By Chantelle Constable
While studying opera, Emer Barry had a chance to work with coach Mark Shanahan in London. Once, during a masterclass, he said, “Angela Gheorghiu is not a soprano, there are thousands of sopranos in the world. Angela Gheorghiu is Angela Gheorghiu.” The advice resonated with Emer, and she says, “I was obsessing about my voice and trying to make it sound ‘more operatic’, ‘bigger’, ‘warmer’, ’rounder’ – all the words I kept hearing were good things for a voice to be. But in the process, I was essentially sounding less ‘me’. The best gift any artist has is their unique personality, past, and physicality – being true to all of that and allowing them to be part of your music is the real challenge – and the real art.”
Emer’s father compared her voice to Sissel, and told her, “Never force it, just let it be what it is.” Sarah Brightman and Sissel were some of Emer’s earliest influences – although she grew up with a strictly classical training singing in Mass – and she would love to work with the Norwegian soprano, both in her own capacity as a fan and as a remembrance of her dad, who passed away in 2002 from cancer.
Of that time, Emer says, “It was such a difficult time for me both personally and professionally as my Dad represented my confidence in myself. I think it’s one of the reasons I went through a period of ‘over singing’. I was trying so hard to feel accepted and admired in the music world and I thought having a bigger, more operatic voice would do that. I thought it would bring me the encouragement and praise I was longing for after my Dad died. It was a long time before I realized that being myself – the me with the small voice, the me who was sensitive and the me with the amazing Dad – was actually the most valuable thing I possessed.”
While the fairy tale princesses she grew up with were all blonde and the witches all distressingly brunette, Emer found a role model in Audrey Hepburn. “I think I identified with her because she represented a different kind of beauty. Audrey Hepburn was like me – tall, skinny, flat-chested, softly spoken, gentle – all the things I didn’t like about myself and she made them seem great! I think that’s one of the reasons role models are so important.”
Emer is a fan of film in general, and she loves to curl up with a glass of wine, a bowl of popcorn, and a good movie. She admits to being “a big kid,” favoring superhero films and comedy. For fun, she says she would probably go see a live comedian rather than a music act, because “I can’t switch off fully if there is music involved!”
Her love of comedy was sparked by playing the role of Serpina in “La Serva Padrona” and watching Anna Moffo perform the role in YouTube videos. “She was dazzlingly funny!”
But for all her love of a cozy night in, it’s safe to say that Emer is no couch potato – in addition to performing with Celtic crossover trio Affiniti, the traveling show “Songs of Ireland,” and her own solo work – Emer also juggles all the management aspects of her career by herself. “The issue of balance tends to rear its head more between performance and administration but I think any independent artist will say the same! I often say it’s like I work a full-time job and 4 part-time jobs! My full-time job is as a performer/recording artist but I’m also my own graphic designer, promoter, social media manager and project manager. I love that I have complete creative control but it can be tough leaving enough time to actually use that creative freedom!” Though she works with a producer and film crew for her acclaimed music video projects, Emer even does her own styling for the videos which she says is, “both challenging and rewarding!”
Affiniti formed when Emer met Mary McCague and Aisling Ennis just after completing her Masters in Opera. “We’re all from classical backgrounds but we really enjoyed playing around with different styles and creating a new sound. You can’t do that in Classical Music – you play it the way it’s written! But there is more flexibility in Crossover music. Whether that’s a good thing or not is often the subject of debate depending on who you’re talking to!”
From the business side of things, Emer has this advice to offer other artists seeking team members for their career: “I book the best people, regardless of price. I want to surround myself with as much talent as I can in the hope that some of it rubs off. So, I guess I’d say, don’t be afraid to invest in yourself, money shouldn’t stand in the way of producing art you can be proud of. Reach out to people you admire but don’t be offended if they don’t reply or don’t want to work with you – nobody owes you anything in this industry and being offended is just energy you can redirect somewhere else! I have often reached out to be people and gotten nowhere, only to have them contact me at a later date because they have liked my latest work. Just keep creating and working and improving and be grateful for every achievement however small. Big fan of gratitude here!”
Like many singers, Emer is no stranger to stage fright – experiencing up to a week of nerves before a big performance. However, she says, “I find if I do some yoga, practice meditation, and warm my voice up gently every day I do ok.”
Emer has a relaxed approach to the high glamour of the classical crossover genre. Though known on Instagram for her “corridor struts” wearing beautiful ball gowns, she says, “You know, I think perfection can be so tempting and in this new world of filters and face apps, it’s very achievable! But it’s not real. I think if you ever find yourself avoiding looking in the bathroom mirror because it doesn’t come with a filter, it’s time to take a step back! Every so often I make myself post a non-filtered, no make selfie, just to maintain balance in my newsfeed…and my life!” In her video for “Never Enough” and in a section of another video, “The Voice” Emer appears with a natural, not-made-up face. “Being an artist is all about allowing yourself to be vulnerable and never sacrificing the emotion in search of perfection so I wanted that video (and my social media sites) to reflect that. Besides, real, imperfect people are super interesting!” She also says, “My Dad had a saying ‘The mind develops as the body decays’. I feel the same about music. It only gets better the more you work at it so if people focus too much on their appearance instead of their music, they’re investing in the wrong thing!” Later on, however, she added jokingly, “My Music Video creator wanted me to wear no make-up for a section of the Wuthering Heights video also and put grease and dirt on my face to echo Cathy’s desperation…it was just a step too far for me!”
Emer’s motto is, “Let the emotion in the song be louder than the sound of your voice.” She hopes her fans feel uplifted after seeing her in concert or listening to her albums, but between the two, she says, “I actually think live performances are slightly different to albums. For a live performance I like to chat with the audience and create a relaxed atmosphere and if I can make them laugh, that’s a bonus! For albums, I always think of people popping the CD into the car and listening while driving so I like to keep the music both evocative and relaxing.”
There are no signs of Emer slowing down as she continues to perform and record. “I will be releasing a new single early next year with a very lovely crossover singer from the UK whose name I can’t reveal yet but the track is already recorded! And I’m currently working on a new album which is all about celebrating my rebirth as a singer and as a person. It’ll be much more commercial than my previous album which was an ode to my classical background but I’m really taking my time with this one and I’m really excited by the shape it’s taking! I’m also writing some music for the album which is something new, there are lots of exciting things happening!”
