Journey of an Artist

How does an idea become a musical? How do you write both a play and a musical soundtrack at the same time? How does a musical that you've finally written wind up on a real stage with real actors?

Kaylee Killingsworth and Kenady Sean have answers.

In this episode, Emmeline sits down with two-thirds of the creative team behind Beyond Perfection, a new musical about our human desire for perfection and our love-hate relationship wit...

"Music has always been more than just a hobby." 

You know you're a creative person. You know you're meant to do more than a repetitive 9 to 5 job in this life. You're pretty sure you have something special inside of you that needs to come out. The problem? You have a lot of passions, and you're not sure how they align.

Rob Case understands your journey. He also has some answers for you.

As a shopowner, a ...

“Learning how to say your truth as yourself is really, really hard to do—especially at first.” 

In a world increasingly geared toward disposable art, how do we make something that matters? How can we stay true to our inner artist AND work with the algorithm? Is it even worth the compromise?

With the release of his four-part album, Triptychs, Court Hoang set out to answer these questions in a way that worked for him. In this episode, ...

Kollin Kennedy did not grow up thinking that he'd be a poet, but he did grow up with a profound love of language.

In this episode, Emmeline sits down with Instagram-famous poet and University of North Texas graduate Kollin Kennedy to talk about his journey into the world of poetry and his love for the written word. Kollin also shares how he was inspired to start writing verse, and how consistent posting on Instagram helped him ...

"I have been living an authentic and wildly courageous life ever since." 

How do you step most honestly into your true self? How do you combat social messaging that tells you to be someone other than who you are? 

In this deeply vulnerable episode, Emmeline sits down with nonbinary author, identity coach, keynote speaker, photographer, and multi-passionate creative Don Mamone. Don shares some of the details of their journey...

This week, Emmeline sits down with Jonathan and Christian from The Creatives Factory, a Dallas-based development company that provides marketing and recording services to independent musicians. In this episode, Jonathan and Christian talk about becoming partners, building a business, and making intentional decisions about which projects to join. They also share how their childhood backgrounds have impacted their artistic journeys.

T...

"You have to live your life to write about life." 

For this special Valentine's Day episode of Journey of an Artist, Emmeline sits down with Jojo Garza of Los Lonely Boys to talk about the band's incredible longevity. Jojo shares some wisdom about the need for breaks in the creative process, the endless benefits of having creativity as part of family life, and the joy he and his brothers still find in making musi...

"Creativity is healing."

How do we tackle life's biggest questions? How do we reconcile our own childhood experiences? How do we navigate trauma, and how can we use our own knowledge and experiences to help others?

In this episode, Emmeline sits down with the prolific playwright Serena Norr to talk about the ways in which art gives us agency. Serena shares how her childhood and her experiences as a...

"You always have to work hard, but you also have to feed your soul."

How do we balance mastery and play? External and internal validation? Focus on self and audience?

In this episode, Emmeline sits down with the legendary French jazz guitarist Stephane Wrembel to tackle these questions and more. Stephane talks about his time studying with the French gypsies, his experiences at the Berklee School of Musi...

Music and mental health are deeply intertwined.

In this episode, Eric Rosener and Chelsea Corbin of Dallas-based punk band Overshare sit down with Emmeline to talk about how mental health and music inform each other--both in composition and in band dynamics. They discuss how they met, how Chelsea's percussion complements Eric's lyrics and melody, and how the vulnerable nature of their music helps them connect mo...

"There's at least one moment in each episode where I think, 'What on earth am I doing?'"

As artists, we all have a vision of doing something unique, something eye-catching--something that's never been done before. Our crazy ideas and esoteric visions often persist through a gut feeling that somehow, some way, the insane thing that we're planning or imagining just might work.

In...

The thing that made you weird as a kid might also be the thing that ultimately makes you successful.

That's what Grey DeLisle wants you to know. A ubiquitous voiceover actress, a respected comedienne, and an accomplished singer-songwriter, Grey is seemingly everywhere. She voices beloved characters like Daphne in Scooby Doo and Martin Prince on The Simpsons and has lent her skills to a plethora of animated series like...

"I still have lots of goals." - Andrew Sherman

Failure or redirection? Inside joke or opportunity? How can you reframe your creative experiences to ensure personal success?

The life of a creative professional is full of bumps in the road, but in this episode, Emmeline sits down with photographer, videographer, and podcast host Andrew Sherman to talk about the value of persistence, redirection, and conf...

"If you're not having a good time, what's the point?"

SEO, social media presence, streaming numbers: these are all things in which musicians can become ensnared and with which musicians can become disenchanted if we let ourselves. In this episode, Emmeline sits down with Christían Thrailkill and Christian Nguyen of Dallas-based, optimistic rock band Low Key Colors to talk about how the band keeps joy a...

"Say yes before you're ready--then figure it out." - Joe Phillips

How do you get ahead in the entertainment industry? How can you build a lasting, meaningful career as a creative? As a musician, how can you find a sound that's unique to YOU?

In this episode, Emmeline sits down with touring artist, producer, pianist, and teacher Joe Phillips to answer these questions and more. Joe shares how he...

"We are all borne from love." - Janna Wilson

We all know that creativity can be an essential processing tool in the toolbox for trauma survivors. But creation comes in all shapes and sizes!

In this episode, founder of The Love Mic and multi-passionate creative Janna Wilson talks about how she has used her need for an outlet and accountability to build the community of artists that have now formed and su...

"It's not about you all the time; it's about reading an audience."

Your art isn't just something you do for fun; it's your legacy. The things we create are the things we give back to society. If we're musicians, our music has the power to inspire others. If we're entertainers, our work has the power to uplift, unite, and energize an audience. If the thing we create is community, we ...

Journey of an Artist kicks off our brand new season with our first ever LIVE recording and audience!

Do you ever feel like your education didn't quite prepare you for the creative life you want to lead? Maybe you feel like you're being called in a different direction than you initially planned. If so, musicians Marc Solomon and Amy Curnow have some epic advice about charting your own path with your formal educati...

"We always want to leave people feeling hopeful."

How do you stay passionate and persistent in the face of hardship? How do you keep from feeling discouraged when the universe seems to be throwing obstacle after obstacle in your path? How do you hold onto positivity when negativity seems to be everywhere?

Australian natives Sheppard might have the answer.

Amy, Emma, and George Sheppard were thru...