We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Scott Robinson and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Emily Scott, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think about risk as an opportunity to build more courage and confidence in myself as a writer and a performer. I think that many artists and entrepreneurs (and people in general!) believe that you already need to have courage and confidence in order to take a risk, but that’s not really possible. You build courage and resilience by taking the risks. Taking risks keeps me interested in my own creative work. It keeps me feeling alive and a bit on the edge! If I’m bored, then I’m not invested. And the risks can, and should often be, small risks on a frequent basis– asking for something you really want, making art that you believe in even if you don’t know who will care about it. One of the small ways I stay engaged as a performing songwriter is by throwing a new song, a new cover, or a song I haven’t sung in a long time into my set every night. It keeps me awake and interested in my own music, which can be a challenge when I’m on a long tour and generally playing the same set every night. We should look at risk as an invitation to step deeper into our calling.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a touring musician and singer-songwriter who had no idea this would be my career! I graduated from college with a degree in History and Spanish and began working in the fields of social work and immigration advocacy in my early 20s. I did that for several years and, while I loved the career, it also drained me and I didn’t feel balanced as a human. I wanted to help people, but it felt like that path wasn’t quite right for me. I went to a songwriting camp in 2013 at Planet Bluegrass (Song School!) and every lightbulb in my brain went off. I found and tapped into a community of people who loved to sing and writer, and artists and teachers who showed me that a career as an independent musician was attainable. They were even willing to show me the steps. From 2014 to 2016, I worked part-time as a Spanish interpreter while I started writing and recording my own songs, playing gigs with my original music in the set, and attending music conferences. It was important to me not to immediately put financial pressure on my fledgling dream.
In 2016, I took the leap and started a career as a full-time musician. For the first two years, I barely made any money. I was genuinely making just enough money to pay my bills and eat and cover gas! It was thrilling and very real. I did EVERYTHING in my business myself. I did all my own bookkeeping and accounting, I booked all my own gigs, and I did all my own marketing, distribution, and promotion! I learned so much and that was a valuable time for me. I would later recognize what each of those jobs was really worth to me as I expanded my team. In 2019, I signed with a booking agent and in 2021, I signed a record deal and brought on a manager.
The most important lessons I’ve learned along the way have been about staying true to who you are as an artist and a human. It seems counterintuitive when you’re younger, but the most valuable thing you own that can never be taken away from you is that which makes you unique. Your voice, your story, your past, your dreams, and your experience of the world. There are a million people out there trying to be someone else– your superpower is being exactly who you are.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give credit to my fellow performing artists and songwriters who have been my compatriots on this winding, curious, and often scary journey of making art as a living! The folks who have been right beside me for the journey have been my greatest mentors.
Website: emilyscottrobinson.com
Instagram: @emilyscottrobinson
Twitter: @emilyscottrobin
Facebook: Emily Scott Robinson
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK8Cwk26nXaR0WjnS5yZ2KQ
Image Credits
Cal & Aly ; Rah Studios