Songbird's Symphony: The Emma G Journey

Rich Bennett 0:00
I had this young lady on a while ago and she contacted me and said, Oh, Rich, I have the perfect guest for you. You have to get her on. I was like, Okay. I looked into was like, Damn, she's right. I have to get this young lady on. So I reached out to her and thank God she said, Yeah. So I have a very talented young lady on. MLG is a two time TEDx speaker, an award winning, award winning singer songwriter who has turned her personal struggles, including battling a rare neurological condition and enduring ten and ten brain surgeries into powerful music that empowers and heals with songs addressing pivotal social issues. And a silver Telly award winning track Barbed Wire on Abuse awareness. Her influence goes beyond melodies. Her book, My Life, My Songs, My Healing Mirrors her journey from trauma to tunes recognized by Fox, The Washington Post and Thrive Global. This New Zealand born artist is on a mission to enlighten and inspire the world one song at a time. I thought that she I didn't realize as she grew up in New Zealand, but so I found that out before we hit record. And let me tell you something. Those of you listening when you listen to her music and I know you will, you're going to be blown away because her style is I want to say it's it's got some folk in there. It's got some soul. When there's got pop and it's got rock. It's like a what I would say, even some jazz in a way, to. Oh, God, why in a wide variety. So first of all, welcome them. How are you doing? 

Emma G 1:51
Well. Well, thank you. I'm honoured to be here. It's, you know, I. I'm always kind of flummoxed. I'm going to say flummoxed at the beautiful introductions. I, you know, I sometimes hear from people and. And you have kind of. I feel like you've built me up to be this ridiculous person. So I hope I can live up to the hype. 

Rich Bennett 2:15
Oh, please. I have a God. I feel like there's a lot more. I could have going into about you, you know, especially since just learning some things before we started recording is like, Yeah, yeah. So all my friends out there off the street rods, if you need any work, I know who you can contact. She's right down the road from here too. And so, yeah, feel free. So and actually, the person that was Susan Gold. Oh, lovely. Yeah. I take it you were on her show. 

Emma G 2:48
No, I work with her through Valerie Allen. 

Rich Bennett 2:51
PR Oh, really? 

Emma G 2:53
Yeah. So I'm really honored to be able to, you know, align myself with that company and have them advocate for me because it's, it's one of my beliefs. I'm sure you can relate to this. You know, we spend so much time as creatives, so passionate about what we do and who we are. And then at some point you're like, well, two things. One, this isn't just about me. This is about the world. You know, like this. My music is short. I wrote it. But the purpose is not just for me. It's to help, you know, hopefully help inspire other people to recognise their badassery. That's totally worth it. 

Rich Bennett 3:35
And if it's not, it is now because you said it. 

Emma G 3:40
But also, you know, to you know, to find a team or a community that also believe in what you believe. And I strongly believe as a singer songwriter, that music is so pivotal when it comes to our emotional well-being, our spiritual being, our social wellbeing and of course, our neurological and mental health in our. And I just. Yeah. So to be able to to know Susan Golden and the rest of the Valerie Allen team, it's yeah it's a blessing. 

Rich Bennett 4:13
That she she is a sweetheart. Yeah she is a sweetheart. So I have to I have to, you know, I'm going to ask you very much so. Growing up in New Zealand, you went to high school. You went to school. There you were. Tell everybody what you were studying and what you wanted to be. 

Emma G 4:31
Well, okay, so let me just backtrack a little bit. 

Rich Bennett 4:35
Oh, women. You and I got along already. 

Emma G 4:38
Tell you that because when I was five, I wanted to be a teacher, a rock star, a counsellor, a mother and a fashion designer. 

Rich Bennett 4:48
Not all at once, No. 

Emma G 4:49
All at once. Thought I know I was ridiculous. I've always. Maybe it's because I, you know, having had ten brain surgeries, I kind of realised life is not something to be taken for granted. Ah, let's just do all of it. And then when I was ten, I started finding an interest in automotive and I fell in love with a Porsche 911 and, and you know, similar. So German made cars and, and that kind of, that passion just kind of like kind of skulking in the background of my periphery as I continued to sing and write music. And I mean, I recorded and released my first single when I was ten and and yet I I'm ridiculous that I get that. But, you know, then I moved on to high school and found that the high school I went to offered an automotive an option to to learn the so I literally studied to be a mechanic for three and a half years and conjunction with music philosophy 

and all things entertainment and accounting. I don't know. It's important to know about the business. So yeah, I but I kind of I thought if I failed as a musician and obviously my music career has, has morphed and evolved significantly since I started making music, but I always figured if I, if I failed as a musician, I could always become a mechanic, you know? Good to. 

Rich Bennett 6:25
Have a backup plan. 

Emma G 6:26
For sure. Why not? And I. 

Rich Bennett 6:28
Actually. Do you work on your own car now? 

Emma G 6:31
I don't. Only because I don't have the time and I live in an apartment building, and, you know, so I don't have the the correct tools. 

Rich Bennett 6:41
So what would be your dream muscle car to have? 

Emma G 6:46
I have always been a fan of the Dodge Challenger. 

Rich Bennett 6:52
Wait a minute. You're talking about the old one? 

Emma G 6:55
Of course. Yeah, like 1986. Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 7:00
Wow. I'm a Mopar fan, huh? 

Emma G 7:03
Uh huh, 

yeah. Challenger is Chargers 

American Muscle. I just. I make me happy. And then, of course, the sports car. I'm still have an affinity towards the Porsche, but. 

Rich Bennett 7:22
You know. Sorry, but you can't beat the old Chevy's. 

Emma G 7:25
Okay. I see you, mister America. 

Rich Bennett 7:31
I've always been a Chevy. Although I got to admit, I love Mopar, too. You can't beat Mopar either. Now that other one and begins with a f, I forget what it is. 

That's it. When we always laugh about. So. Yeah. So you started doing music when you were five? 

Emma G 7:50
Technically, I wrote my first song when I was five, like pen to paper, and it was my first time when I was five, but it was a it was a song called School of Coal because I was very excited to be coming to elementary school. And I really like education, 

but I've been making up songs since I was a toddler. 

Yeah, so but I yeah, I guess from the age of five through to present day, really, I've been writing music, making up songs, recording, you know, and I grew up in a very creative town in New Zealand on the west coast of the North Island called. Okay. And I don't know if you know this, but New Zealand has a very small population and in comparison to most places. So we have almost 5 million people country wide. And to put that into perspective, we have four sheep for every person. So. 

Rich Bennett 8:49
And I'm sorry. For what? 

