hello@halswellmusic.com.
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