Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Klein.
Hi Emma, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am originally from Bel Air, Maryland – a small town in Maryland about 45 minutes north of Baltimore. Growing up, I always knew I would be doing music for the rest of my life. I began writing silly songs from the minute I could form sentences and as I got older started taking piano, guitar, and voice lessons. I did lots of musical theater and dance, but I also really enjoyed playing lacrosse and sports. When I learned about a small school out in Nashville with a degree in commercial music, I knew immediately that’s where I wanted to be. After graduating in 2015, I moved out to Nashville and started my degree at Belmont. It was there that I discovered my love for songwriting could be a job in and of itself. I fell in love with co-writing as much as I had always been in love with performing. During my junior year of college, my brother had a mental health crisis and got a brain injury. It completely altered the course of my life, and it has changed the way I view the world and write about it. Music has helped me to process in ways I would not have been able to without it. After graduating in 2018, I tried out for American Idol and got all the way to the Top 40. Through that experience, I met Bobby Bones, who wound up taking me on tour to play piano for his comedy band, “The Raging Idiots.” Eventually, he asked me to open for his national tour, which was where I met his manager at the time. His management asked me what I wanted, and I said, “a publishing deal.” Within 6 months, I was writing songs at a publishing company called Downtown Music and was in a joint venture with Twelve6 Entertainment – a company that I’m still signed to today. The pandemic was hard on everyone, and it definitely put a huge wrench in my trajectory as an artist. As a songwriter, I was writing on zoom every day, and that kept me sane. I now write full time at Warner Chappell and Twelve6 Entertainment. I have very much fallen in love with writing songs for artists I deeply believe in, as well as writing for K-Pop and country or pop pitch sessions. Throughout all of this, I am navigating how best to balance my own artistry with my songwriting as well as the general ups and downs of life. I am so beyond grateful for my family, my friends, and for songs.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think I accidentally covered most of this in the last response, but WOW it has been a winding road. Aside from family trauma, a bit of religious deconstruction, and my own mental health struggles with OCD and depression, it has definitely been a wild ride being a part of the music industry. The most difficult thing about this profession is not taking anything personally. If I were a project manager, and someone didn’t like how I did my job, that might sting, but my identity at its core wouldn’t be rocked, because my identity is likely not in being a project manager. As a songwriter/musician, what we do is who we are. That can be difficult when it comes to receiving criticism, rejection, or, what I find to be the hardest, indifference. Nobody in this industry will work as hard for you as you can work for yourself. People said it when I first signed a deal in 2018, but I honestly didn’t understand it until the rug got pulled out from under me several times, “You are in the drivers seat, nobody else runs the ship but you.” Man, is that the truth. I think there is an idea in culture that if you get a “big break,” sign a deal, win American Idol, meet the right person, everything will fall into place. Of course, these moments are huge stepping stones, but the only thing that carries you from one stone to the next is your own sense of purpose, drive, and love for what you do.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I always say if I hadn’t been a songwriter and artist, I would’ve loved being a therapist. What’s funny is I feel like I get the best of both worlds with my job. Writing songs with artists truly feels like a therapy session, but we get to walk away with a song that we can sing forever. I love the idea that you walk into a room with nothing, and you walk out of a room with a song that didn’t exist a few hours ago. Sometimes you walk out without a song finished, but at least you had therapy.
I am most proud of a song that I wrote on my bedroom floor. One night I had this idea, so I wrote it by myself. I spend 5 days a week trying my HARDEST to write a song someone will want to record. 99% of the time I’m chasing those songs with other people in the room. This night, I just wrote for the sake of writing. That wound up being my first major label “cut.” Mackenzie Porter recorded it and wound up singing it at the Canadian Country Music Awards, on the Kelly Clarkson Show, and I got to see her sing it at the Grand Ole Opry. A song I wrote on my bedroom floor… at the Grand Ole Opry. Coolest moment I’ve ever had.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I offer songwriting lessons and it brings me SO much joy to sit with people as they discover their own voice and creativity. Whether you’re a total beginner, a hobbyist, or wanting to do this professionally, I would love to help! You can reach out to me on Instagram at my channel: @imemmaklein
I will be releasing some of my own music very soon, and I would love for you to be a part of my little corner of the creative world. Follow along, stream my music, and let’s be friends!
Pricing:
- Lessons: $100/hr
- Co-Write $200/hr (2 hr minimum)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://emmaklein.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imemmaklein/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImEmmaKlein/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHaZ06jD3O06zPK0R0o6IyA