Emma G 8:51
For sheep, for sure. For every person we have for sheep and for every person we have three cows. So we are very dairy and in our farm focused country and a lot of ways. But we also are very creative of country. And so in my small hometown there was a lot of farmers and there were a lot of musicians. So I always kind of found this, this balance of being able to recognize, Oh, it's doable. It's doable, it's doable and, you know, step into using my voice. And obviously because of the small population of New Zealand and this was I was born in the late eighties, so before the Internet, of course, it was not necessarily doable to be a full time musician, but it was still possible to be, you know, to make music and whatever. Right? So I recorded my first song and released it when I was ten on a nationwide compilation album of young, young singer songwriters that was followed up by another compilation single when I was 14, 12. And then when I was 14, I won an at the National Secondary Schools Songwriting competition, where I became head by song like and like nationally 

televised and, you know, that was kind of it for me. I decided, Well, this is as well as studying to be a mechanic, I'm going to pursue this music thing and catch present day. Here we are. I guess so, right? Record Gig Rights Commission songs for companies and corporations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science. So, like, things are just ridiculous. Yeah, it's been a really beautiful, weird, strange, crazy, unconventional journey, but I love it. 

Rich Bennett 10:49
Wow. 

Wow. I didn't realize all of that. I just like listening to your music. 

Emma G 10:56
Oh, thank you. 

Rich Bennett 10:58
Well, you. Oh, you're shoot your music and barb wire kicks ass. 

Emma G 11:04
Thank you. 

Rich Bennett 11:04
I'm sorry. Kick, kicks, assert, assert. What the hell was I? You said. 

Emma G 11:09
I'm. 

Rich Bennett 11:09
History. 

Emma G 11:10
Bad ass kicks ass. Yeah, it's. 

Rich Bennett 11:12
Bad ass or it's bad ass or. 

Emma G 11:14
Well, here's the funny thing about that song. It's like, thank you. I really appreciate that. My my producer, Fat boy, who's also based in Baltimore, 

he you know, he really helped me to bring that song to life. I wrote that song 20 years ago, just after just after my 50th birthday. And I. Yeah. And but it's taken me a long time to kind of get the Coronas up, for lack of a better term, to 

try to get the companies up to, like, actually do some of that song because it's such a vulnerable topic and it's such a scary and taboo issue that we don't often want to even acknowledge, let alone discuss. So to have flyboy, you know, respectfully take that and then turn it into something, poppy, that people are like, Oh, I can, you know, dance to this and have fun with this. And then, oh shoot, it's about that. And that means a lot to me because I want I want my music to be able to be that whole catalyst to help us discuss some really difficult issues. 

Rich Bennett 12:34
Right? Which I want. I want to get into that in a minute. But before we do, I want to talk because you said ten brain. 

Emma G 12:42
Okay. 

Rich Bennett 12:43
So that 

red lips here, I'm sorry, I'm still stuck on the bad ass. Three Oh, 

I did the ten brain surgeries, explained to everybody why you had to go through ten cheese. 

Emma G 13:00
Ten brain surgeries. 

Rich Bennett 13:01
Thank you. God may be here today. I cannot speak Right. 

Emma G 13:06
That's okay. It's still early. I see. I figure. Wow. 

So it's it's interesting to me how people respond to the fact that I've had ten brain surgeries for a couple of reasons. One, I shied away from talking about it for a long time because as a child, I would be called everything from Frankenstein to freak to loser because of the ten brain surgeries. You know, How do you explain how do you explain to a child all your friends in hospital because they're having their brain opened like, it's weird. And so it was always kind of like a a weird topic for me to discuss, but also 

it feels it almost feels kind of a righteous talking about it because, like, people either have this response of pity or they put me on a pedestal of like, Oh, that's so brave and blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, and I'm like, And that's what it is. You know, we all struggle with different things every single day. And I just happen to have this, you know, So the condition is called hydrocephalus, which literally translates to water on the brain and quick medical 

explanation. We all have brains, obviously, and everybody. Well, some people have more brain than others, but whatever. 

I'm kidding. But not everybody's brains floats in water, otherwise known as cerebral spinal fluid or CSF. A short What happens is that the brain, the CSF goes into our cranium and then drains that spinal column by about 406 to 600 millilitres every single day because you want to make sure that your brain stays active and fresh and, you know, whatever. 

And so when that water goes into our heads and then drains any spinal column, which is great. But for me and other people who have the same condition, most many of us have cysts. For me, it's the size of my fist in the center of my cranium, which means that my brain has grown around this mass, which means that the exit way to my spinal column has been blocked so water can now get into my head, but it has no way of exiting. So when they realized that my head was going disproportionately to my body at the age of four months, they inserted a tube or a really long straw into my head, draining down into my patio cavity, my my tummy, and to drain out the water, which is I mean, it sounds gross and kind of fun. They get potty trained. It's kind of funny what is because like, you know, I'm alive. That's cool. I like being on. 

Rich Bennett 16:07
Well, yeah. 

Emma G 16:08
But, you know, but then again, every now and then I will have blockages. And when those blockages occur at mostly due to hormonal changes, I've been told, although they're not quite sure why they might be blockages. But when that when those blockages occur, I need to then find where the blockage is and either cut the tube and replace it or replace the whole thing. So that's why I've had 24 surgeries in total and ten up in my brain, because some of those blockages have been in my head, some of them have been in my tummy area. 

Rich Bennett 16:45
Wow. So when's the last time you had to have surgery? 

Emma G 16:48
I was 12. 

Rich Bennett 16:50
Okay, so everything's fine now. 

Emma G 16:54
Thankfully. Touchwood Okay. Because if we don't, I mean, we don't know. Like, there's a lot of I've been told I can't play rugby, which okay, that's an easy joke. Okay. Rugby. Right. Okay. It's, it's another kind of version of. 

Rich Bennett 17:14
Oh, I know what rugby is. I just wonder why are they telling you you can't play. 

Emma G 17:18
Well I try, I can't, I can't play like tackle sports or like many, many physical sports 

and you know, I shouldn't do it. Maybe I shouldn't in our order. I mean, I've done Krav Maga for a few years. My fiancee, Ronda Rousey. 

Rich Bennett 17:38
You're lucky because I'm an industry woman and come in to kick your ass then. 

Emma G 17:43
Ronda Rousey is my my idol. She's amazing and. 

Rich Bennett 17:46
She is awesome. 

Emma G 17:48
But so I can't really do that. So it's up. I like I said, my fiance, everyone's a bunch of crap, McCaskill responds. I can't do many of the things because of my head. I can't go jet boating or jet skiing. 

Rich Bennett 18:03
Because of the bouncing. 

Emma G 18:05
Yeah, because of the bounce. Yeah. Even deep sea diving is something that is kind of. 

Rich Bennett 18:10
Pressure on the head. 

Emma G 18:11
Exactly. So, I mean, there's there's things like that, but I mean, I don't often crave going jet skiing, so. 

Rich Bennett 18:19
That's weird because a lot of I mean, a lot of that stuff you really want to think about. But yeah, that can. What about flying? Because I know why time flying is fine. Okay. 

Emma G 18:30
Yeah, which is good because I fly a lot. 

Rich Bennett 18:33
Well, yeah, I'm sure you didn't take a boat from New Zealand to here. I mean, that that would still be on it. 

Emma G 18:42
Eight and a half years later. 

Rich Bennett 18:48
Actually. So before you moved here from New Zealand, have you ever been here before? 

