Raelyn Olson

Verified Review
Walter E. • January 11, 2019

Raelyn did a fine job. Her musicianship was superb. Everyone enjoyed her playing and selection of music. We will call upon GigSalad, and Raelyn, in the future.
Thank you,
Walter Ellis
Hired as:
Harpist -

Verified Review
Misty P. • September 13, 2018
Harp music so soft and sweet I couldn't help but relax.
We had Raelyn at our senior living community and it was the perfect fit. We wanted soothing
background music for a cocktail party and it was just perfect. Some people mingled and talked while
she performed, and some sat quite close to her and asked her questions in between songs.
Raelyn was lovely and accommodating and her skill as a harpist is 5 stars! Thank you Raelyn.
Hired as:
Harpist -

Verified Review
Janet F. • March 19, 2018
Stellar & Magical Performance!
Raelyn Olson shared her magnificent talent with us on St Patrick’s Day eve.... the crowd was in awe as they listened to her ethereal Celtic Harp ... we were transported to another time and place ... the Green Isle in another century far away. Raelyn’s sweet spirit shone through the “Foggy Dew” and we loved her ability to improvise with what we were all trying to do in a unique uncertain setting. You would love to have her come for you in any context. Concert, dinner background music, wedding, woodsy picnic gathering, and more. Excellent!
Hired as:
Celtic Music, Harpist -

Sara B. • June 19, 2017
Fantastic Harpist
I hired Raelyn to play at my wedding and she did an amazing job. I got many compliments on having her play at the ceremony and her playing really transformed my wedding into something extra special. I would definitely recommend her for any musical needs!
Hired as:
Harpist -

by Ivo
11th October , 2018
We're slowly, but steadily reaching a point where we would feature every single track off Rohne's latest album Meridian. And trust me, there's a damn good reason for that. That album is one of the most beautiful, organic electronic sounds I've discovered since Bonobo's North Borders.
Today's feature - "Light Forms" is actually my favourite song off the record. Very mystical and soothing, the whole track oozes this beautiful slow-motion chillness you'll fall in love with.
Would love to play this while walking some misty forest paths. -

Memorial Service

Raelyn was a true delight and worked with the families request before hand. A true professional and a very caring person for the Celebration of Life event.
Review by Tim M. from Vancouver, WA on 9/22/2018
Wedding
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Realyn Olson was a delight to work with. She is a very talented harpest as well as being a very sweet person. She totally made our daughters wedding a very special memorable event. She even went above and beyond to learn to special pieces that were meaningful to our daughter and her fiancé that were beautifully done. Before the wedding she invited them over to play the songs for them in her home. By the end of the experience we all felt like we were friends. It made for a magical wedding day!
Review by Marilyn H. from Troutdale, OR on 10/25/2017
Wedding Ceremony
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Fantastic experience! As the bride, I didn't get to hear/see Raelyn in action much. But all my guests enjoyed it and heard great feedbacks! She is very talented and very professional throughout. Thanks again Raelyn!
Review by Winnie F. from Portland, OR on 6/18/2016 - The Bash

Review by Windhawk
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator

This sophomore effort from US act Echo Us is a creation that will twist many heads for sure.
Mysterious, twisted and unexpected - in a varity of unusual ways. The production is smooth and careful, dissonances and disharmonies are nowhere to be found, and ambient passages does fill up quite a lot of playtime here.
But the good old harp and the violin does add a few unusual touches, while vocalist Ethan has a voice pretty identical to the guy that used to sing in Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Add in brief passages that musically sounds just like this act if they had a violinist and harp player onboard, a few select metal-inspired bursts as well as eastern-tinged keyboards and percussion layers coming and going and you might just start getting a feel for this album. Oh, and quite a few passages with spoken words as well.
Shifty, quirky and challenging stuff - but in a wildly different manner than most anything given such descriptions previously from my meagre knowledge. And well worth investigating if you fancy something unusual - or does find the above description intriguing. - Prog Archives

"Tomorrow Will Tell the Story" is the new album from Portland based Echo Us and unlike some of my colleagues, I found this to be a wonderful experience. There are so many projects out there which sound all the same to me, I feel like I've heard it all before. The worst are the mechanical efforts to be technically complex, I know after 30 seconds that I will never make it through their 75 minutes of "same old song and dance." On the other hand there occasionally is a project like this, which is unusual, intimate, and charming. It takes me to another place and I love that. Matthews talked about inspirations coming from trance and dream states and it certainly sounds the case.
The band is the brainchild of Ethan Matthews and on this album he is assisted by vocalist Henta and the harp of Raelyn Olson. The highly ambient and otherworldly electronic journey recalled for me Vespertine-era Bjork with the amazing touch Zeena Parkins' harp brought to those live Vespertine shows, along with the choirs and the beats of Matmos. It occasionally brought to mind certain tracks by French outfit Syd Matters as well (the more electronic, less folky ones). However don't think Bjork in terms of vocals here. Instead Henta and Matthews conceived an incredible concoction of ethereal vocals, choirs, samples and character parts which tell this elaborate story. Olson's harp works integrally with the keyboards and vocals to produce a stunning backdrop for the story. And Matthews is a very good guitarist, those parts being a nice grounding effect to counter some of the busier and more jarring sounds which occasionally bombard the listener. It's a great combination of the soothing and the provocative.
It is such a treat how the sound makes me feel like I'm swimming through some underwater ocean world, fish and other creatures swimming around, taking in the dialogue of the life forces around me. Swirling, layered voices and piano notes, swelling synths, beats and blurbs bounce all around with occasional celestial sounding vocals pulling the whole thing together. There is a heavy spiritual vibe to the proceedings (not in a heavy handed religious way) which adds to the richness of the music. Some complain about the "new age" feel which is just a label really. While this may not sound at all like typical "prog rock" why does it have to? It is a lighter piece when compared to contemporary rock bands but there is nothing fluffy about Tomorrow. It almost takes on the inspirational tone of people like Peter Gabriel and Mike Oldfield as it creates a musical/visual world around the listener, and when it works for you, there's nothing that beats that feeling of discovery.
A beautiful album and an exceptional one in my opinion, with an enigmatic sound and presence. Some prog fans will reject the approach of this album but I commend Matthews, Henta, and Olson for this work. (I heartily encourage anyone who likes this recording to watch Bjork's "Vespertine live at the Royal Opera Hourse" DVD. You won't regret it, especially if you love unique harp playing and sound which creates surroundings-see my review here for more details.)
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Posted Saturday, May 5, 2012 | Review Permalink - Prog Archives