Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma.
Hi Emma, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi, my name is Emma, and I am a singer/songwriter/pianist from Westfield, Massachusetts. As a child, I started playing piano and thanks to my parents’ support, was able to take classical lessons, which, looking back, gave me a solid foundation that I’m thankful for. Several years later, at age 13, I was improvising on the piano one night like always and suddenly sang a lyric that came out of nowhere. That night I wrote my first song, and right away knew this was what I loved, and began writing all the time. New techniques that I learned in piano lessons would come out in my next new song, and I was just overall giddy and excited to be able to create this music and express myself through the good times and not-so-good times that we all face throughout adolescence. My father is a big music lover and found out about an open mic in town called “The Tea Pot Gallery” in Westfield, Massachusetts. I started playing there each week, eventually playing much of the open mic circuit in the Western Mass area. This continuous performing helped hone my craft and solidify my love of performing and connecting with an audience. During this time, I was doing music while also in school, although I secretly always wanted to do music full time!
Over the years, I have recorded at a few different studios and have now found my home at Northfire Recording Studio in Amherst, Mass, working with both a producer/arranger and engineer, Ken Marcou and Andrew Atkin, to make my songs come alive with a band. I’m also much more aware now of the importance of marketing your music correctly and networking with folks in the industry to help get your music heard. I’ll focus more on the business side of it once my first album is complete. Currently, my first single, “Great Escape,” is nearing completion, and I expect to formally release it this summer. The song is about not getting lost in the pursuit of your end goal but enjoying each moment life has to offer. I chose this as my first single because I wanted something punchy but also with heart and a good message.
I consider myself a songwriter first, and it has always been a dream to have another artist perform something I’ve written. I always figured this would happen after releasing my own music and getting my name out there more. However in this case, it actually happened before I released anything myself. My good friend and talented musician Lisa Yves recorded “Rise Together,” which I co-wrote with Ken Marcou. The song has an uplifting message about moving forward past the tough year of 2020 that we experienced. Lisa’s voice is a glove fit on the song, and I also had a true writer’s moment last week at my Bonfire Live Virtual Concert when I got to perform “my version” of the song.
Moving forward, I view myself as a lifelong creator, releasing albums as a solo act and marketing that music using the new technologies we have thanks to the internet, also continuing to collaborate with other performers, and pitching my boatload of songs written as a teen, which I would love to find a home for with younger artists or in Kids Film/TV shows and commercials. Making music gives me purpose, and I look forward to continuing that journey. At the end of the day, the most important thing to me is building genuine relationships and friendships and doing this with people I love working with. It makes the process much more meaningful and exciting when you collaborate with those you care about.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been a 100% smooth road; like anything worthwhile, there are good times along the way and also challenges, but it’s all part of the process. I look at making music as a big puzzle, you sort of need the other puzzle pieces to make the full picture. I’ve always known that I work best in a collaborative setting, maybe not as much as a writer but for everything that comes after that – producing, arranging, tracking, playing different instruments… I knew I needed help with that part of the process and it took over ten years to find the right team, the right studio, etc. It’s definitely magical to have found what I’ve been looking for. I guess timing is everything.
From a business standpoint, I’ve had a couple of potential opportunities with placements in Film that didn’t pan out for one reason or another, and the overall lesson learned here is to just keep building those relationships, and the right opportunity will come around. I’ve also learned you have to be quite aggressive with “the follow-up” after someone says they like your song.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a singer/songwriter at heart, and I’d like to be known for that someday. Songwriting is what I feel I do best. I classify my sound as contemporary singer-songwriter pop, and I love making music that is “singalongable” with a solid, positive message in the lyrics. When you listen to the radio, you’ll hear deep songs, you’ll hear catchy songs, and I’ve always been fond of songwriters who can combine both. That’s always been my goal.
I write what I feel in real-time, whether that’s my own story or pulling inspiration from stories that I may read about or just happen to know about. My song “Bread and Butter” is an example of that. I was inspired by the general sad struggle that thousands of people face on a daily basis to provide for their families. They work a job they don’t like, their boss is rude, and they are trying to keep it together. “Can’t be late for work. That’s her bread and butter,” sums up that message.
In terms of what sets me apart, I would say I am authentic as a person/artist and able to stand back up when I get knocked down. I love that quote that goes something like, “Life is not what happens to you. It’s how you react.” We live in the era of social media, and of course, I’m guilty of comparing myself to the beautiful model on the magazine cover, but over time I’ve learned that the key to being unique is to just be yourself since there’s only one of you. Nobody has it all, so just do what you do well, and that’s good enough!
Any big plans?
I am planning on soon releasing my first single, “Great Escape,” aiming for this summer. The whole Spotify algorithm and popularity of TikTok have me intrigued right now. Building a mailing list is key, and I’m looking forward to that as well. I’m recording new music at the studio, too, so that I will have new music to release after “Great Escape.”
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@emmamakesmusic.com
- Website: https://emmamakesmusic.com
- Instagram: @emmamakesmusic_