Emma G 18:54
Yeah, and I come is originally from Pennsylvania, which is how I was managed to, you know, was able to move here. 

Rich Bennett 19:03
Okay. 

Emma G 19:03
I was born a dual citizen, which is funny because a lot of people don't know that. I mean, I don't go around saying, yeah, I'm American because I tell I tell people don't overcome racism and my body because I'm from all over the world. My father was from Fiji. My mother's father was from Iran, my mother's mother's from Norway by way of Iowa. So, you know, but I had been here a couple of times as a child when I was 12. I was this high. I sound like an absolute ass saying this, but I was one of ten one of ten youth ambassadors at a youth symposium at Disney World when I was 12. I went out when I was ten, and then I came here when I was, and I was just after I was turned ten. So I was an ambassador for New Zealand Youth at a worldwide symposium at Disney World and got to meet and see Christopher Reeve's speech and the original Superman, which was awesome, and just met with some really wonderful world changers, talking about how they have made an impact and inspiring the next generation. Really to use their superpowers in whatever fashion that is, to also feed into and make the world a better place and give, you know, music has always been my thing. It was all about like, okay, how are you going to use your music to make the world a better place? And so, yeah, that was my kind of third time to the States. But apart from that, I hadn't really been back until I moved here in 2015. 

Rich Bennett 20:43
Wow. Okay, so with the I'm going to get it wrong. Okay. The height. 

Emma G 20:48
Hydrocephalus. Yeah. Yes. Right. 

Rich Bennett 20:51
That what you said? 

What? I know what made you, But 

you. Because unlike other people, it just from talking to you already, you've done a lot of research into this, a lot of research. 

Emma G 21:11
It's important to know your body well, to know who you are. 

Rich Bennett 21:16
Yeah, but I mean. But when you're describing it to me, I'm like, Oh my gosh, she sounds like a doctor going, Oh, wow. 

Emma G 21:22
I feel like that. No, but no. 

Rich Bennett 21:25
I mean, I was impressed. It's like, thank you. And the way you explained it made it easy for me to understand as well. So, yeah, I guess maybe not a doctor because of a doctor would explain it to me. I would have understood what the hell they were saying. 

Emma G 21:38
So I mean, I think, well, first of all, I think for anybody who has a condition or an emotion or, you know, any experience, it's important for us to take the time to understand it to a point where we can explain it to a seven year old at the altar. Now, I know you're older than seven, but, you know, it's important to just know yourself and to kind of I mean, the way that I kind of look at it is I'm kind of paraphrasing my fiance, I hear, and he often says is when you are being attacked and you refuse to look at your attacker, you there is no way that you're going to be able to beat your attacker if you don't take the time to understand your condition, your your superpowers, your feelings, your emotions, there's no way you're going to be able to defeat them or overcome them in any way, shape or form. And I think that's a really important, important thing to remember. You know, we so often kind of block out, oh, it's too hard or it's too overwhelming or, you know, especially for those of us who develop conditions at a later stage or get diagnosed with anxiety. Hashtag 2020, you know, at a later stage is like with some easier to kind of bury our heads in the sand and be ostriches about it. And I don't think that's healthy. And it's important for us to take the time and so that we can then explain to people who we are and what we're about, but also just know how to handle our own business. Yeah, You know, or as I say, I'm having a business. 

Rich Bennett 23:24
Yeah, 

I'd like to be your fiancee. He's a very smart man, so. 

Emma G 23:31
He's incredibly. 

Rich Bennett 23:35
All. I stop watching the wire. I got 

there. He threw you threw me completely off now. Oh, jeez. Yeah, Well, what was I just great to ask? His girlfriend. She said he threw me off. 

Emma G 23:52
I to say, Fellas, 

depression. 

Rich Bennett 23:59
Oh, yes. Thank you. Okay. Okay. Well, so. So with all that, how actually did it affect your mental health? 

Emma G 24:09
I think. Mm. That's been an evolving journey. 

Rich Bennett 24:15
Okay. 

Emma G 24:15
Over my lifetime. I remember. So my mother was a counselor for most of my childhood. And so, you know, back in order to go back to when people were talking about me negatively as a child, call me Frankenstein and freak, my mother and I sat down and I think I still had the list somewhere and wrote down a number of our replies that I could say when they would tell me whatever. And they, you know, tell me negative things. And so that kind of I think that exercise fit into my present day of like, okay, it's not about what people give us or what happens to us. It's about how we respond. We can kind of regain control over our feelings and emotional responses if I take the time to do so. So that, you know, has been kind of a thing, But 

I think the hardest thing about being a young person with a medical condition is not just because you have to navigate the mental health of the mental or that the health condition itself, but also every other issue that comes across a young person in the world. So not only am I was I sort of having to juggle with all the crappy things that came with our disabilities and brain damage and isolation and hospitalization and falling behind in school and blah, blah, blah. But I also had to, you know, contend that with okay, now I'm also hitting puberty and that's fun. Oh, my friends have now realized that they can make fun of my skin color because I was, you know, one of the only brown skinned persons and my school. Okay. And especially as a rock musician, you know, as a as a teenager and early twenties, you know, having to navigate that, having to navigate issues of abuse and assault, having to navigate like all of the things that that unfortunately you're making faces. But, you know, these are things that happen. 

Rich Bennett 26:28
Yeah. 

Emma G 26:29
Far more than we want to talk about or acknowledge. And so I had to not only figure out how to, you know, 

navigate brain trauma, but also navigate everything else. And I think that is what if we go back to the list that my mother created, that kind of helped me to focus more on my responses to things as opposed to the things that happened and totally wrong. I still fail from time to time, even now. But being able to turn to music, being able to turn to songwriting, being able to turn to all of the things that I, you know, running and weightlifting and punching the bag and, you know, all of those things have really helped me to figure out what I need in the moment, right? To look my opponent in the eye and figure out how to how to beat it. 

Rich Bennett 27:29
Yeah. Wow. You know, so I 

you're a strong ass woman. You really are a strong, bad ass woman. Thank you. And we didn't even dive into what you're doing now yet because you're helping others. But I want to. We'll get into that in a minute. Sure, But correct me if I'm wrong. Did you do a monthly song project? Right. So the monthly. 

Emma G 28:01
Are you took my my, my releasing a single every month. Yes, yes, yes. Well that was kind of it's my 2023 mission. Yes. 

Rich Bennett 28:11
Okay. How how do you decide which causes to tackle and what's the research process behind each song? 

Emma G 28:18
I didn't decide which causes to tackle. Oh, and this is where I kind of ironically go back to something that happened last year. I went to a women's retreat in Maryland and Chesapeake Beach, and I was one of the keynote speakers there talking about how we can use music and songwriting as a tool to recreate culture in terms of like the culture of how we look at women, how we look at, yes, skin color, how we look at disability. So that was a really beautiful event. But another couple, you know, it was there was a focus on marriage and and healthy love. And somebody 

mentioned during their presentation excuse me, 

that, you know, there's a strong focus on on God and religion and spirituality. And he said that prayer is the act of talking to God and meditation is the act of listening to what God has to say in response to your conversation, which I thought was really beautiful. 

