Emily DeGirolamo is a fifteen year old singer of exceptional vocal ability who is also emerging as a budding songwriter capable of accompanying herself at the piano. The song she sings on this video is an original --
What happened To Us? Entering her Sophomore year at Newtown High she’s an honors student and studies two foreign languages, French and Italian. Somehow she’s found the time and energy over the years for extracurricular activities: five years of piano lessons, violin in intermediate and middle school, and to this day. years of formal dance training in ballet, tap and other genres. Add to this her volunteer work and you have to wonder how she does it all.
Music TogetherThe source of Emily’s musicality is rooted in her early childhood experience of
Music Together, a method that is readily available in Connecticut.
Music Together teaches parents music along with their little ones in weekly, small group workshops. Most of the children range in age from a few months to two years, participating in delightful singing games and activities that cultivate the ear, sense of rhythm, and socialization through interactive play.
PerformingEmily’s parents first brought her to us when she was nine simply because they saw how much she instinctively loved to sing all of the time. Christina helped her to get to know the full capability of her voice. Two years of singing lessons as a child (ages 9 to 11) were followed by two years off. Then upon the resumption of vocal training when she was 13 Emily was ready for a more advanced level of training. The last two years of Emily’s training is well represented on
Our Blog singing both popular and classical music. Mozart’s
Alleluia (Summer Concert, July 31 2011) is a demanding solo that requires an agile, coloratura voice. It takes studied technique to execute with the skill that Emily demonstrates. It’s in the classics that her interest in languages pays dividends. She’s currently working on her first operatic aria and her first art song by the composer Fauré, both in French.
Songwriting
When asked about her songwriting and what it is that drew her into it she traces it back to her placing second on the Statewide level in an essay writing competition sponsored by
Reflections PTA. Students were given the topic “I am happy when...”. Her response was “I am happy when I write” which she elaborated upon, gaining the attention of the literary judges. Songwriting started two years ago when she was thirteen. Original lyrics and music emerge simultaneously, sometimes quickly but more often by patient unfolding and reworking. That she trained herself to put her pianistic skill together with her singing is uncommon for her age, an ability that Christina recognizes, appreciates and encourages.
Emily consciously strives to connect her emotional life to her creativity. In Emily’s own words "I have five completed songs and two that are in process. This past year has been really good. It's been an emotionally hard year with a bunch of stuff that gives me more to write about. I wrote ‘What Happened to us?’ when I was really upset. As I go on, learn more, and get hurt more, I get better lyrics out of it, and more feelings that people can relate to - because a lot of people experience the same type of things.” When asked what she finds the most challenging at this time she said “It’s getting a song into notation with a level of accuracy that captures what I imagine.”
Volunteer Work
You would think that music, dance, songwriting and school tells the whole story but Emily makes time to volunteer at
St. Joseph Manor Care and Rehabilitation Center in Trumbull, putting in some 90 hours this past year. There she sings for people, puts on concerts with her younger brother’s assistance, and helps elderly folks with crafts. Emily said “I was hesitant to do it in the beginning and now I’m sad to leave as the summer ends.” She knows from experience how much joy her youthful presence and willingness to share her musical ability brings to people.
Plans
Right now Emily plans to pursue the path that she is on, take lots of advance placement courses in her last two years of high school, and hopefully double major in business and music in colleges. The
Christina Rovics Vocal Studio will continue to include Emily in its concerts and put up videos and recordings of Emily’s work as she develops. Typically self reliant, she established her own channel on YouTube gradually attracting people who
like what she is doing. Emily’s talent is real and her attitude is well grounded. She will find her way and her musical ability will always be one of her greatest assets.
To follow Emily’s whereabouts on the Web one can check out her own YouTube channel:
Degir29. Currently quite a list comes up if you go to
Singing Lessons & Voice Training Blog at ChristinaRovics.com and type in her name in the search box. Her performance on video of her original song
What Happened To Us took place at Summer Concert 2011 and was taken by Ray Flanigan of
BethelPhotoWorks.comHoward and Christina Rovics
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