A lot of amazing things have happened to Emma Pask throughout her life.
First spotted by James Morrison when she was in high school, the renowned jazz musician took Emma under his wing, touring and working with her for 20 years.
“I was just a 16-year-old girl loving to sing jazz and working with my school band, and my music teacher had the incredible foresight to book James Morrison to come to our school to do a workshop with us.
“James heard me that afternoon in the workshop and then that night, unbeknownst to me, in the middle of his concert he pulled me up on stage and got me to sing in front of hundreds of people, which is something I'd never done before.
"So I freaked out and thought that was my 15 minutes of fame... and then it lasted 20 years. The next week there was a management call and we spent 20 years on the road, and now we're just mates and after 20 years we still work together.”
The award-winning vocalist went on to earn a Mo Award, perform for prime ministers as well as royalty.
“I remember singing the national anthem for Princess Diana and that was pretty cool. She was an incredible women to meet and just to have a glimpse into the craziness that was going on behind her with the photographs. It was pretty full-on.”
Emma appeared on ‘The Voice 2013’ and was publicly offered a spot on Ricky Martin's upcoming record. Emma's career has also seen her release six solo albums, her most recent been 2015's 'Cosita Divina'.
“I have a burning love for the style of music that I love to play. “It's a complete passion and I don't think you have a choice in the matter; if you love it and it's part of what you do, then there's nothing else you can really do.
"I've got a tour to China coming up this year which I am really looking forward to. I haven't spent much time in China and we're just doing a little, three-week tour with the orchestra.”
Emma is hoping to have a new record out by the end of the year, showcasing her backlog of creative ideas that continue to pile up. “The great challenge in being an independent artist is the financial side of things.
“When you want to make an album you've got to get yourself prepared and it's not a cheap task when you don't have a record company behind you, so it's all about timing. I've got plenty of repertoire that I'm ready to do, but it's just a matter of timing and finances and all those things. But I'm very much wanting to do one before the end of the year.”
Emma will be performing with her band as a part of the Nambour Winter Jazz Festival (Sunshine Coast) in July as she spends the time soaking up the warmth of Queensland and visiting the place she was married.
“I can't wait. I love Queensland and I love getting up to those warmer states. I'm bringing my band with me, my dynamic trio: piano, bass and drums. You can expect some swinging standards with a kind of new, modern, fresh approach arrangements to those old tunes and a couple of originals thrown into it.
“Music is one of those wonderful careers where you never know what kind of curveball you're gonna get thrown next or which direction you'll be put into, and no two gigs are ever the same.”