Rich Bennett 29:32
Yeah. 

Emma G 29:33
But for me, I kind of think that that's where music comes in because of thought and prayer is the act of talking to God or asking of God. And meditation is the act of listening to the answer. Music is the act of turning that answer into something memorable that you can hold on to repeat yourself time and time again. So to go back to your question of where did the whole, you know, releasing a song every month come from these songs and releasing it were all part of a project that I started to put together last year called Soundtrack in Progress, where I was taking some of my favorite songs that I had written as a teenager and or person in my early twenties and sort of put together like a rock opera, if you will, that kind of talked about that. My journey as a human being, as a how to syphilis and abuse survivor and, you know, all that sort of stuff and talk about how music helped me Hold on 

the rock upfront did not kind of go as I planned, right? So I thought, okay, well, let me reshift these things a little bit. And I looked at the songs that I had chosen, and they just happened to align every single song with a cause or awareness that is honored and has country. Wow. So that's where I think the whole manifestation of conversation with God comes from. 

Rich Bennett 31:09
Oh yeah. 

Emma G 31:09
It's just crazy. It's weird. And you know, when I say God, I'm not just talking about, you know, for those who aren't religious, you know, you're you're, you're and of course, your hair, your inner voice, whatever it is, inner power, right? You know, Yeah, the universe, the force. 

Rich Bennett 31:26
But, you. 

Emma G 31:27
Know. 

Rich Bennett 31:29
Because barbed wire focuses on abuse, right? 

Emma G 31:31
Yeah. Okay. I wrote that when I was 15 

after unfortunately, I had undergone my own experiences. 

Rich Bennett 31:41
And then we met. So we just 

visit there just. It's not abuse Awareness Month. It's something like that. Was it then We just have something like that sometimes. So Awareness Month there, it's like every month there's always something. 

Emma G 31:59
Yeah, I mean this month. 

Rich Bennett 32:01
Was it April? 

Emma G 32:02
April was, was abuse, sexual assault, sexual assault awareness. 

Rich Bennett 32:07
Okay. Yeah, that's right. Okay. 

Emma G 32:09
And that's when barbwire came out. And I mean, but like, this month is currently. Oh, gosh. What is this month? 

Rich Bennett 32:18
August. 

Emma G 32:19
Well, is. 

Rich Bennett 32:20
Coordination. August. August is why. 

Emma G 32:22
That don't be a bully month. So really? Yes. 

So the song that I released this month was a song called Goodbye where it's about letting go of toxic relationships. 

Rich Bennett 32:35
Okay. Now, I do know September is recovery month. 

Emma G 32:39
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 32:40
Oh, and you're going to tell me you've written something for her. 

Emma G 32:44
This is a song releasing a single for Recovery Month for Alcohol and Drug and Recovery Month. And it's a song called Addicted to a Drink, where, again, you know, it's about like recognizing that we all have well, unfortunately, a lot of us have some way of in some way, shape or form know somebody or do struggle with an addiction ourselves. And again, this is about breaking up that addiction. 

Rich Bennett 33:15
Okay. 

When we had that September, October, I don't know, October, I always think of well, October's every month because you have breast Cancer Awareness Month. You I think you used to have a National Down Syndrome Awareness Month. But I think they moved that. 

Emma G 33:34
I don't know that that's a yeah. 

Rich Bennett 33:35
I also do know that September is also September is also Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. 

Emma G 33:42
Oh, that's cool. 

Rich Bennett 33:43
Yeah, there's something for every month. 

Emma G 33:46
I love. 

Rich Bennett 33:46
That. It's it's crazy. But all these songs, where can they be heard it. 

Emma G 33:53
So people can find me really easily on Spotify iTunes, etc. or of course my website MGM Music dot com. I will preface that I am not the only emoji for some reason. There are two Latin writers also named Emma J. So I'm the only one of color. 

Rich Bennett 34:16
Emma, I got news for you. You are the only Emma. 

Emma G 34:23
Why, thank you, Rich. I appreciate that you are. 

Rich Bennett 34:27
So your song, Barbed Wire, that's the one that actually got what was a silver tell you? 

Emma G 34:34
Silver tell, tell the audio. 

Rich Bennett 34:36
Okay. Which I believe it's you two got a Grammy, but that's something else. 

Can you when you found out about that, that you were getting to the nominated for the Telly Award, what was your reaction? 

Emma G 34:53
I think this is partly my New Zealand and 

I also were looking for the New Zealand like humble disease coming over because I don't I never really thought about. 

For me, music is about impact, it's not about awards. And so I never thought, Oh, I'm going to win this and I'm going to win that. I'm going to try and win this or I'm going to try and win that. It's not about that for me. And so to have that kind of recognition is kind of weird. 

Rich Bennett 35:27
Right? 

Emma G 35:29
I'm incredibly humbled and very grateful for the love and the support. But man, I just I just my my only hope is that somebody can listen to the song as a bank. Okay, This explains my reality. I'm going to start the process towards healing. 

Rich Bennett 35:48
And that's the biggest award. 

Emma G 35:49
Right, To have somebody tell it like tell me that my music has had an impact on them. That is awesome. But to have a trophy as well it's kind of weird. 

Rich Bennett 36:00
Yeah, actually, actually it have. Because I know like with with authors, at least they have a platform, you know, with Amazon and Barnes Noble Goodreads where people can leave a review about the book. 

Emma G 36:13
Mm hmm. 

Rich Bennett 36:14
When it comes to music, though, how unless unless somebody contacts you or emails you letting you know how it's changed them and help them, is there any other way for musicians to find out now? 

Emma G 36:30
I mean, you can also, I guess like you can on some people's Facebook pages, leave reviews and but not really. I just I. 

Rich Bennett 36:40
Need to change. 

Emma G 36:42
You just need to like hope and pray that somebody likes what you're doing and what you're saying and creating. 

Rich Bennett 36:47
Yeah. Has anybody actually reached out to you about any music? 

Emma G 36:51
It's funny that you say that. Yeah, I especially lately, if for some reason people have been reaching out quite a lot, which has been really beautiful. But if you notice here on my arm, I have a tattoo of a songbird here. 

Rich Bennett 37:06
Okay? 

Emma G 37:07
And and this was created in response to a fully typed letter that a woman wrote for me once. I had never met her. I made my my living here in DC for the first five years of living here as a street performer. And so every morning at 445, yes, I wake up every morning at 445 and sing for people on their way to work between 630 and 10:00 in the morning. And one day I somebody was at my location. So I moved to a different location and a woman rushed up and said, Thank God you're here. I am looking for you everywhere. She stuffed an envelope into my hand and then ran off. And that letter she had written about how you know, my music in the mornings was one of three pieces of light in her life because she had been struggling with so much. And, you know, she was divorced, working three jobs, trying to hold it together for her. Kids sleep on average between two and 4 hours a night. She was exhausted, you know, like a lot of things. But she was like, your music helps me to hold on. And she addressed that letter to her dear songbird and so that's why I have a songbird on my arm as kind of a reminder of, you know, we might not sometimes it feels like we might be treading water for the longest time, and that's okay to tread water, but you have no idea how much impact you are having on anybody at any given point in time. 

