Rising Stars: Meet Em 143

Today we’d like to introduce you to Em 143

Hi Em, 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 grew up needing a way to escape a very overwhelming family environment. I found the magic of words — how they could pull feelings out of me I didn’t know existed, comfort me, give me something to feel proud of, connect my world to others without completely reliving it all because things shifted and transformed as they were processed/expressed… writing is everything to me. As a kiddo I would always have a notebook and pens handy. After overcoming imposter syndrome (enough) I started using the guitar and singing while I’d write. I finally began reflecting on and rejecting beliefs that didn’t serve me. Now I get to play music I’ve written with some of the best musicians I’ve ever heard and the absurdly magical bonus is they’re SUPER KIND HUMANS. It warms my whole heart to know something I’ve created has resonated with even one soul since the process offers me so much healing. I am currently managing a rehearsal/community music space that brings people together (musicians & listeners & doodlers & community lovers alike) in a way I couldn’t have ever imagined. It’s absolutely beautiful and I’m so grateful to witness it all.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have certainly been struggles along the way. Between job shifts, moving states and maintaining life in an intense world that structurally doesn’t lend to or celebrate pause, it hasn’t been easy allotting time to be creative or justifying that. During the past few months our band presence has grown quickly and we’ve been asked to play alongside such talented musicians and at my favorite venues. It has come together in a beautifully organic way. I haven’t been “grinding”. I hate the idea of music feeling like work to me. It is my escape from everything that feels that way. I don’t actively try to book shows or put out much content but now the wheels are in motion to record our first album! I know that whatever struggles continue to appear on my path will help me grow and hopefully continue to share whatever creations take shape through the process.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At Moss Haven, we focus on community goodness above all else. Everyone should feel safe, validated, supported and welcomed. There are open jams with musicians of all experience levels yet everyone connects and flows so well together every – single – time. There’s enough comfort to ask questions and those moments are some of the sweetest interactions I’ve ever seen. It’s important to me that people without a space to take a mental break or create freely can have that here and feel safe. There’s a zero tolerance policy for anyone being made to feel uncomfortable or unsafe. I hope this space continues connecting lovely musicians/music lovers in the community and helps people with hesitations about social interactions come out of their shell. I felt like a giddy parent at our last open jam because someone said they’d never jammed with people before and that their hands were getting clammy thinking about it decided to take me up on singing together a couple minutes later. By the end of the jam were improvising a groove on the keys and vocalizing beautiful magic. It melted my heart to see them grow into themselves more deeply with support from incredible some humans. This community in Charlotte continues to be the coziest and sweetest I’ve ever known.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
As a kid I was a lot like I am now. Curious and impulsive. Could stare at the ground/most things for a long while, entertained by all of natures movements. I love(d) soft textured items, small things that light up, experimenting with making food, giving big hugs, crying to good songs. I loved playing sports outside with my siblings and neighborhood friends. I remember my poetry as a kid being either mostly focused on love OR quite dark because I was processing a difficult environment at home. I felt so deeply. That definitely hasn’t changed. I know I grew up with a deep desire to understand people. I wanted to make sense of peoples actions, thoughts, feelings so that my experiences could make sense. I remember being told before I knew the words meaning, by multiple teachers in a row, that I was very inquisitive. One thing I think I’ve comprehended is that as we get older that we realize more deeply that we don’t know anything at all – what an adventure to always be learning.

Pricing:

• $40 – 2 hour session
• $150 – 10 hour package

Contact Info:

• Website: https://activationstudios.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mosshavenclt/
• Other: https://calendly.com/mosshavenstudios/greenroom-2hours

Image Credits
Landon Clark