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P09 Artists – Emily Schiavi

By Wal Reid

Wal Reid catches up with singer/songwriter, Emily Schiavi, who came all the way from New York especially for Parachute 09.

Almost missing her earlier, she approached me and in her noticeable American drawl asked, “Are you the guy I talked to last night?” For a person of small stature, Emily Schiavi hosts one powerhouse vocal range which, coupled with her ability on the keyboard, makes for a talent just waiting to be discovered.

In 2007 Schiavi recorded her debut album The Sky is Still the Same. The CD has hints of Sarah McLachlan and Vanessa Carlton and draws on Schiavi’s own personal experiences. “I really like to write songs about life and experience. Things people go through, places I’ve been, stuff like that so it makes it more relevant.”

She prefers singing to songwriting only because, as she puts it, “I can do that wherever and whenever I want.” She also confides that she is a fan of “ambient guitar sounds” similar to Brooke Fraser, listing Sarah McLachlan and U2 as “regular bands” she listens to.

Being that New York’s a pretty cut-throat place for vocal musicians I also discover her uncanny knack of meeting New Zealanders overseas. She unabashedly admits, “They’re really cool. That’s why I’m here!”

“I came to play at Parachute because I figured it would be a pretty big adventure,” she says. “One of the girls I knew told me about Parachute Festival, showed me the website and said I should apply. I sent in my CD and I heard back a couple of months later that they had invited me to come.”

As a relative unknown name here in Aotearoa, I ask her about her musical background and where she feels comfortable playing her music.

“Actually, the funny thing is I’ve never played a Christian Festival in America. I’ve started recently doing my songs in bars and coffee houses in Manhattan, Queens and around the city area. There’s a whole little sub-culture of music and artist communities it’s really cool. Everyone is trying to make it. It’s a really accepting environment, with open mic nights etc. It’s a great way to make connections and also another place to bring light into the darkness.”

As a singer/songwriter Emily is also a dedicated Worship leader, but prefers to join other bands or conferences.

“The reason I don’t have a church is because I lived in Jerusalem for five years,” she says. “Actually, it’s where I met all the Kiwi’s that I know. We all worked in different organisations with the local people there.”

Her life changing experience in Israel led to playing in bands and an opportunity to worship lead for a large international youth conference that was responsible for bringing local Arab and Jewish youth together, a highlight for the talented New Yorker. As for future aspirations, Emily is unsure, preferring to sit back and enjoy the ride.

“I just kind of stumbled into this kind of stuff,” she says. “I made a CD and I’ve always been a songwriter, but I never pursued it… I enjoy doing my music, but what I want to do is what I’m doing now, be who I am, being a Christian and doing that wherever I go. That could be secular or that could be Christian. I would love to work with a band sometime with my songs, we’ll just wait and see.”