Rich Bennett 38:52
Wow. Now you got to change. You got to change your name now. Song, right? Emoji The Songbird. Hey, I guarantee you the other two don't have that. 

That. Wow, you never ran into her again. 

Emma G 39:08
I've got now I couldn't tell you what she even looks like. Wow. I but I, you know, I she loves. 

Rich Bennett 39:16
It when you read that letter. I mean, did it bring tears to your eyes? 

Emma G 39:19
Of course I've still got it. I still go, Oh. 

Rich Bennett 39:22
Yeah, I hope so. I know that thing would be framed if it was me. 

Emma G 39:28
That's a good idea. I said, Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 39:30
Because, you know, the only other kind of letters I get are bills and Dear John's. So 

Emma's looking to me like Rich. What's a dear John? 

Emma G 39:39
I wasn't going to say that. I love you. Can't get out of my head. 

Rich Bennett 39:45
Google it. 

Emma G 39:46
Oh, sorry. 

Rich Bennett 39:48
So actually, with with your music, who is one of your biggest influences for music? Well, and I know there's got to be several because of. Because you're wide variety. 

Emma G 40:00
Yeah, 

I'm not I can't give you one influence. 

Rich Bennett 40:06
What I but I mean I mean because like me I can't. There's not there's more than one for me as well. 

Emma G 40:13
So of course, of course. So I grew up listening to everything from Julie London to Joe Cocker to the Spice Girls, to Ludacris, to, you know, and Nygma through to Pink and Alanis Morissette and Tracy Chapman. So and those would all be my like, I guess if you were to boil it down to who really influences my music and my message and my mission, it would be summarized by Alanis Morissette. Thank you, Adele, Alicia Keys and Lady Gaga. And I'm going to say Iron Maiden. 

What? Yeah. Well, okay, so if you know anything about Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson, their lead singer, is a fully trained opera singer. 

Rich Bennett 41:06
And also a pilot. 

Emma G 41:08
And also a pilot. So, you know, so he gets to fly everybody around when he is on. So I don't know how that's so exhausting. But yeah, So first, Dickinson I've seen Iron Maiden in concert several times and just his his vocal abilities. And of course, you know, the songs like Wasted Years, the messaging behind their music is just so positive and empowering and that I can't help but be inspired by him. 

Rich Bennett 41:33
You've seen them how many times? 

Emma G 41:36
Twice. 

Rich Bennett 41:37
You know how many times I've seen them. 

Emma G 41:39
Tell me, please. Zero. Really? I got one. 

Rich Bennett 41:42
You know, I. I've always wanted to see Iron Maiden. Always. I mainly I mean, I love their music. But I wanted to see Eddie. 

Emma G 41:53
Yeah, it. Oh my Lord. When he came out. Oh it was. He was huge. Like you know. Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 42:04
I mean, but that's, I mean that's a big variety. Adele, Lady Gaga, Pink, Tracy Chapman and an Iron Maiden. Look, it's like, wow, a person. Oh, he's not. I don't think he was the original singer either. 

Emma G 42:18
Was he? Gosh. 

Rich Bennett 42:20
I don't know. I think yeah, I think he was the second one. I think I don't believe he was the original singer of Iron Maiden. 

Emma G 42:27
Well, I've only seen the first. 

Rich Bennett 42:29
But I mean. Well, actually, like Judas Priest is only Judas Priest of Rob Halford to me. 

Emma G 42:34
Right? Right. You know, I just. Same thing with Black Sabbath. Black Sabbath is. Oh, yeah. And rest in peace with they are. But, you know, he was great. He wasn't. 

Rich Bennett 42:42
He was good. But it wasn't Ozzy. 

Emma G 42:43
No, no. 

Rich Bennett 42:46
Yeah, definitely not. Yeah, not. Wow. Okay, then that really threw me off there. 

Emma G 42:52
You're welcome. I'm here. This probably. 

Rich Bennett 42:55
Yeah, you definitely did. That's for sure. And Andrew? Well, actually, with your. Because I asked you your influences, but if there was if you got a call today they said and they said Emma G. The songbird, we, we want you to sit in for so-and-so, who would you like to sit in for because you play morning guitar, You play piano as well, right. And probably several other instruments. 

Emma G 43:26
Nah, I, I could badly did play the drums, but that's about it. Okay I, I'm sitting in for as in like X is coming to town to play a comedy. Yeah. And now they're going, you're going to play this. You said who am 

so that I don't piss off the audience? I was if I was going to fill in for a musician and play my own music instead, I think the most sense would be either her 

Alicia Keys. 

Rich Bennett 44:04
Oh. 

Emma G 44:06
Or 

I'm going to say, what's her name? 

Oh, gosh. The the woman who 

I'm blanking her man. This is terrible. Maybe Alanis Morissette, but the person who filled in for did that much say nothing, Wally? Man Well, well, of course it didn't much sell out. Jason Derulo 

did. I? A sample of her. Imagine. Imogen Heap. 

Rich Bennett 44:46
Okay. 

Emma G 44:47
Well, if you're familiar with her, yeah, I think I could get away with, with playing for her audience. I think, okay, I wouldn't, wouldn't be me offstage, but like, if Lady Gaga was coming here and had to cancel and I had to fill in, I don't know if her fans would be as receptive simply because I don't look nearly that good naked. 

And let's be real. Lady Gaga is basically naked all the time. 

Rich Bennett 45:16
So 

I'm sure your fiancee would disagree with you there. 

Emma G 45:21
So go now. Let's. 

Sorry, was that oh. 

Rich Bennett 45:30
Let's. Oh, yeah. Now I'm probably 100 shades of red. I'm redder. I'm more red than your shirt you're wear. 

Emma G 45:37
So if I got 

my bad. Sorry. 

Rich Bennett 45:44
That's what you're fired. Whoo hoo! Name some artists that you would love to open up for. 

Emma G 45:55
Oh, definitely Pink. Definitely Lady Gaga. Definitely Morissette. She's back on the scene now, which is awesome. I would love to open for this is going to probably throw you Eminem. 

That'd be cool because one of my dreams, one of my dreams would be to do a collaboration with him or, you know, similar type, you know, hip hop artist who uses music positively as well. 

I would love to open for a 

Jill Scott. That'd be awesome. Okay. Yeah. I mean, music my music is I know that, like, I my genre is a very the genre that I that I cover with my original music is very broad. Yeah. You know, my fiance has even said to me one time and that he, he feels like in some ways I'm like a musical version, the female version of Prince, because you can't time either one genre. And now I don't I don't play nearly as many instruments as Prince. And Prince was incredible. And so I don't I don't dare, you know, put myself on that sort of caliber. But, 

you know, I just I think for every audience, I have something. 

