When Emmy Flo joined the ukulele club in sixth grade, it started her passion for music. By learning the ukulele, she gained the basic strumming chords and rhythms needed to play either the ukulele and the guitar. Not only did she play her ukulele, but she also began singing. She would become club president all the way through 8th grade, bringing new ideas with her.
Her family has supported her throughout her musical journey, as she explains, “Growing up, I’ve definitely had a super supportive family that always inspired me to follow my passions, and I felt comfortable enough to pursue creativity.”
She grew up with music-loving parents who listened to various artists and genres, therefore, she was surrounded by music from a young age.
“My parents are super into music, so I’ve just been surrounded by a ton of different genres and artists throughout my whole life. So I think that gave me a really broad spectrum of artists to choose from when I was picking songs to play and what I was kind of trying to pull vibes from,” Flo said.
She has been inspired by many artists throughout a variety of decades, from the 1960s with the Beatles, Rolling Stones, to the late 1960s and 1970s’ era of Fleetwood Mac, all the way to current artists like Kacey Musgraves, Billie Eilish and FINNNEAS. Flo is always hearing new music as it comes out, “There’s a big spectrum, and I listen to all genres, so I’m constantly hearing new things and being inspired by different people,” she said.
Flo is primarily self-taught, including how to play her main instrument, the guitar, during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was less challenging as she has experience with the ukulele, making the transition to guitar easier. Using resources like Ultimate Guitar, a website and app that teaches you how to play any song using tablatures, makes learning less challenging. This has provided her foundation to become a rhythm guitarist, to accompany her singing voice.
When talking about what it means for her to perform live, she said how she always dreamed of being Hannah Montana when she was a little girl.
“Performing live means a lot to me. Music is just a huge part of my life, and it always has been ever since I was a little kid. My favorite movie was “Hannah Montana: The Movie” when I was four years old, and I wanted to be Hannah Montana. So I love performing. I love being able to get up there and be creative and share my voice. I wouldn’t trade it for the world”.
Flo has been playing the guitar for four years, but the moment that she decided to pursue music seriously was when she started playing gigs full-time in her sophomore year. Through this experience, she realized how fun it is and how you can do what you love and get paid for it. It has allowed her to connect with people through her performances.
She describes her music style as a blend of soul, country and indie.
“I would describe it as soul indie country, a fusion of those three genres. It’s definitely evolved because going from 6th grade and then going from freshman year of high school to now, I’ve gone through different phases and different styles of trying to find my style,” Flo explained.
As a student at San Diego State University pursuing a music entrepreneurship and business major, with a minor in electroacoustic music, she balances her schoolwork and passion for music by dedicating time to both avenues. Flo acknowledges that school comes first. There are times she practices on her guitar after or before classes in the music practice rooms, which provided her with a locker to safeguard her guitar. She has also taken singing classes at the professional level in her first and second (current) semesters, which have helped her career.
She primarily does covers, but she began writing her own songs in the summer of 2023. She wrote these songs completely on her own. But it’s not been easy, as she is still trying to find her groove with writing and, at the same time, to make the rhythm go along with the lyrics. But it is something she wants to keep working on.
Her list of places she has played at has continued to grow. When she is hired by businesses, she plays around 40 songs in the span of two to three hours. A lot of planning goes into her performances, as she has a song order that allows her to sustain her voice with breaks in between to drink water. Having the songs in order also allows her to play songs in a different key, so there are a variety of genres throughout her performance.
Flo recognized that determination and dedication helped her in booking gigs. For her first gig, when she got the contact information, she reached out and made a connection that helped her secure the performance in 2022 at 15 Degrees C Wine Shop & Bar in her hometown of Templeton, California.
“How did it feel? I remember that day, I was so nervous. I was sitting on the couch like an hour before, and I was so nervous, “Flo recalled what she felt during her first gig. “It’s like, ‘Oh my God.’ I was nervous at first, but I warmed up and first starting out, it was really hard for me to talk to the audience because I didn’t know what to say. It was almost easier for me to go up there and sing than to know what to say in between songs. But that’s a skill that I’ve definitely developed over the last three years.”
After her first gig, Flo got to sign the wall by the stage that all the musicians sign after they have played. That’s a memory she will always remember of her first gig. This moment was a sign to keep going, and it propelled her to where she is. She has been playing gigs for three years, which have mainly been throughout San Luis Obispo County at wineries, restaurants, breweries, her local record store and the California mid-state fair.
Speaking of, the California Mid-State fair is one of the biggest venues she has played at, also serving as a highlight of her music career. She played at the same event Luke Bryan, a country music singer and songwriter, played at.
When talking about where she sees herself in a number of years, she said that in some way, she wants to be involved in music.
“The end goal would be to work in the music industry in some capacity. I’m not quite sure what, but I would love to be involved on the business side. And then I want to keep performing again, not sure in what capacity, even if it’s just playing at wineries and restaurants and stuff that’s super fun, love doing that,” Flo explained.
However, a goal she wants to pursue during her time at SDSU is to be in a band. She would love to collaborate with other artists and eventually play events like house shows.
So far, Flo has only played in San Diego at the open mic night and at the nooners events at SDSU, which are both hosted by the Associated Students Aztec Student Union. The latter of which I got the opportunity to attend.
On April 9, it was a bright sunny day, the environment was warm, blending perfectly with the cool breeze of the air. Flo performed at the Aztec Student Union courtyard in front of her friends and students, the latter stopped to see her performance.
Flo sang with raw emotion, hitting every high and low note, not skipping a beat as she strummed her guitar. In the performance, she played covers of songs by Post Malone, Zach Bryan, Rihanna, Bob Dylan and Lord Huron. She ended the performance with a rendition of “Purple Rain” by Prince.
Flo wants music to write her future, as she has written songs for music. After witnessing her performance, there’s no doubt that her future is very bright.
