♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> HELLO AND WELCOME TO "INSIDE LOUISVILLE" WHERE WE INTRODUCE YOU TO THE PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS THAT MAKE UP KENTUCKY'S LARGEST CITY.

THIS WEEK MEET EMILY ALBRINK, AN ACCOMPLISHED SO SOPRANO AND PROFESSOR AT THE LOUISVILLE SCHOOL OF MUSIC.

ALTHOUGH SHE IS FROM LOUISVILLE, EMILY'S MUSIC CAREER HAS TAKEN HER TO STAGES ACROSS THE COUNTRIES ABOUT, CHICAGO, PHOENIX, BALTIMORE, COLORADO AND CARNEGIE HALL TO NAME A FEW.

SHE HAS APPEARED IN LEADING ROLES WITH KENTUCKY OPERA AND THE LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA, BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL RECENTLY THAT SHE BEGAN SINGING HER OWN WORDS: A COUPLE YEARS AGO SHE DEBUTED HER ALBUM FORCE OF NATURE, DEDICATED TO HER LATE MOTHER AND IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FEE MAIL EXPERIENCE, SPECIFICALLY MOTHERHOOD AND DEBUTED AT NUMBER ONE ON THE CLASSICAL BILLBOARD CHARTS.

HERE IS AN INSIDE LOOK AT ONE OF THE TRACKS CALLED "NOW I SEE YOU."

>> I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR 18 MONTHS.

IT HAS BEEN A HUGE PROCESS LEADING UP TO THIS MOMENT.

I'M JUST FULL OF IMMENSE GRATITUDE.

I REACHED OUT TO THE FIRST PERSON THAT I THOUGHT OF, JAKE HEGGY AND I SAID DO YOU THINK YOU COULD WRITE ME A SONG AND HE WAS LIKE, I'LL WRITE YOU A CYCLE.

HOW ABOUT THAT.

I SAID ARE YOU KIDDING, THAT'S A DREAM COME TRUE.

WE ARE RECORDING A PIECE CALLED NOW I SEE YOU FROM A CYCLE CALLED FORCE OF NATURE.

THE TEXT IS BY MYSELF AND MY PIANIST, KATHY KELLY.

IT'S DEDICATED TO MY MOTHER.

MY MOTHER PASSED AWAY FOUR YEARS AGO VERY SUDDENLY AND I WANTED TO TO DO SOMETHING TO HONOR HER.

TO BE ABLE TO SING YOUR OWN WORDS IS UNLIKE ANYTHING I'VE EVER EXPERIENCED.

BUT I THINK THIS PIECE IS ABOUT,,000 THAT I REALIZE, YOU KNOW, HOW WONDERFUL THAT RELATIONSHIP WAS.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ IN YOUR WORK... ♪ ♪ I UNDERSTAND YOU, DESPERATE FOR CONNECTION ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ UNAFRAID TO.

♪ ♪ I SEE YOU ♪ ♪ I GET YOU ♪ ♪ I THANK YOU ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I LOVE YOU ♪ >> JUST BEAUTIFUL.

WE JUST GOT TO SEE THAT "NOW I SEE YOU" WHAT AN INCREDIBLE TRIBUTE TO YOUR MOM.

TELL ME ABOUT MAKING THAT.

>> SUCH A LABOR OF LOVE IT REALLY, REALLY WAS.

IT WAS A LOT OF WORK.

WHEN I FIRST STARTED IT, I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS DURING COVID, MY KIDS WERE LITTLE I WAS JUST GOING CRAZY AND I WANTED TO SORT OF MAKE SOMETHING LASTING THAT WOULD STAY AROUND AND WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT MY KIDS COULD LISTEN TO, YOU KNOW, WHEN I'M DEAD OR SOMETHING AND THEN I STARTED THINKING ABOUT WHAT WOULD BE MEANINGFUL, WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST IMPACTFUL AND I WANTED TO TELL STORIES OF WOMEN AND I WANTED TO ADD TO THE CLASSICAL CANNON OF ART SONG, SO , WHICH IS LIKE CLASSICAL SONG.

LITERATURE.

AND SO I COMMISSIONED FOUR DIFFERENT COMPOSERS.

I HAD NEVER DONE ANY OF THIS BEFORE SO I REALLY LEANED ON MY FRIENDS.

I CALLED PEOPLE AND SAID HOW DO YOU DO THIS?

HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT MAKING THIS WORK?

AND I COMMISSIONED FOUR DIFFERENT COMPOSERS AND THEN FOUND A PRODUCER AND A SOUND ENGINEER OUT OF MINNEAPOLIS WHO CAME HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND KIND OF TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHERE AM I GOING TO MAKE THIS RECORDING?

THE MOST WONDERFUL PLACE THAT I LOVE TO SING IN IS COMSTOCK HALL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE, SO I DECIDED TO ACTUALLY, KIND OF UNCONVENTION A, BRING THEM TO LOUISVILLE, TO MAKE THE RECORDING, AND BRING MY PIANIST, KATHLEEN KELLY, AND THEN WE HAD TO LIKE RAISE ALL THIS MONEY.

IT'S NOT CHEAP.

IT'S NOT CHEAP TO MAKE A RECORDING.