Rich Bennett 47:19
Yeah. Oh, definitely. Definitely. With that it out. 

Emma G 47:23
Yeah, without a doubt. 

Rich Bennett 47:25
So now so now you're you are headlining and you're opening up at, I don't know, a stadium. You're ahead. You're not opening up. You're the headliner. Okay What up in coming artist would you actually have opened up for you. 

Emma G 47:47
Okay so I don't know if you know the music scene here in D.C. all that well, there are some incredible talent here. I think the 

of the people that I know in the DMV, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, I would 

love for one of my my local musician friends to open. And that would either be the comedy duo act Grief cat 

because they are beautiful they're a duo. They have great, you know, great lyrics, great harmonies. And their genre is quite similar to mine, but they're a lot funnier than I am. And I would like them to sort of balance me out in that. 

Rich Bennett 48:36
I was going to say, you've had an impractical hobby, 

otherwise. 

Emma G 48:43
You know, people like 

I'm thinking like Stephanie Mathias, she's a local pop singer songwriter with bass, violin and any one of my, you know, one of the Gaga groups out there, the experienced band and show just to sort of give some variety. I don't. For me, music is one of those things that it's about showcasing diversity. And so I wouldn't personally want somebody who's very similar to me to open up for me. 

Rich Bennett 49:13
Yeah, yeah, that. So but you are actually going playing in different areas, aren't you. 

Emma G 49:21
Yeah. Yes I'm, I'm thinking yeah, I mean, definitely on tour quite a few times before the pandemic. Now that I am, you know what, Getting to the end of 2023 and I'm looking forward to 2024. My second TEDx talk will be dropping soon. And through that I would like start looking my 2020 for I plans to go on tour using music as a methodology for not just entertaining, but obviously also, you know, helping people to remind them of their power. 

Rich Bennett 50:01
How in speaking of Ted X, how did you come about doing a TED talk? 

Emma G 50:07
I so to go back to the whole Star Wars, my friends that I made before and my fiancee is very one with the force, okay? And I feel like in some ways I might also be one. But for us, I talk a lot about the Jedi mindset of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, and and as such, I 

found that we find often when we have conversations about plans and goals, as soon as we speak them to each other, they kind of just happen. So last what, 2021? I he asked me what my goals were five years in the future where I wanted to be, and I said, I think I want to go speaking. And I got a phone call from the organizers of TEDx Rockville. Literally two weeks later, I did not apply. They found me online and they said, We love your story. We would like you to come and present at TED 2022. 

Rich Bennett 51:14
Nice. 

Emma G 51:16
And then they invited me to come back this year. So I, I did not. I'm very blessed. 

Rich Bennett 51:26
So now have you done public speaking in other places? Well. 

Emma G 51:29
I do a lot of schools presentations. I've done some more speaking at organizations and corporations. I've but I've always been like an emcee. I've always, you know, as a musician, you talk to people through the music, You talk to people, you know, between songs, you talk to people, you know. And I used to work in Cabaret in a previous life, and so I would often facilitate, you know, this is the next drag queen that's coming out and, oh, by the way, I'm going to sing your song now. And now he's another drag queen. So I've always been kind of in the public speaking world, but never tied myself to that brand until the Ted X event. And, you know, 2022. 

Rich Bennett 52:13
Okay. With because you also do a lot of other things to help people, especially teenagers. 

Emma G 52:21
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 52:23
You have a mission where you're helping them write songs, right? 

Emma G 52:25
Correct. 

Rich Bennett 52:26
Okay. Can you share a memorable story of transformation you've witnessed through this? 

Emma G 52:34
Oh, I mean, there's multiple this is the thing about Gen Z. 

They spend three years of their short lives isolated at home. They created formats like Instagram, Snapchat and Tik Tok as tools to communicate and connect with their peers. That's all done through a screen 

to have face to face communication as a teenager. And 2023 is incredibly difficult for teenagers. And furthermore, what I've seen is a lot of parents have been incredibly and increasingly stressed and overwhelmed because of the work constraints that have come as a result of the economy, the pandemic, whatever. And and so there seems to be, in my opinion, and we've seen a disconnect and ways that teenagers are connecting with their parents and communicating effectively with their parents. So what I do as a as a youth empowerment through songwriting coach is I help teenagers to first understand their feelings, right, and then find the words, the right words to communicate about those feelings and communicate with them about them safely. Using the security blanket of music, which I have found has been incredibly helpful for them so far. In particular, I had a young man recently. I was I was on contract at a local middle school here in Montgomery County, 

and this young man was 

his main teacher and he was not a typical teacher. He was a long term sub because of the teacher shortage. Right. And his his main teacher couldn't really understand him already and my with him. And so this kid 

was feeling misunderstood, feeling frustrated and, you know, had some things that he needed to get off his chest. And often I have found that manifests as getting into fights. But before I got to that point, what I wanted to do was give him an opportunity to express himself healthily. So I took him aside and I learned more about his where he was, what was what was going on with him. As it turned out, his father had previously passed away just six months earlier from cancer. So I know from cancer from some heart problem or something. His mother had just been diagnosed with cancer and his brother had just been sent away to jail. 

Rich Bennett 55:35
Good Lord. 

Emma G 55:36
This kid was. Yeah, this kid was a kind of been more than 13. That's a lot for a young man to handle. 

Rich Bennett 55:45
Yeah. 

Emma G 55:47
So what I did is instead of getting angry with him, instead of sending him to the principal, instead, whatever it is, I'm a firm believer in positive reinforcement. So I turn around to him and I said, you know, okay, you have two choices here. You can either continue along this path of anger and aggression or we can sort of turn this around a little bit and, you know, use your words to pick a place so that you can, you know, just express yourself a little bit differently. Yeah. And so I asked him direct you guys, what do you mean? I was like, I'm sure you've got some bars. And you're right. Have you ever have you ever rap before? And he's like, Oh, you know, I do what I do, whatever. And I was I like, Oh, so this is your homework, then I want you to get everything out. You've just told me. And here in your head, put it on paper and I want you to write me the dopest rap you can possibly write for me. And I want you to be completely honest. And here's the clincher. I don't care if you test. You are allowed to cast as long as it crimes. 

This is what happened. A He felt heard. B he felt the freedom of expression to express himself right. See, he did not cuss once because he finally felt like he. 

Rich Bennett 57:09
Was told he. 

Emma G 57:09
Could tell against my my teacher and. 

Rich Bennett 57:13
Oh, okay. 

Emma G 57:14
D He wrote an incredible piece of music and a he suddenly felt like we had, you know, he had the opportunity to perform it for his peers. And there was, you know, you could see the weight lift off of his shoulders, but more importantly, you could start to see his teacher and his peers start to understand and celebrate him a little bit more. And so that was it's things like that that like it's subtle and it doesn't it doesn't like, okay, it's just music, whatever. I can say, whatever I want to make sure. But when you give them the permission to be authentic. 

