Meet Emily Booher | cellist, composer/arranger, and producer
We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Booher and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Emily, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I decided to pursue a career in music because I was so driven by it, and I never ever wanted to feel bored with my job, or my life. My background is classical music, and for most of high school, I really only wanted to work in the classical world, and to play in big symphonies when I was older. I guess I eventually started to feel like I was missing something, but I didn’t know what it was. The classical world began to feel too competitive and rigid, and it had started to affect my confidence as a cellist.
The day I walked into a recording studio for the first time, my eyes were opened to new possibilities, and I felt like I was home. My first day on the job as a 17 year old studio intern, I recorded my first cello recording ever and it felt like I had entered a whole new world. One that was creative, and open to new ideas, and one that I felt more comfortable in. Everyone on the session had an instrument that they played, or had something that they specialized in, that could propel an artist’s record forward into something bigger than everything and every person in the room. Everyone’s ideas were valuable, and everyone was wanting to make something new and fresh. I think I was also shocked that they liked what I played and liked the ideas I came up with. I knew in that moment that I wanted more and more of that feeling and of helping people achieve their dream record. From that moment on, I had found my calling and I was addicted to recording.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a recording cellist, composer/arranger, and producer. My favorite place to be is in the studio, and for the past 10 years, I’ve dedicated my life to recording cello, working on sessions, arranging strings for records, and to production (with some live shows in between!). I’m passionate about working with artists and helping them realize their dream record. One of the things I love most and feel most excited about is the opportunity to create strings for artists. I love being able to work on different projects of all different budgets whether it’s a big string arrangement or a cello recording that spans a big range. For me, the sky’s the limit with strings and what you can do with them. I love the sessions that test the limit of what’s “normal”.
I am where I am today professionally because I fell in love with recording studios and did everything in my power to be in as many as possible. I worked in studios on and off for about 5 years on top of going to classical music school. I was told by many of my mentors that being present in the studio as much as possible was key, so I became obsessed with doing so. Along with assisting on sessions, I was also growing my ever evolving career as a session cellist. Because it wasn’t everyday that the studio assistant happened to play the cello, I got to record on a lot of the sessions I had been helping out on. This really furthered my addiction to working on records.
If I had to pick something that was challenging, it would be that most days, I was the only girl in the studio, unless the artist was female. But I don’t think I ever realized how much adversity there could be to overcome when you’re the only girl working on the studio side of things- especially when I was building my knowledge of studios myself (asking questions, spending hours on sessions). I think in some instances, I felt like I had to work twice as hard to prove myself, or that I had to dress a certain way (less girly) to be taken more seriously. When I started, I had no idea that the recording world was pretty male dominant, but it ended up giving me a drive to change that, to help make a space that felt more comfortable for all women interested in the world of audio and production.
I think my biggest takeaway from these challenges is that being yourself is important. I used to think that the things that made me different would make people less interested in working with me, but in reality, when I feel more like myself, I’m much better at showing who I am musically. The day I realized that you can love microphones, and glitter, and no one is going to judge you for it, is the day I felt more artistically free.
I think something that’s really important to my story is the voice I’ve found through my cello. No matter where my career takes me, my cello will always be with me, and through that, I think I’ve found unique musical perspective. I feel like I’ve really tried to test the limits of where my cello can take me; I record full 4 octave string arrangements, I love to record by ear, and improvise, I love to use pedals and amps to change the sound, I bring it with me to writing sessions, etc. I really love the idea that it’s 2023 and your primary instrument doesn’t have to be guitar or piano to work in the contemporary world of music.
Another thing that’s been pivotal in shaping who I am as a composer is my synesthesia- basically I feel colors through sound. Because of this, it really shapes how I build my arrangements, and how I find my melodies. To me, it’s the ultimate world building tool when I’m thinking of what a song needs, and it’s really what’s made the studio world feel so immersive to me. You’re all sitting in a control room listening to this wall of sound as the recording progresses. During those moments, there’re so many color combinations forming in my mind, and I feel like I can really sit and feel every texture of a song in that environment. There’s something really magical about it, and I find myself chasing that feeling.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve been living in Mexico City since 2018, and though I love my home city of El Paso, TX, I’ve always wanted to live in a huge city where you can walk everywhere and there’s always exciting things happening. Two of my favorite things about being here are the food and the museums. If I had a friend visiting for the first time, I’d absolutely take them to:
The anthropology museum because I’m fascinated by ancient cultures, the MUAC (museum of contemporary art) because the building is incredible and the exhibits are really creative, and Museo de Arte Popular because I love how diverse the folk art of Mexico is.
It can be so hard to choose in terms of my favorite restaurant, but I do have some standouts that I’ll always go back to. If I want tacos, my favorites are Tacos Manolo in Colonia Narvarte with their signature taco and peanut salsa or Páramo in Roma Norte with their spicy albondigas taco. I also eat a lot of Japanese in the city and would definitely take a foreigner to COME or Mog Bistro (Roma). But if I had to pick my absolute favorite restaurant here, it would be Sartoria (Roma). I love Italian food, and theirs is by far the most beautiful and delicious that I’ve had in the city; it’s become a really special place for me. And for dessert, I’d definitely choose to go to Tout Chocolat (specifically the La Condesa location) for their handmade chocolates and caramelized mocha. I’m a really sentimental person, so these are some of the places that hold the best memories for me, and that I feel super at home in.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my parents and to the Sonic Ranch Recording Studios family. I’ve been very lucky to have a family that fully supports working in the arts, especially working in music. I was also very fortunate to stumble upon a beautiful recording studio full of people who wanted to help me on my career path and mentor me when I was at a young age. I’m very grateful to have all these people in my life.
Instagram: @lajemilybeth
Other: Tiktok: @jemilybeth
Image Credits
Sam Takataka JJ Velez
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