It was long ago that Lisa Ostrow stopped counting the
occasions when she had to patiently explain, “Yes, I can do that,” subsequently reaching milestones others assumed
insurmountable: "A blind person can’t
hike the rugged 45-mile West Coast Trail.” “Harvard’s Russian Department has never graduated
a blind student.” “How could you possibly enjoy an African safari?” Perceived
barriers are not Lisa’s concern. She enriches her life, family, and friends on her own terms, and
through her music.
Totally blind since birth, Lisa Ostrow
was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado to Canadian parents, and hence has dual US/Canadian citizenship. She lived in Nova
Scotia, Manitoba and British Columbia before going on to college in Boston, where she has remained since 1984, raising a family
of her own. Today she is a full-time mother and active performing artist, proud to be releasing her first
album, Unconditional.
Music was destined to play a significant
role in Lisa’s life journey. Her father spent 35 years in the Canadian Armed Forces Music Branch,
first as a clarinetist and eventually retired as a major at the peak of his musical career. At the age
of seven Lisa began the study of piano, and at ten pursued intensive training with the Royal Conservatory of Music, advancing
through their rigorous program at an accelerated pace. During this time she performed in a wide variety
of live venues and television broadcasts, winning awards and recognition throughout the maritime provinces and western Canada.
After having been accepted to Harvard, where she earned a cum laude degree in Slavic Languages
and Literatures, she became the first member of her family to graduate from college. Musically, her focus
in college migrated to vocal performance. She was a member of the renowned Harvard Collegium Musicum chorus and was a featured
soloist in Boston's Symphony Hall. With the a cappella group, the Radcliffe Pitches, Lisa performed in a wide variety
of venues, including a tour in Bermuda. She also fronted a "Top 40" dance band, and made a guest
appearance as the featured soloist with the Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific at the Royal Theater in Victoria, British
Columbia.
After college, Lisa married and settled
in the Boston area, managing production at the National Braille Press until 1994, when her second child turned out to be twins.
Full-time motherhood beckoned, and ever since she has nurtured the wide array of vocal, instrumental, drama, and dance
pursuits of her three daughters. This next generation of talent has thus far performed in Disney World and at Boston's
Colonial Theater with the national Broadway tour of "Evita." Lisa continues to appear in regional
theater productions, primarily as a vocalist in genres ranging from Gilbert & Sullivan to Christmas-season jazz.
Unconditional
is literally a labor of love, with backing vocals provided by Lisa's husband and her three children. Lisa's
arranger and co-producer, Patrick Dreier, also contributed additional instrumental support and vocals, along with those of
his own daughters. This 16-track collection includes a variety of Lisa's unique musical stylings, with
instrumentals by many exceptional musicians from Boston and Rhode Island.
Profits generated from the sales
of Unconditional will be donated to the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation.
