Interview with Emily V

Hey Emily! So excited to be chatting with you! Can you tell us a little something about yourself?

Hi, thank you for having me!  I am a Rock N Roll Violinist, based in Los Angeles, California.  I’ve played violin for most of my life and it is my complete passion.  I am so grateful to be able to do what I love for a living. 

What inspired you to pursue music?

I grew up among really good albums thanks to my parents.  My dad has a huge collection of vinyl.  My parents would put on a record while dinner was being made or Saturday afternoons when we would pick tomatoes from my Dad’s garden and make homemade salsa and hang out.  I can also remember my Dad coming home from work and at the end of dinner, he would lay on the office floor and put on a record and his big white headphones and listen to music.  Sometimes I would go in there and he would let me listen and he would tell me about the artist or the album.  I remember him showing me “Meddle” and “animals” by Pink Floyd.  One band that really made a big impact on me as a young girl that my dad showed me, was “It’s a Beautiful Day”.  I really took to the violin in that group as a “lead” instrument in a rock band.  That was really pinnacle for me.  Of course, We listened to all sorts of artists that inspired me:  The Beatles, The Doors, Hendrix, Phoebe Snow, Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Bob Marley, Talking Heads, The Beach Boys, Miles Davis, etc.  My big brothers were also influences on me musically.  From them, I got into Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Mad Season, ACDC, Gun’s N Roses, Aerosmith, Metallica, Ozzy, Rage Against The Machine.  When I got to my junior college, one of my professors turned me onto more, Peter Gabriel, Ani Difranco, Bowie, Radiohead, etc.  When I got to my college, I pursued a classical violin major.  I did not fit in quite that well.  I took to the percussion department and made a lot of my friends there.  The head of the percussion department was a great mentor to me.  I learned African and Brazil percussion from him.  I was an African dancer for many years and learned a lot from him.  

I believe I was meant to play the violin.  It has been a calling my whole life and everything put in my path has inspired me to pursue music the way I have!  Love at first note.

How would you describe your musical style?  

I would describe my style as “Page and Hendrix had a love child babysat by Steven Tyler”….
 
What artists do you look up to right now?

Artists that I look up to currently:  The Rival Sons, Nik West, Linda Perry, Lady Gaga, Chris Cornell, Warren Haynes, ….. I could be here ALL day.  
 
What would you say is your most braggable moment?

Hmmm….  That’s a tough one.  There are so many moments that bring me goose bumps on stage.  Those magical moments are the most memorable.  Those are the moments that the audience and myself and the band become one and it is truly a mystical experience.  It is hard to say what is the most “braggable” though.  To be honest, just making a living performing Rock violin is probably the most braggable.  I have gotten to meet and play with SO many artists and continue to do so.

What has been the greatest lesson you have learned from a mistake?

One of my greatest lessons in the music industry has been to be weary of who you do business with.  I have been badly burned and have learned the hard way that you just can’t trust everyone.  That is hard for me, because I am very open and trusting human.  With me, what you see is what you get.  No bullshit.

Why do you think social media is so important for artists today?

Social Media is AMAZING!  We can connect with the WHOLE World!!!!  How magical is that??  

How has this whole music career experience been?

My whole music career experience has been the ride of a lifetime.  Happy, sad, exciting, frustrating, energizing, exhausting, full of love, incredible experiences and new friends.  I would not trade it for the world!!!! 

Do you have any advice for aspiring music artists?

Never give up!!!  For all the people that tell you NO and that “don’t like” your art, there are a million people to say YES and LOVE what you do!!!

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End of Interview