The Lost Voice

A Memoir

By: Greta Morgan

Narrated by: Becky Levi, Greta Morgan

A poignant, tenacious memoir by musician Greta Morgan chronicling how she rediscovered her artistic voice after losing her ability to sing.

In 2019, Greta Morgan was on the rise. She was a touring member of Vampire Weekend, performed with Jenny Lewis, and garnered critical acclaim with her own musical projects. But in March 2020, after contracting Covid-19, she was diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia, a neurological disorder with no known cure that left her unable to sing. Her once crystalline voice now reduced to a hush, she saw her career come to an abrupt standstill.

Beyond the physical ramifications, what does it mean to cultivate a true voice? Morgan’s loss launches her into a journey of grief and self-discovery, forcing her to broaden her artistic horizons and reconstruct her sense of self. Her narrative takes us on a whirlwind tour of music studios, band buses, and celebrity-filled backstage parties, but it also takes us to the red canyons of Utah and the spacious wilderness of the American Southwest. In these vast landscapes, Morgan finds unexpected community. In the silence, she learns how to listen to parts of herself she has neglected.

Questioning the purpose of creativity and what defines artistic passion, The Lost Voice is a raw and intimate portrait of grief, self-discovery, and the choice to keep living and creating.

Wanderer

From one wanderer to another … thank you for sharing your story. Well done! Life doesn’t always go as planned…. Keep sharing your voice with the world in whatever capacity calls you.

Thank you.

Extremely grateful for this book. I remember Greta and I exchanging our shared experiences of losing our voices. The similarities, the differences. This book brought so many memories. Some good, some awkward (like the first time I met Greta at a Gold Motel show in Albuquerque) and some heartbreaking. I’ve since had surgery and have been singing again but this book brought about healing I didn’t know I still needed. Oh to feel seen, heard.

The Exact Story We Need Right Now

This story was heartwarming and beautiful. The language was so descriptive and detailed, and reminded me so much of a song or poem.

Having heard of Greta from the Hush Sound ten or so years ago, I never would have imagined such a compelling story. The song, “Lighthouse,” was always on repeat on my iPod and I loved her soft, vulnerable voice telling the story in the song.

I loved all of the transformation in her story, but my favorite was that she was able to find that voice again, the one that I had listened to on repeat so many years ago. Not that it was the exact same voice, but the essence—the spirit—of it was the same.

Congratulation, Greta!

Love this book.

I just love this book. The language is beautiful. The story of Greta and her struggles and grace is captivating and inspiring. The narration was perfection.

A beautiful and inspiring story

Gorgeous, compelling, inspiring. For anyone who has ever felt in transition, between versions of life. A necessary and wise story. Beautifully narrated!!!