Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Guzman.
Hi Emma, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started performing when I was 8 years old! It began with auditioning for musicals at local community theaters, and soon after that, I found myself learning how to play guitar. By the age of 11, I was writing my own songs. I released my first album, “Echo,” in 2015- I was only 13 at the time. Since then, I have released two more albums, the latest being “Something Less Than Alone” in 2022. After the release of that album, I took a long break from writing and performing. I wanted to give myself time to recenter my creativity, and to put space between my musical career as a child and now as a young adult. Recently, I’ve found myself writing again- I have written 10 new songs in the past 3 months, and I’m feeling good about where I am as a songwriter. I look forward to being able to bring new energy to my performances and recordings with this fresh start!
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?
It hasn’t always been easy for me as a young songwriter. I grew up with music being a huge part of my life, and at times it was daunting to feel the need to “one-up” my past achievements. It was hard to tell if the praise I received back then was because people genuinely enjoyed my music, or just because I was so young. Sometimes it feels like that’s all anyone will ever see in me. One of my biggest struggles is that of self-confidence, which I am working at every day! I’m trying to get out there and push myself to play new songs at open mics, and I’m working towards feeling grounded while performing. My nerves really get to me, but I think it’s important to connect with people who can relate to my songs, and to pay attention to fellow songwriters in my community who I can relate to through music and beyond.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I write songs, I sing, and I play guitar (in that order)! I put most of my efforts into songwriting- it is my biggest outlet as a person and as a creative. The thing about myself that I’ve always been proud of the most is my ability to harness my emotions and experiences and turn them into songs that I can share with whoever is willing to listen. I hope my music does what all art should- comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable. I think the one thing that might set me apart from other artists is that people tell me my songs surprise them; they never know where my rhymes will lead, and they never know what I’ll say next. I’m not sure if that’s always a good thing, but I think I’m okay with that!
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I am sort of dreading the next 5-10 years in the music industry as a songwriter due to the rise of generative AI. People are just hitting a button and gleaning original content from countless artists and amassing this soulless slop that most people don’t even realize isn’t real music. I’m hoping to see a significant change in that, and hoping that more people will rise up against AI and create music that is whole and human. Even if it’s not the best music, anything is better than robot puke! I can be a little pessimistic at times- if you ask me again next week, I may have a different answer.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmaguzmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1D2s41kTrx/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@emmaguzmanmusic7350?si=M1K15fQlkuH1oLz4
- Other: https://emmaguzman.bandcamp.com/
