Though barely old enough to even have a university degree, Emilyn has had a wide range of experiences, shaping her into the diverse young musician she is. Starting with classical piano lessons at the age of 9, expanding to playing by ear and accompanying fiddlers as a teenager in northern BC, she is now sought after to add that special touch to a variety of different art forms. From western Canada to western Europe, she is called upon as an individual to improvise violin as visiting poets from France perform their work, write and record piano music for short films, and compose and perform in modern dance theatre pieces, all the while playing with any of the many bands she is part of.
While living in Toronto, her second home, Emilyn has quickly built up many projects to keep her musically engaged. In David Woodhead's Confabulation she gets funky and groovy on keys. She can also be seen sporting fiddle, piano or accordion as the side-woman to many singer songwriter's including Soozi Schlanger and Rosemary Phelan, and MIP. Her all girl trio, Beneath the Ice, features 'folk music from the future' in its odd time signatures and wacky arrangements, while Eh?! combines folk traditions from countless western cultures. With Jaron Freeman-Fox she explores how far away from tradition a violin and piano duo can really go with the unexpected sounds that occur (even to them): a balance on the wire of improvisation and a common repertoire from their 10 year history of playing together. With Toronto musicians Charles James, Matt Maclean, and John Williams, Emilyn has been writing new and exciting ensemble pieces. Her music combines the sophistication of classical music, the freedom and openness of jazz, and the human-ness and accessibility of folk music into a style that is all her own.
In 2008 Emilyn lost her long time mentor and inspiration Oliver Schroer to leukemia. In response to this she recorded a full length piano improvisation album full of inspiring, contemplative pieces, Holding Time. In reflection of this project Anne Lindsay writes, “Emilyn is an astoundingly gifted improviser. This is a skill that requires not only a high degree of musicianship skills but also openness and a creative spark that in Emilyn’s case knows no bounds.” In addition to her debut solo album, Emilyn has recorded a double album accompanying Oliver Schroer (Smithers), has recently released albums with band Beneath the Ice and Eh?! and can be found on over 10 other albums from and with musicians across Canada.
In 2010 Emilyn hopped over the Atlantic puddle with the intention to study classical piano music in the Netherlands. She came back with a much more than expected, after discovering the world of traditional French and Belgium dance music. While there, she played a key role as violinist in the group, Té, whose twisty, quirky sounds quickly made them one of the most well-loved Balfolk bands in the Netherlands.
You don't have to look very far to find a piece of Emilyn's music to suit any mood or occasion! Her big ears and musical sensitivity combine with exceptional musical influences and collaborators make her the unique musician she is.
