Emii

While her friends picked out their prom dresses, Emii perfected her studio recordings. At every stolen moment, she wrote songs and took to the community theater stage like a second home. While in high school she couldn't resist the lure of the big city, shuttling back and forth from Youngstown to NYC for auditions and open mic gigs. The dual life came to a halt the day Emii turned 18. She bolted to New York City and never looked back.

Emii found sanctuary in a string of bands, including Daydream on Autopilot, which enjoyed strong regional success. She racked up valuable hours writing, recording and ?living the experience? of performing in venues and collaborating with fellow artists. ?There are very few people who can completely dedicate their lives to music,? Emii says. ?When you truly live for something, it is natural to be on the kind of path that I am on now.?

Despite Emii's seemingly single-minded focus on music, she's equally aware of a bigger picture. In the midst of her busy schedule, she finds time to volunteer, and perform for local students through several major organizations. Eventually, Emii would like to help create an organization with musicians and actors serving as positive role models for youth.

For now, though, she's got her eyes on the prize: the opportunity to share her music with the world. ?It's fun to sing and write,? Emii says, ?but if we just did it for ourselves, then we'd do it in a basement and no one would hear. I want to inspire as many people as I can.?