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Gryner, Emm

Websites:  https://www.emmgryner.com/
Origin: Forest, Lambton County, Ontario
Biography:

I grew up in the Canadian countryside, raised on radio and learning piano. I wrote songs during my teen years and yearned to sing them, but my voice was untrained and weak. Fuelled by my love for songwriting, I did everything to become a better singer including studying voice with Mitch Seekins. With Mitch’s help, I found power, range and a healthy voice.

At age 21, I scored a worldwide record deal and had a hit in Canada called “Summerlong”. However, my major label days were numbered. A million-dollar merger swallowed up my record company and left me with nowhere to go. In response, I started my own record label, when it was considered uncool to do so and I recorded “Science Fair”, an intimate album which cost about $500 to create. In contrast, my major label album cost $250,000. “Science Fair” went on to outsell anything I’d ever done. During this time, Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip wrote me a letter to tell me how much he liked my album. Thanks to shows of support such as his and the support of my fans, I began to believe that I could forge a career as an independent artist.

During this time I took a job singing backup vocals and playing keyboards with David Bowie. The tour took me around the world to Wembley Stadium and Glastonbury Festival. I ended up singing on the albums “Bowie at The Beeb”, “Glastonbury 2000” and several other live recordings which have been released since Bowie’s death in 2016.

At 26, I got married and moved from Los Angeles to Canada to start a new life with my husband. Between 2010 and 2012, I became mom to two kids, all the while enjoying indie music success. In 2013, I helped make the first music video in outer space when I collaborated with astronaut Chris Hadfield on his cover of “Space Oddity” — partially recorded on the International Space Station. (I arranged the piano and performed his version which has received over 200 million views on YouTube).

Life ground to a halt a few years later when my marriage ended in a very painful divorce. I also found myself suffering from immense grief due to the deaths of two friends. All of a sudden, I found myself a single mom to my children, a daughter and son, aged 4 and 6. I struggled for a good few years, living in a victim mentality until the release of “Glastonbury 2000”.

How did a concert from “way back when” change my life?

Watching the landmark Bowie concert, I saw myself as a young woman, using my voice and living out my dream on one of the greatest stages of the world. I almost did not recognize myself. I realized I had spent several decades pretending like I had my act together - but in reality, I was utterly lost. I had spent decades searching for happiness outside of myself. I had practised no gratitude for the voice I had worked so hard to get. I wished to save my marriage and my family as I knew it, but it was too late. I was gutted. I spiralled into a place of self-destruction and anger.

Enter Emee Fink. Emee was a 17-year old girl in town who liked to bake cakes. Fortunately for me, she also wanted to learn how to sing. Even though teaching was not anything I ever wanted to do, teaching Emee opened up a whole world for me - one of giving and appreciating my own gifts. Teaching voice set me on a path that has led me to where I am - a certified coach, an author, a thriving singer, a public speaker and most importantly, a proud mom.

In February 2020, I had my last drink. Seeing that alcohol had been a barrier to my potential was significant for me. Giving up alcohol is a decision that was right for me. I could see that drinking had been one of many band-aid solutions I had tried in an effort to deal with and normalize buried trauma. It was hard to admit this problem in my life, but I am grateful that I found the strength to see more clearly.

I believe we all have the power to change, to rise up. To experience joy and love.

Whether it’s singing or guiding others on their own journeys of self-discovery, I thrive on the power of the female spirit and the human voice. I believe my voice has guided me all along this journey. Our voices - how strong or clear they are - are clues to where we are at in life.

When we honour our deepest passions, we become more connected with ourselves and with the world around us. It is my life’s work to help women see and feel their authenticity return. My vision in life is to inspire women towards passionate acceptance and celebration. Each of us has immense untapped power and when women bond together, we nurture a unique, unbreakable shared experience.

I hope that you find inspiration and transformation through my music, my coaching programs and in the stories I share in social media and in my new book “The Healing Power of Singing: Raise Your Voice, Change Your Life (What Touring with David Bowie, Single Parenting and Ditching The Music Business Taught Me in 25 Easy Steps)”.

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