Emma Jayne has grown up with a unique love of the arts. Born and raised in Chicago, she was exposed to an incredible art and music scene from a young age, one that she says “has the potential to foster independence in its inhabitants.” And independent is definitely one word to describe this ambitious sophomore.
As a soon-to-be journalism major in the college of communications pursuing a minor in arts leadership in CFA, Emma is considerably well-rounded. On campus, you can find her munching in the GSU in between her studies of philosophy, women’s studies, pop culture and music theory. Her love of writing and music is cultivated both in the classroom and through her extracurricular activities. She DJs and runs audio productions for WTBU (our college’s radio station), is a sister of Omega Phi Alpha (our college’s only community service sorority) and works for the Student Activities Office as an events consultant.
“Even though Chicago fostered a lot of independence in me, BU fostered even more than I could even imagine,” she says.
Emma is most proud of singing alto/tenor in the BU Treblemakers, a group that she describes as “the coolest” on campus. She watched the Trebs’ videos since her junior year of high school, and she knew even before receiving her acceptance letter from BU that she wished to be in a collegiate level acapella group. Back in high school, she set herself on this track by becoming the president of the Glee Club, while teaching and arranging music for the school’s acapella group. She became passionate about the community and knew that she wanted to continue to be a part of that world in the next step of her life.
“Trebs are some of the best people I’ve met in my life: they are genuine, hilarious, talented, empathetic and so caring. It’s the best community I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of…I’m inspired at every single rehearsal,” she stated with a huge smile.
Emma’s passion for music does not stop with her involvement with the Treblemakers. She tells us that she first started writing her own music at the young age of fourteen. At first, her music writing could be seen as simplistic and a bit corny. As she has matured and exposed herself to various types of music, she honed her skills. She became a singer-songwriter, most interested in pop music.
“My music has ‘grown up’ with me, featuring a lot more influences and becoming more multifaceted.”
When she is not catching live music in the bustling city of Boston or getting inspired by her favorite artists such as Jason Mraz and Eric Hutchinson, she is exploring the MFA, discovering new coffee shops, catching a show or just hanging out with friends. As she puts it, “I’m obviously a big fan of living in a city.”
Some advice Emma would give to an incoming freshman is to “not get hung up on what everyone else is doing—chances are, the people posting pictures going out every night on Facebook and Instagram aren’t having as good of a time as you think they are.”
Emma could not be more right. So take advantage of having only one responsibility: being a student. Get out there, and if you explore your interests at BU half as well as Emma has, you will be satisfied.
If you want to keep up with Emma Jayne, the singer-songwriter, check out her Youtube videos or her website. You can also find her music on iTunes and Spotify under Emma Jayne.