Emma G., a music teacher and songwriter living in Maryland, has turned a lifelong connection to music into a powerful tool for healing and hope.
She wrote her first song at age five, but her bond with music deepened through a childhood marked by medical challenges. Born with hydrocephalus—a condition that causes fluid buildup in the brain—Emma underwent 24 surgeries by early adulthood. With memory often affected, music became her diary, helping her hold onto moments and emotions that might otherwise have slipped away.
After losing a former boyfriend to suicide, Emma made a promise to use music to help others, especially young people, understand their worth and manage their mental health. Today, she fulfills that mission by working with students across the DMV, using songwriting, breathwork, and voice to ease anxiety and promote self-expression.
One of those students, Anita Doherty, came to Emma looking for a retirement hobby and ended up performing at the Kennedy Center and writing her first song—proof that it’s never too late to use music as a form of healing.
Through every lesson, Emma reminds her students that their voices matter—and that music can be more than art. It can be a lifeline.