Rich Bennett 57:54
Yeah. 

Emma G 57:56
That's all these kids want. And now that's a positive, even cooler thing. He can now film himself rapping that put that on TikTok and connect with other people around the world. It's the same thing. And when he puts out content like that, it's empowering and self fulfilling and you trick the algorithm into feeding you other things that are empowering and self fulfilling. 

Rich Bennett 58:21
And more positive. 

Emma G 58:22
And more positive, then, you know, a lot of the other negative stuff that often we fear social media feeds our kids. So yeah, that's all I got very like on my high horse there. But I just it's very emotional. 

Rich Bennett 58:33
That's awesome. 

Emma G 58:36
It's very emotional for me. And it's beautiful. It's beautiful to see that kind of. 

Rich Bennett 58:40
And yeah it is hard. Do you know if he's written any more? 

Emma G 58:45
I don't know. Unfortunately, it wasn't long after that that summer holidays broke out, so I haven't had a shot at the I'm not going to Instagram message these kids. That's that's. 

Rich Bennett 58:56
Right. 

Emma G 58:57
That's not moral so either so and I you know I don't know how to get in touch with me it's just and it's what. 

Rich Bennett 59:06
I have and that's that's what the youth empowerment 

program that you. 

Emma G 59:12
Do. Yes. 

Rich Bennett 59:13
Okay. And you also have something else, the reconnect with your teenager. 

Emma G 59:18
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 59:19
Which I guess is for parents or. 

Emma G 59:21
Is is. 

Rich Bennett 59:22
Explain that. 

Emma G 59:24
Well, you know, it's. 

Rich Bennett 59:25
You don't start you how many are first of all, how much sleep do you get at night because it's like you're constantly just on the go. 

Emma G 59:35
I'm averaging at the moment between six and eight. 

Rich Bennett 59:39
Oh, okay. Never right. Go ahead. Talk about reconnect. 

Emma G 59:43
So that's a proper amount. So I've exhausted and so the RICO, the teenager book was written and 2021 and that was really a way for me to, 

you know, help parents figure out ways that they can utilize music to the teenager. And the when it comes to the kid, like the kids, I can connect with kids all the time. I'm a 17 with a few years experience, so that's what I tell people. Anyways. So the connecting with the teenagers is not is not so much of an issue for me. It's helping parents recognize that they there are some steps that they can go through themselves before then reaching out to somebody like me to help their teenagers. So it started off as a book, which is the How to the Nine Steps to teaching, you know, working with your kids and reconnecting with your kids. But that then turned into a podcast, which is now turned into a TV show where I. 

Yeah, why so? Well, the podcast, as you know, is now being aired on local Comcast and Verizon channels. So that's really where you. 

Rich Bennett 1:00:59
Really screwed up. My next question and I was going to ask you how the podcast was going, but now I know. 

Emma G 1:01:05
Well those who hear, hear, and those who don't don't. But I feel like, you know, if you put the things out, those who need to hear it will find it. Yeah. And I'm really I'm really lucky and really grateful to Orange and independent media for helping me put that on television. And yeah, and, but the thing about the range of the Teen Ager podcast and TV show is not that it's not about necessarily what I do. It's about other unorthodox youth workers and their different approaches to youth work. So, okay, I interviewed at Equine Therapist, who uses horses as a tool for helping teenagers, you know, calm down and fix everything. And then I interviewed a therapist who was a hairdresser and and, you know, and she uses that to then coach her clients. Oh, right. And so it's just it's unorthodox. And, you know, when you think about youth workers, you think, oh, somebody you know, you sit in an office and talk about your problems. Now, there's so many more ways to do that. Our therapists, you know, it's just just fun, different new ways of of reconnecting with teenagers. 

Rich Bennett 1:02:27
People don't realize ten degree. I think somehow or another everybody's a therapist because a lot of times it's just listening. 

Emma G 1:02:36
The problem is most people don't. 

Rich Bennett 1:02:39
Thank you. You're 110% correct there. Now, is that bookstore available? 

Emma G 1:02:46
Yeah, it's available. Yep. 

Rich Bennett 1:02:48
So? So you've written more than one book? 

Emma G 1:02:51
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 1:02:52
Because you know, my life, my songs, my healing. 

Emma G 1:02:55
Yes. And I'm this winter will be starting my third 

because, you know, my my last presentation was called From Pain to Power Attorney struggles into song. So it'll be kind of an offshoot of that. My life, my songs, my healing, but with more of a focus on life lessons for music and more focus on how the readers can take ownership of their traumas or a traumatic experience, right? So that, you know, it's just like a like a book. 

I'm blanking on that. I there is a book called 

Greatest Salesman in the World and yeah, yeah. And so, you know, it kind of a spin on that but with a musical musical kind of aspect. 

Rich Bennett 1:03:54
Ooh, So when did my life, my songs, my healing come out? 

Emma G 1:03:58
20. 20. 

Rich Bennett 1:04:00
Really? 

Emma G 1:04:01
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 1:04:02
All right. So that came out during COVID. 

Emma G 1:04:05
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 1:04:05
When did you start writing it? 

Emma G 1:04:07
2020. 

I'm a writer, so it takes me 20 minutes to write a song. It took me. 

Rich Bennett 1:04:17
Out of here. 

Emma G 1:04:18
I have time timed myself. I think the quickest I've written a song has been 13 minutes. 

Rich Bennett 1:04:24
All right. No barbed wire Had to take you longer than that. And history. 

Emma G 1:04:29
That's 25 minutes, right? Barbed wire. Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 1:04:32
That's amazing. Well, music and lyrics. 

Emma G 1:04:36
Music and lyrics. Yes, but that's because, again, like, when you are connect, when you give yourself permission. And the safety and the space to be real and roll with yourself, that's when power happens. Yeah, that's when those conversations turn. Meditations turn, manifestations happen. And yeah, I mean, barbed wire took me about 25 minutes, especially because it was so I wrote that almost, gosh, maybe one or two days after the event happened. So it was still very raw for me and it was all I could do, like how do you deal with that kind of trauma? You either hold it locked inside or you let it out. And yeah, I let it out. 

Rich Bennett 1:05:26
Wow, that's amazing. I don't. Yeah, it would. I just started writing my first book in July and I haven't even gotten the first paragraph done yet or not. The first paragraph, the first chapter. 

Emma G 1:05:40
Now I get. 

Rich Bennett 1:05:40
Like, I got a paragraph that's. 

That's amazing. That. That's awesome. 

Emma G 1:05:48
Yeah, it's I mean, it's, it's, 

it's a journey. That's a process. 

Rich Bennett 1:05:55
So what's, what's next for Emoji? The Songbird. 

