On Friday, Mar. 19, country singer and Furman alumni Emily Scott Robinson and her Gibson guitar signed onto Zoom for a night of music and storytelling. Even though her audience was spread out across the country, she was able to immediately create the atmosphere of an intimate house concert through an entirely online format. This concert was the first in C2’s “Wellness Through Music” program, a series of free online concerts that are meant to bring a sense of peace and happiness to the listeners. Robinson’s music did just that.

In between songs, Robinson talked about the singers that influenced her and her journey towards becoming a songwriter. After graduating from Furman, she started out as a social worker and loved her job. However, she struggled with burn-out and sought another path.  

Robinson had been playing guitar and singing since she was fourteen, yet she had never written her own songs and found the entire process intimidating. She said, “I didn’t have anyone to show me the process, no one to say that good songs don’t always come easy.” All of that changed one morning when she picked up a newspaper with the headline “sheriff dead on slaughterhouse road.” To her, that line just had to be in a country song. On March 19, Robinson played a song titled Slaughterhouse Road as part of her concert set. It was striking, engaging and provided an excellent introduction to Robinson as a songwriter and storyteller.  

In a way, Robinson feels as though she has not left her original calling behind. She said, “Songwriting is a service industry job…because our job as songwriters is to hold up a mirror to the human experience, to witness people’s pain, joys and stories.” Since writing Slaughterhouse Road, Robinson has travelled across the country connecting with people and telling their stories through her music. She said, “if you want to be a songwriter, all you need to do is talk to people. They’ll write your songs for you.” Walking the line between folk and country music, Robinson’s storytelling is masterful; and her music is both engaging and relatable.

Robinson’s Zoom concert included its fair share of sad country songs: songs about broken marriage, disenchantment with life and even a murder mystery, yet her cheerful smile and engaging personality brought joy to the evening. One of the later songs in the concert was her new single, The Time for Flowers, a song written about her struggles over the past year and how she has moved through those challenges with hope and optimism. This honest yet beautiful song perfectly captured the mood of the evening — resilience.

Throughout the concert, Robinson was able to connect with her online audience and relate to the pain that they have all felt over the past year, while sharing beautiful and positive stories of family and community. She was the perfect choice for a wellness concert. She said, “I believe it’s a songwriter’s joy to reflect what’s going on the world and the changing of the times.” Robinson’s music does just that in a creative way that any listener will enjoy.

Check out more of Emily’s work here!