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 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 musical family of her own. In 2007, she released her debut solo album, Unconditional,
co-produced with Patrick Dreier of Double D Studio, and released on Out of the Blue Records. Lisa
currently is at work on her second solo album, which will primarily feature original songs. She continues
to perform in a variety of venues and provides voice-over talent and vocals in the studio.
At seven, Lisa began studying piano, and at ten, pursued intensive training with the Royal Conservatory
of Music. During this time, she performed extensively on stage 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. She was a member of the renowned Harvard Collegium Musicum and was a featured soloist in
Boston's Symphony Hall. With the a cappella group, the Radcliffe Pitches, Lisa performed extensively, 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.
Currently, Lisa is under contract with New York-based VMC, and
has co-written the award-winning “Eyes On My Fingertips” with her daughter Alina, an accomplished singer/songwriter. This
recording was included on VMC’s concept album pre-release, Songs About Blindness, and was arranged and co-produced by Patrick Dreier.