Meet James Emley | Film Score Musician, VR Designer, and Data Scientist

We had the good fortune of connecting with James Emley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I have always been a creative person with a drive to follow my passions through life, while trying to make a living with these passions. The greatest phrase that I learned early in my career was “What do I have to lose?” This mantra allowed me to travel the world as a musician, move to Los Angeles to follow my dreams, and to consistently learn new skills in developing my own way of making money. Along with making money as a creative, I have also developed a career as an educator, which is my way of “giving back” to the next generation to empower themselves with technical knowledge.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Currently, the name of my business is “Rocker Science.” It is a media business, and I’m the sole proprietor of the business. I’m proud that I have released two feature-length musical scores, 2 award-winning web series music scores, and two short movie music scores. In addition, I have published a virtual reality meditation app on Steampowered in 2018, which was voted the top 5 health apps in 2018 by the online e-zine “VR Fitness Insider.”

Currently, I’m developing immersive and interactive data sets for companies who would like to incorporate visually dynamic data infographics in their presentations and websites. By incorporating music, art, and visuals into data sets run by Python Artificial Intelligent and Machine Learning software, the Internet is quickly crossing over into the fully immersive, interactive phase. Akin to the visions of the Metaverse, I would like to infuse the “Rocker Science” presentation aspect into a company’s branding. Everyone secretly wants to be a rock star in whatever form that may look like, and I personally feel this can be attained through well-crafted music, sound design, cinematic interactivity, narration, and empathy.

The lessons that I have learned along the way is that users and consumers are attracted to objects or people that tell a story. Furthermore, a good story is one that elicits the core of the human condition: our emotions. It took me a long time to realize that imagery in education only works if you can “hook” a person with his or her emotion. All the special effects, booms, and bangs can’t compare to the power of a “good story.” Data can tell a good story, and having robust and interactive infographics have the power to gain new insights and create new stories.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In Los Angeles, I would first take my friends to Venice on Sundays. It’s a magical time each week where art and creativity come out in full bloom. Recently, my wife and I went to ecstatic dance “silent disco” event on the Venice Beach during the afternoon. There’s nothing more surreal than donning a pair of isolation headphones while dancing to great chill house music in the ocean. It’s even more surreal to take the headphones off and hearing nothing but sea gulls and the soft scraping of hundreds of shifting feet in the sand. It’s tranquil and empowering to let loose with a bunch of the “woo-woo” LA tribe.

Next day, I take my friend to some of the best Vegan and Pho restaurants that are unique only to Los Angeles. There are thousands of amazing restaurants in this vast city, but there are also the type you would never find anywhere else in the US. My favorite place for Taiwanese noodles is Pho Show in Culver City. They have the best fried tofu appetizers, and their seafood Pho bowls are delectable. On another evening, I would then take my friend to Larchmont for an incredible experience at Cafe Gratitude. Each plate brings with it an introduction towards a philosophical mantra, and the Vegan food is incomparable. I’m personally not a Vegan, but the food at this restaurant is incredible.

If I would do one “touristy” thing with my guest, I would take them to Universal Studios for the full studio tour. The theme park itself is pretty great, but the real treat is getting a look at all the sound stages, and you can still see some of the iconic scenes from “Jaws”, “Psycho Motel”, “War of the Worlds”, and Who’s-ville from “The Grinch.” It’s fascinating to see these mini-worlds still standing, and my imagination can almost envision the actors and cameras still capturing the action. It’s a magical place.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would first like to recognize my wife, Fiona, for helping to support my creative dreams when I was incredibly discouraged, exhausted, or lacking focus. For the past 7 years, she has been my main cheerleader in my ideas for our virtual reality meditation app, my continued musical work on independent film projects, and my decision for further schooling while I transfer to a career in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

I have learned many, many great things during my time as a physical science and computer science educator with the Los Angeles Unified School District. Through my career as a teacher, I have developed the research skills and area for experimentation in the new digital skills that I have learned along the way. Many times, I would embed some new musical ideas, programming concepts, or new design templates within many lessons, and the student feedback would be invaluable data during my refinement phase.

Finally, I would also like to thank my parents for relentlessly supporting my aspirations of being a creative professional from the lessons that they dragged me to and to the track meets they attended as I learned the ethics of hard work. Coming from a small town in Ohio helped me understand the importance of community, and this included all my teachers, friends, and employers that helped to shape my character.

Website: www.jamesemley.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockerscience/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-emley-06379b24

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/jamesemleyitf

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kameavr/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jamesemley

Other: Kamea VR on “Steam”: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1023710/KameaVR/ “Hollywood Girl: The Peg Entwistle Story” on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3RBF2FAV23lMmMBB4Ragwi

Image Credits
James Emley and Fiona Emley