Emily grew up in a suburb of Portland, Oregon listening to Diana Krall, Lauren Hill, and Tori Amos, and sneaking her family's outdoor cats into her room when she was in a rebellious mood.

 

She was cast in professional musicals and theater productions in her early teens, and sang at local coffee shops, talent shows, and sporting events by the time she graduated high school.

 

As a valedictorian, she weighed pursuing a career in biology or international relations, two of her favorite subjects, and instead decided to accept an offer to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, the oldest acting school in the United States. She loved how stories focused on just a few people can help us connect more deeply with each other by providing windows into other worlds. Statistics inform, but stories can pull you in close enough to move you.

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She thrived at AADA, learning new skills and concepts such as how posture affects health and wellbeing (Alexander Technique), how authenticity and intuition relate to performance (neutral mask), and greatly enjoyed the collaborative nature of theater. She wrote a one-woman show about the horror (horror!) of a childhood classmate copying her clothes and artwork, and was cast as The Baker's Wife in the musical Into the Woods. At graduation, she won the Lawrence Langner Voice and Speech Award for her skills with dialects.

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Once out of school, she was cast in a variety of independent films and a sketch comedy series à la In Living Color called Static Ya Bastard.

 

She also began singing around Los Angeles. She performed at French 75, Miceli's, headlined a show at Vitello's, and was invited to record standards with George Klabin of Resonance Records. She was then asked to join Grammy winner Norman Brown on stage at the Hollywood Bowl for the Playboy Jazz Festival where she sang back-up vocals for him and Grammy nominated Phil Perry. She joined Norman again at the Long Beach Jazz Festival where she also sang back-up vocals for Grammy nominated Brenda Russell. 

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Emily has also written about 30 songs. The hook in her song "In the Night" caught the attention of songwriter/producers Richard Rudolph and Shane August. In Larry Klein's Santa Monica studio, they worked with Emily to develop a new pop version which she recorded.

 

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Around this time, curiosity led her to a job in behavior analysis. She became intrigued that a science-based technique had the potential to help individuals, families, and societies achieve meaningful and measurable changes. Focusing on autism, Emily earned a Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis and then became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

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She spent 10 years working with children ages 3-14 in homes, schools and clinics targeting a range of goals such as eliminating violent behavior, making friends, and learning to speak. While working as a program director at a Los Angeles based agency, she developed a play skills curriculum with the goal of creating engaging and collaborative activities for children with autism. Parents watched their children during these play group sessions through a two-way mirror, and learned techniques to encourage prosocial behavior during playdates at home.

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After attending a Stanford University sponsored conference called "The Science of Compassion: Origins, Measures, and Interventions," Emily began researching how science has investigated empathy. She presented her work at Applied Behavior Analysis International in Merida, Mexico in a symposium chaired by Dr. Ira Heilveil of University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine. 

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Emily recently circled back to acting and music. She joined an improv class, recorded a couple original songs at Montmartre Recording in Paris, and has begun exploring photography as well.

 

She looks forward to new creative adventures ahead (especially with her husband and their new son, Luc!). And she no longer sneaks cats inside because that's where her Finneas and Ollie live and shed all day long.

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