FIRE INSIDE CAMPAIGN

Hi,

My name is Emma Linney and I am a singer songwriter. I would like to talk to you about ‘the fire inside’ campaign. ‘The fire inside campaign’ is all about creating the life you want to live that can make a difference. It’s about inspiring others to courageously pursue their passions.   I hope you can join me on this lifetime journey.

I have been very fortunate to have been able to sing all my life in various bands, projects and collaborations. My parents explain that singing was the first thing I did when I woke in my cot’. However I was a painfully shy child and self -expression was something I struggled with growing up, yet I would make bold transformations on stage. I knew then the power of music and singing could have on me and others.

I had a deep yearning to be creative and write and perform music and I composed songs on the piano mainly self-taught during my teens. I also wanted to pursue a career in music and continue at university. However the common sense approach overrode my heart and I took the more ‘sensible path’. Whilst I don’t regret my life decisions as I have been lucky to work with young people and help guide them in life as this is another of my great passions, there was still a long buried yearning of creating music that needed to come out.

Last year I was faced with a fork in the road which meant I was made redundant from a career I had for 16 years. Up till then I had dedicated my time to working for services that helped young people in the area of holistic guidance and supporting young people through change. This became a challenging career at the point of more cuts to public services. Despite having the offer of remaining in a ‘secure job’ I knew in my heart I had to take a leap of faith and scratch this itch that had been building and building. At the age of 37 I went back to writing music and I remember how powerful this feeling was. It had taken me all that time to remember how much I love expressing myself through music. Now I have the amazing opportunity of pursuing both my passions.

I remember attending a live house concert with a singer songwriter some years back and being blown away by her performance but thinking I would love to do this, this is who I am, but I can’t.

There have been many blocks, obstacles to overcome to get to this point where I am only just beginning. People’s opinions, self – limiting thought’s, practicalities all played their part in my life where I would bury this notion and I began adjusting my dream to fit the mold and I would soon forget how much I loved creating music.

However all these experiences have shaped where I am now and I am grateful for them, the highs, the lows the heartaches, pain and the glories. I write music from that perspective. Like soul stories, jigsaw pieces of a wider picture of the journey and I want to share them as long as it connects with people and touches the emotions.

The fire inside project is the culmination of my life experiences and life- long ambition to pursue music, to bring hope and courage to those who also long to fulfil their passions and to find their voice and self- expression. To young people who doubt themselves because they are different but who need a niche and self -belief to fulfil their potential and an outlet to express themselves and share their truth. When we embrace and celebrate each other’s diversity and differences, our life expands. To the people who have had enough of living their life on a hamster wheel in a society where we have become addicted to overproduction. To the adults who feel lonely, disconnected and burnt out. Through this project I am going back to the little girl who cried at the seemingly impossible challenge of fulfilling her dreams and a plea for people to listen to their inner yearnings and give themselves permission to slow down and contemplate what life they want to be living and have some fun doing it!

Your involvement matters to me.   If any of this resonates with you I would love for you to become a patron to this cause. This could be by donating whatever you like but I am asking for a minimum of 20 pounds a year to be a participant member. There is a choice each year whether you want to continue with your subscription. For becoming a patron you will be able to get 10% off any workshops either in person or on line. You will get access to new music as soon as it is created and 10% off any shows in the future. Maybe you can get involved in other ways as this is about community and sharing our talents, skills and stories to help each other?

I will be making a commitment to ensure that all ep sales when officially released will be donated and invested back into community projects and workshops for young people and adults.

If I can get 400 patrons this will enable me to continue doing what I love and to pay for recordings, studio time, promotion, marketing, music videos, tour management. The list is endless. The more people we can get the more people we can support. By supporting this cause you not only supporting me as an artist but others too and hopefully your own dreams. In the end I thinks its about remembering who we really are.