Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Silva.
Hi Emily, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have always loved to sing, when I was in pre-school, I petitioned my principal to let me sing in the annual talent show reserved for those in Kindergarten through Eighth grade, and I sang Reflection from Disney’s Mulan. When I was around six years old, my parents divorced which it was a lot to go through at a young age so my Dad searched for a professional children’s choir for me to join as a creative outlet. I auditioned for and joined the Southern California Children’s and was trained in classical vocal techniques. I will forever be grateful for the mentorship, friendships, and support I had during my time in choir. I later attended Mater Dei High School where I was a member of the chamber singers and had the opportunity to participate in various national choir festivals and competitions as well as international choral trips. In high school, I began working privately with two incredible vocal teachers named Georgeanne Gould and April Malina. It was through their mentorship and guidance that I continued to work on my vocal technique as well as explore various genres and styles of music including Pop, Musical Theater, Jazz, and R&B and expand my repertoire. These formative years gave me the training and confidence to grow in my craft and decide to pursue music at a university level. I am currently in my third year as a Jazz vocal major in the Global Jazz Studies department at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Pursuing Jazz has been the best thing that could have happened to me as a vocalist and musician. I have increased my musicianship and performance capabilities as well as have expanded what it means to create art and study a higher level of music theory. I am also a member of the Scattertones, a competitive a cappella group at UCLA. I hope to be a recording artist and make meaningful music that brings joy to others and inspires them to love fearlessly!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My musical road has definitely been paved with hardship. Having a broken family affected me in a very deep way. As a child, I never wanted to express myself in therapy or to anyone really, though I do feel my emotions very deeply. I believe music will always be special to me because it is how I naturally express myself and my emotions and make sense of the world around me. There were times as a child when I wanted to just burst, but making music helped facilitate a safe space where I could emote and let everything out in a healthy way. I am always writing down my feelings and singing as a way of expressing my emotions, and though my path has not been smooth, the immense joy that the gift of music has brought into my life has made my journey on this road incredibly rewarding.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am first and foremost a performer/singer-songwriter, I love making people feel inspired with my music or any performance. I love writing funky music with Jazz, Latin and R&B influences, music that makes people want to groove and get on their feet! Ultimately I want my music to inspire others to be the best version of themselves and bring love and joy into every circumstance of their daily lives. The lyrics to the music I make are reflective of the ordinary experiences of love, human relationships, introspective reflections, and the simple little joys of my life and the lives of others who have shared their stories with me.
I have two official songs out that I have collaborated on with one of my best friends, Anna Bettendorf. My most recent song “Dance in Your Love” is a Latin Jazz inspired song that I performed with a band of my fellow Jazz students at UCLA for a school-wide competition called Spring Sing. We were so thrilled to have won the competition with this song in May and are working on creating more music in the hopes of releasing an EP at the end of next year!
I am most proud of the incredible and genuine connections I continue to make with my friends and musical collaborators and with those who listen to my music. To me, music is all about listening, experiencing life, and learning from the world around us, and then creating/writing about those experiences in gratitude or to share these experiences with others. I am very grateful for the musicians who have made their way into my life, I really believe that every person in my life is in it for a special reason, and I am better for their presence in it!
Ultimately, I care deeply about the people who listen to my music, and I would be even if it was only a handful of friends and family because above everything, I just want everyone to know how incredibly loved, worthy of love, and important their lives are to the rest of the world at large. I want my music to walk with others through their ordinary life, their joys, trials and tribulations, daily routines, and cardio or jazzercize sessions.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://lnk.bio/0Sxy
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyysilvaa/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Emily-Silva-Music-845059509215672
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmilySilvaMusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnOKYl1SpXkBY2V4MIL8rIQ
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/emilyysilvaa