Emma G 1:06:00
You're hilarious. What's next for me? Well, like I said, I'm. I'm waiting for the next ten x presentation to go live, and I will be looking at going on tour next year and around the country, presenting both workshops and keynotes as well as concerts. And I am getting married in about two months and two months. Yes, sir. That's kind of taking the bulk of my attention at the moment, but I'm also, you know, while I'm planning for the wedding, I'm also 

getting ready to launch a four week online summer wedding program for teenagers. And so that, you know, in four weeks they can have a fully completed song, if not more than one. And and then if I want to move on to what I'm uncomfortable with, maybe I can. But yeah, that's kind of my immediate I mean, I've got to of course, you know, it's it's August as we're recording this. So I have three more singles to drop this year, one in September, October and that. 

Rich Bennett 1:07:09
I make sure your fiancee knows you are not allowed to perform at your wedding. 

Emma G 1:07:20
I will let them know I'm not allowed to perform at my wedding. That's fine. 

Rich Bennett 1:07:22
I mean, if you want to sing your vows, that's one thing. But tell him during the reception. No, you are not the entertainment at the band or deejay or we're not. Hey, enjoy it all. 

Emma G 1:07:34
It's funny because I. Yeah, I don't really. I a lot of my recent music has been inspired by him, you know, whether it's whether it's references to him specifically or references to Krav MAGA and self-defense. A lot of my music is inspired by him. But yeah, you're right. I'm not going to sing it my way. 

Rich Bennett 1:07:53
But 

good thing is bad enough if I didn't DJ my but I had my DJ Ock. 

Emma G 1:08:03
Yeah. Which. 

Rich Bennett 1:08:05
Which is weird because you and the thing is you're, you're in la la land at your wedding. I can tell you half of the music that was played, I don't even remember what was on the menu. I think I was just shocked that my, you know, my now wife went along with it. 

Emma G 1:08:24
That's funny. 

Rich Bennett 1:08:26
So 20, 26 years later, and although she did stump me the other day. 

Emma G 1:08:31
Oh yeah. 

Rich Bennett 1:08:32
Oh, not the other day, a couple of months ago, and I stop using this phrase. So for 25 years, over 25 years, I've always told her she wanted Mr. Right and she married Mr. Right. First name always. 

Emma G 1:08:44
A-ha. 

Rich Bennett 1:08:46
So she came back and I used that again. And she goes, Well, if that makes you Mr. Right, doesn't that make me Mr.. Mrs.. Always right. 

I was speech I, I was floored. I had no comeback for. Yeah. I stopped saying. 

Emma G 1:09:04
That, but I. 

Rich Bennett 1:09:06
Said if there's one song from your collection that captures the essence of emoji, the Songbird, which one would it be and why? 

Emma G 1:09:18
Oh, a song that encapsulates who I am specifically. Mm hmm. 

Would be. I get the sound. It sounds silly. Cheesy would be the song I am. It was because That song was written in response to the the concept that the I am are the two most powerful words in the world, because whatever you say after them dictates your trajectory and your destiny. And so that song is literally my and 

my way of expressing who I am and who I want to be at home. 

Rich Bennett 1:10:06
Know, you don't have to listen to it as. 

Emma G 1:10:08
Oh, it's fun. It's a fun flight. Boy and Baltimore did a great job with it. 

Rich Bennett 1:10:14
Yeah Well, so how often do you get up to Baltimore? 

Emma G 1:10:17
Pretty regularly. Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 1:10:19
Well, if you ever get past Baltimore up in the Harford County. 

Emma G 1:10:23
Well, have a cup of tea. 

Rich Bennett 1:10:24
Oh, yeah. 

Emma G 1:10:25
A cup. 

Rich Bennett 1:10:25
A cup of tea, coffee, lunch, whatever. Doesn't matter. So 

last thing, because I know you've had several interviews, but out of all the people that have interviewed you, is there anything that you wish the hosts would have asked you but never did? And if so, what would be that question and what would be your answer? 

Emma G 1:10:50
I oh, gosh. What would be the question? What would be the answer? My dream question. 

I'm a fan of random questions. 

And again, because I'm 17 with a few years experience, I just like to be very random. So maybe, you know, a a 

a quick fire, a round of just random ridiculous. It would be like something that I've never been. I've never had. 

Rich Bennett 1:11:25
Oh, wow. I wish I would have known that I would have some stuff. 

Emma G 1:11:30
So here are some of what we're going to answer. Here would be some random things about me and my first ever broken bone was my wrist when I was playing tag in elementary school and it was my crush that tagged me and he felt horrible for weeks. And my next random question, let's say you asked me who my favorite or who my first pet was. I had a little Pomeranian dog called George who died from a brain tumor, unfortunately. And he was a Pomeranian. Yes, that was upsetting. Next question. My day. And what's my favorite meal to cook? Which I will tell you, I'm not really a good cook, but I'm pretending to be because I am, you know, getting married and food is important to eat. But I have found that the air fryer has revolutionized my. Oh, my. 

Rich Bennett 1:12:29
God. 

Emma G 1:12:30
Yes. So. 

So I would say like a good steak. Asparagus is which have a mash would be like our breakfast champions. And I got 

my favorite spice would be cardamom or cinnamon because I grew up in Fiji and a lot of the Indian sweets are cardamom based. And my favorite 

and our my favorite 

saying is you are loved, you are love and everything you could possibly made lives over here. 

Rich Bennett 1:13:10
Ooh, I like that. 

Emma G 1:13:12
Thank you. 

Rich Bennett 1:13:12
I really like that. Wow. So something very important. Tell everybody your website how they can get in touch with you. And if they want you to come speak, they can get in touch with you if they want you to come and perform. How they can get in touch with you super easy. 

Emma G 1:13:30
Just look up emoji music dot com for my music or my speaking for my books for coaching programs. And just to say hi. 

Rich Bennett 1:13:44
Just to say hi. Everything is right there and there's all you listening. When get her books book because I didn't realize that that the other one was a. 

Emma G 1:13:53
Book Yeah I had. 

Rich Bennett 1:13:55
No idea. So when you get her books and you read them, make sure you leave a full review, place them. 

Emma G 1:14:02
Place. 

Rich Bennett 1:14:03
And then also listen to her. Me Actually, I think on Spotify, I know you can put a heart thing. 

Emma G 1:14:10
Yes, I. 

Rich Bennett 1:14:10
Can also hear. Yeah, I don't think you can leave a review, but. 

Emma G 1:14:14
You can follow me. You can follow me. 

Rich Bennett 1:14:17
Yeah. There you have. I was going to see because you had the Facebook page, too. 

Emma G 1:14:21
Yes. And that's not well. And it's changed. And my my original Facebook page got hacked, so if you want to find me on Facebook, it's emoji speaks. 

Rich Bennett 1:14:32
Emoji speaks. Okay. But they can leave a review there. 

Emma G 1:14:34
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 1:14:35
Because. Yeah, because that's important. People don't realize how important that is for authors, for businesses. And you are a business, you're an entrepreneur and for the music. So Emma Thank you. Emma Gee, the songbird, 

thank you so much. And then when we're done, I want to, I want to offer you something as well and continued success and God, I know you're going to get more letters from people whose lives you have changed. So thank you. 

Emma G 1:15:07
Thank you for much. I really appreciate your time.