"Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable." — Cesar A. Cruz

Happy Thursday, friends!

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the role of art in surviving adversity — how creativity isn’t just an escape, but a lifeline.

I’ve spent the last few days listening to comedians talk about how comedy helps us confront and even laugh through society’s biggest struggles. But for me? Music has always been that tool.

Not to make light of pain, but to make sense of it.

Because when you’re knee-deep [or waist-deep or neck-deep for real] in trauma, grief, or just the daily overwhelm of life, words can feel impossible to find. But music? Music simplifies what feels complicated. It helps us to clarify what seems impossible to untangle. It gives us a roadmap forward — turning our emotions into something we can hold space for, communicate effectively about, and ultimately heal through.

This is exactly why I wrote Grieve, my upcoming single dropping March 15th.

Because grief isn’t just about loss. It’s about transformation. It’s about finding your way back to yourself — through the heartbreak, the anger, the questions, and eventually… the light.

Whether we’re grieving a person, a dream, or a version of ourselves we had to leave behind — naming the pain is the first step to healing it. My husband often says "you can't defeat an enemy you don't see" [can you tell he's a self defense instructor?] And that’s exactly what songwriting does.

Here's the intro for the upcoming music video.

Okay, so HOW does Songwriting Change Everything?

Every week, I have the privilege of helping my clients—some as young as 12, some in their 60s — turn their pain into power through songwriting. And here’s what it's reaffirmed for me:

• Music gives us the words we don’t know how to say.
• It validates the emotions we were taught to suppress.
• It helps us rewrite the story, shifting from victim to survivor to warrior.

One of my clients—a 60-something-year-old woman—recently told me, “I've always written short poems, but I've never really figured out how to find the right words - let alone the right melody.” But now we're up to song number 3, and I'm not gonna lie: she's killing it. I've had one of her songs stuck in my head for weeks.

I also worked with a 11-year-old girl recently, who wrote lyrics that made me stop in my tracks. Her unapologetic honesty [not yet completely tainted by the societal pressures we often put on young girls] is turning her struggles into an anthem for every other kid who feels unheard, unseen, or stuck in their own silence. Her lyrics went something like this:

You can treat yourself right / If you just listen to?your heart

If you can stand by? yourself / You’ll never get torn apart

You'll be alright / If you got you

Your inside scars / Are seen by no one else but you

Your scars will heal once you love you

And others will realize their scars are healed too

...

That’s why I do this work.

Want to learn more about vocal or songwriting coaching? Let's hop on a call!

Your Voice Deserves to Be Heard

If you’ve been holding something in—whether it’s grief, frustration, or a story that’s been sitting on your heart for too long—maybe it’s time to write it out. Sing it out.

Your voice matters. Your experiences matter. And art gives us the space to process what words alone can’t.

Which brings me back to you:

• What’s a struggle you’ve faced that you could turn into a song?
• If you had to put your emotions into lyrics, what would the first line be?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Hit reply and tell me. And if you’re ready to explore songwriting as a healing tool, let’s talk. Because music isn’t just about surviving adversity—it’s about reclaiming your power through it.

What’s Coming Up

I'm not gonna lie; March is turning out to be a much busier month than I anticipated.

• March 1: Catch me at the Civic Circle Youth Democracy Festival where I'll be supporting a group of young people I've been working with as they present a song about what changes they would make happen if they had a magic wand. And these aren't small changes: they would do everything from eradicating online bullying to making some huge changes to how we treat those of a different color.
• March 7: I'm back at Hard Rock Cafe, Washington DC baby! And - of course - it's just in time for International Women's Day. ;)
• March 8: Chicken + Whiskey. And yes; their food is delicious.
• March 14 and 15: I'm super excited to be launching a new series of shows at CUT by Wolfgang Puck @ Rosewood Hotel [a super boutique space in Georgetown]. Even better: I might even perform a few songs on the piano whilst I'm there.
• March 15: My new single Grieve drops. If you’ve ever needed a song to sit with your emotions instead of running from them, this one’s for you. Pre-save it now.
• March 19: Keynote presentation in Reston, VA titled: "Amplify Your Voice: Leadership, Resilience & Connection in a Changing World" - I'm super excited ;)
• March 21: Keynote presentation titled "Leadership, Resilience & Using Your Voice for Impact" for a youth convention in Durham, North Carolina.
• March 29: My final showcase [thus far] for the month at CUT by Wolfgang Puck at Rosewood Hotel.

Of course, if you have an event that fits between that schedule, and want to find out more about hiring me, you know what to do!

Schedule a call here

You don’t have to carry the weight of the world alone. And whatever adversity you're struggling with; you definitely don’t have to stay silent.

Let’s turn your story into something powerful.

Rock on, stay inspired, and have an amazing day on purpose.

~ Emma G

PS. Of course, because it's Thursday, I just dropped a new track over on Patreon from my vault. This one was professionally recorded back in 2018/2019, but I never got around to releasing it. Check it out here, and tell me what you think!