Check Out Emily Olson’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Olson.

Hi Emily, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story starts in Colorado Springs, CO. That is where I grew up and spent most of my childhood. During childhood, I loved to sing. Many happy childhood memories for me are associated with music, whether that was singing as a young child, listening to music in the car with my family on roadtrips, or when I really started to explore all the music on iTunes, purchasing songs to add to my iPod Nano before the days of music streaming. I frequently would sing in my room or in the shower, always loving the creativity involved in songwriting and admiring the songs of many of musicians that would eventually become my key musical influences. As I got older in my teenage years, I started to find my true singing voice and flourish as a performer in my high school’s choir program. Some of my favorite memories from that time are performing at my senior breakfast and graduation, in addition to performing in my high school’s acapella choir and participating in national singing competitions as a group.

When I graduated high school, I knew my family was moving to Georgia because my dad had a new job opportunity. At the time, I decided to follow them and attend the University of Georgia for college. It was at UGA that my music career really started. Music has always been my greatest passion, and while I was in Athens I had the opportunity to perform as the lead singer of a blues alternative rock band called RuHaa!. It was a great experience to get to play at music venues all over town, in addition to playing gigs at student organization and Greek life events. We were able to professionally record and release a few different original songs on streaming platforms, and it felt really great to create something that was unique and personally significant as a group. A year prior to graduation, our band parted ways amicably and I decided to pursue music on a solo route moving forward.

While at the University of Georgia, I studied Marketing and earned a Music Business certificate. Career-wise, I originally planned to do marketing in the music industry post-graduation, but when I actually graduated, I ended up decided to go a more traditional marketing route. In my professional life, I have primarily worked in multiple search engine optimization (SEO) roles at marketing agencies since graduating.

After graduation, my love of music took several different forms, whether it was songwriting and recording new music or singing at several karaoke joints around town on a weekly basis. Today, I have released solo music as well, and continue to focus on music mostly as a passion and hobby. I aim to release more solo music, eventually recording enough to share a full album. Something I plan to do more of in the future is perform at open mic nights and build up my Instagram page dedicated to my music. I want to give more time to becoming fully developed as a music artist, finding my niche and defining my sound.

One key thing that I wanted to speak more about is how special the karaoke community around Atlanta is to me. It was an activity that I didn’t even know I was missing before I started. Once I began frequenting several karaoke spots regularly in 2022, I eventually ended up joining a welcoming and supportive community of musicians, artists, actors, and young professionals like myself. Over time, my friendships formed through karaoke and music have allowed me to grow as a person and a singer, whether through inspiration, collaboration, or mutual support.

Today, I am someone who greatly values meaningful interpersonal connections, whether that is relationships with my friends, family, coworkers, or others. I also value making a positive impact on those around me whether that is through my work in the digital marketing industry or through my music. Overall, I just want to utilize my singing and professional skills to make meaningful contributions to the world, leaving my mark and always uplifting others.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road the entire time. I would say nothing in life ever is, but that is the beauty of it. The experiences we go through make us who we are today. One of my larger struggles was balancing work and life throughout both school and my career post-graduation. I would say during that type of struggle, it is very important to prioritize what needs the most attention, but ultimately you should determine what is most meaningful to you and dedicate all the time you can spare to that. At the end of the day, a job is a job, but if you’re not also pursuing your passions in some way, it can be challenging to achieve your overall goals and happiness in life. In my opinion, time is one of the only resources we can never get back, and we should always value it.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The type of artist/creative that I am is a singer. I enjoy songwriting and performance. My favorite genres and the sound that I would like to develop would be a mix of alternative pop, alternative rock, and r&b. I am most known for my bluesy and soulful voice, paired with meaningful melodies and music.

I am most proud of the song I released in the summer of last year. It was a long process, but once it was finally recorded and complete, I released my first solo song on multiple streaming platforms. It was a project I poured my heart and soul into, resulting in a personal and significant piece of art that felt deeply sincere and profound. I always strive to connect with others through my music, in the hopes that listeners can relate and maybe feel a little bit less alone in this world. I have always found that music a great form of self-expression, and is also a way to make a positive impact on others.

What sets me apart from others is my empathy. In my opinion, strong empathy makes for music with more depth, grit, emotion, and meaning. It allows me to create songs that are truly what songwriting and music are all about. Additionally, I have a very unique voice that expresses the full range of human emotions, while grabbing the attention of listeners.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned along my journey is to stay resilient and never give up on your goals and dreams. I’m a big believer that though challenges will always exist, things are meant to happen for a reason. By learning and growing as a result, we can become better human beings overall, more equipped to handle life. While it is important to understand the darker side of ourselves and the world, it is in the light that we can truly find happiness. To be in the light, we must let go of the things that no longer serve us, focus on the positives, accept discomfort for the sake of growth, and keep rolling with the punches through resilience. Our hopes and dreams may shift over time and evolve, but it is always with positivity that we can keep moving towards what we want in life and seek out the individual ways we find meaning as humans.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrolson/ and https://www.instagram.com/emilyolsonmusic/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-olson-7b6371143/