Emily’s love affair with music started at 5 years old with a beautiful old Baldwin piano at her grandmother’s house, which she learned to play by using a fingering chart, a 20-year old correspondence course left in the piano bench by her uncle, and some help from her older sisters. The poor piano had to share Emily’s affection with every other musical instrument with which she came in contact, finally being almost altogether abandoned for the favors of a flute. Emily went on with the flute, playing her first duets with the family dog as her initial prowess inspired him to sing, and later won numerous state solo and ensemble competitions. Recently, she has played local Bay area coffee houses and open mics with other musicians of various types and genres.
Emily’s introduction to vocal music also started early, as she insisted on chiming in while her two older sisters practiced their parts for choir until they finally gave her a part of her own. Many of the practice sessions occurred in the car while the family took long Sunday afternoon drives, with the whole family joining in (including the dog) on the songs that they knew. Training in 4-part acapella harmonies (and quite a few great potluck recipes) occurred during the family’s 3-times-a-week appearances at church, where the whole congregation sang acapella, and sometimes adjourned to one of the members’ homes for Sunday dinner and a few hours of singing. In these informal settings, the repertoire often drifted away from traditional hymns into the livelier and more rhythmically challenging southern gospel styles made famous by such groups as the Carter family or the Stamps-Baxter quartet. As her voice lowered, Emily inspired quite a few dirty looks and muttered comments on the propriety of a young lady switching from her God-given role as an alto to sing tenor or bass with the men. Encouraged by the prospects of rattling the status quo, Emily continued to sing with the men until going off to graduate school to pursue her dream of becoming a research scientist.
After a nearly 15-year separation from music while pursuing a scientific career, Emily returned to her first love and began playing the flute again, performing original compositions written by Cate Larsen, her partner of 23 years and an accomplished guitarist. The two have performed at local venues as a duet, and as part of Frets and Keys, a trio which includes the excellent piano talents of Shari Kline. After participating in Janet Rachel and June Bonacich’s barbershop quartet workshop at a local music camp, Emily’s desire to sing was rekindled, and she joined Out on a Clef as the group’s baritone in November, 2004.
