Dunedin Free Press - Emily Turnage

Don't let her goofy personality and head full of dreads fool you. Emily Turnage is a young musician with huge potential. "I think I've been playing since I was about 14," she said, unzipping her acoustic guitar case.

Her love of guitar paved her way to joining band after band, never giving up on her dream. "I want to have 30,000 people sing my songs with me," she said.

Raw talent flows through her veins. She has never taken a guitar lesson in her life. "I taught myself!" she exclaimed.

Emily took inspiration from the music around her. 'My best friend Jacob, is an excellent musician and whenever he played I just fell in love with it. Hayley Williams [of Paramore] influences me as well."

Practicing in the quiet of her home, Emily started to realize that she had more than just impeccable guitar skills. She had a killer voice too!

"What held me back from singing? I guess when I was growing up my brother hated my voice. And whenever I'd sing, he'd tell me to shut up 'cause my voice was annoying. So I just never sang," she explained as a smile formed across her face.

With her new found confidence, Emily was ready to explore new ways to live out her dream. First stop: American Idol. "I definitely realized it for what it really was, not what it seems. Not making it kind of put me down cause I had high hopes. A lot of people gave me high hopes, but once I saw the show I realized that they already had the people picked out so why are they gonna pick me?"

Shaking off the disappointment, she headed home, head up high, ready for a new challenge. Soon enough, Emily was given a few great oppurtunities. "My best friend Audrey took me to a hookah bar once and they had an open mic. I had never done an open mic before. So I started doin open mic and then they asked me to play every Tuesday night," she said.

With a set list ranging from Pink Floyd and Journey to Radiohead and Cold Play and some originals as well, this diverse line up will showcase all of Emily's hard work and dedication. Not to mention her sweet and soulful voice mixed with classic acoustic guitar strums. "Some people say [music] gives them peace and happiness, ya know. It gets them in touch with their feelings. I'm happy to be able to bring that to people through music".

Emily plays every Tuesday night from 10 PM till 2 AM at Extraordinaire Lounge
590 McMullenbooth Rd Clearwater, Fl

Myspace: www.myspace.com/emilyturnagetunes