AND SO I BECAME A FUNDRAISER FOR THE FIRST TIME, TOO.

AND THAT WAS A HUGE LEARNING EXPERIENCE.

AND REALLY WONDERFUL, I MEAN I WILL USE THAT AGAIN, YOU KNOW.

THOSE SKILLS.

SO WE RAISED $75,000.

AND WE RECORDED IT OVER A LONG-- IT'S COMING UP ON THREE YEARS, ACTUALLY, SINCE WE RECORDED, MADE THE RECORDING.

AND THAT RECORDING PROCESS WAS SO COOL.

I HAVE NEVER RECORDED ANYTHING BEFORE.

SO GOING INTO, YOU KNOW, THE STUDIO, AND KNIT PICKING EVERYTHING NITPICKING, EVERYTHING IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, DID YOU LIKE THE WAY YOU SANG THAT T, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

AND REALLY LOOKING AT EVERY MEASURE AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS EXACTLY THE WAY THAT WE WANT IT TO BE, YOU KNOW.

AND I THINK FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, THAT CAN BE VERY STRESSFUL AND FOR ME IT FELT LIKE A PUZZLE.

I JUST REALLY LOVED THE PROCESS, ACTUALLY, OF RECORDING.

AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE HAD TO LIKE-- I HAD TO GET A LABEL AND IT WAS HEIGHT-- IT WAS A LOT BUT IN THE END IT REALLY WAS SO CATHARTIC FOR ME AND THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT I WAS EXPECTING, YOU KNOW, I WASN'T GOING INTO IT LOOKING FOR A HEALING SESSION.

AND IT REALLY BECAME SO HEALING FOR ME.

JUST PROCESSING THE GRIEF I HAD AROUND MY MOTHER'S DEATH.

AND IT WAS JUST-- IT WAS REALLY REMARKABLE.

>> AND THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THEM THAT YOU WROTE ALSO, WHICH YOU MENTIONED IS UNVENGESAL.

>> YEAH, TYPICALLY CLASSICAL SINGERS ARE SINGING COMPOSER-- >> CLASSICS.

>> DEAD PEOPLE.

COMPOSERS.

POETS, DEAD POETS.

I MEAN, AND CONTEMPORARY.

I SING A LOT OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC.

I HAVE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO SING A LOT OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC AND WORK WITH A LOT OF LIVING COMPOSERS, WHICH IS REALLY WONDERFUL.

SO WHEN I COMMISSIONED AND WHEN I ASKED SOME OF MY COMPOSER FRIENDS TO WRITE FOR ME, THE FIRST PERSON I ASKED WAS MY DEAR FRIEND JAKE KEGGY WHO IS ARGUABLY ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL COMPOSERS OF OUR GENERATION.

AND I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT HE SAID YES, TO BE HONEST.

NOT ONLY DID HE SAY YES, HE SAID HOW ABOUT I WRITE THREE SONGS FOR, HOW ABOUT I WRITE A SET.

I ONLY ASKED HIM FOR ONE SOCK.

SO WE WERE LOOKING AT WHAT WOULD BE GOOD, I WAS LOOKING OVER LETTERS THAT MY MOM HAD SEPTEMBER ME OR POEMS SHE HAD LIKED, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT SPOKE TO ME THAT RESONATED THAT WOULD TELL THE STORY OF WHO SHE WAS.

AND JAKE ALSO FEW HER.

AND-- JAKE ALSO KNEW HER.

HE SAID THE BEST THING WOULD BE TO JUST HAVE YOU WRITE THE WORDS >> WHAT DO DID YOU THINK THEN?

>> NO.

>> I BET.

>> I KNOW WHAT I'M GOOD AT.

THIS IS NOT WHAT I'M GOOD AT.

I DON'T WANT TO WRITE.

BUT HE REALLY CONVINCED ME THAT IT WOULD JUST BE THE BEST THING.

AND SO LUCKILY ENOUGH MY PIANIST, KATHLEEN KELLY IS AN AMAZING POET.

SHE IS MULTITALENTED.

SHE IS ALSO A CONDUCTOR.

AND SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE CAN DO THIS.

I THINK I CAN HELP YOU.

AND SO IT WAS STILL DURING COVID SO WE DID IT OVER ZOOM AND I WORD VOMIT ALL THE STUFF ABOUT MY MOM AND THEN SHE PAIRED IT DOWN AND MADE IT INTO A BEAUTIFUL POEMS.

SO THAT WAS-- IT WAS A VERY UNIQUE AND SPECIAL EXPERIENCE TO BE ABLE TO SING MY OWN WORDS.

>> YEAH SO NOW I SEE YOU AS ONE OF THOSE.

BUT THE ENTIRE COLLECTION IS NOT JUST ABOUT YOUR MOM OR EVEN MOTHERHOOD.

IT'S KIND OF ABOUT THE FEMALE EXPERIENCE.

EVERYTHING FROM BODY ISSUES TO GOSSIP AND-- WHICH I THINK IS REALLY INTERESTING.

SO WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO KIND OF EXPAND IT INTO THAT?

>> WELL, I THINK, AGAIN, COMING FROM A CLASSICAL MUSIC PERSPECTIVE, SO MANY STORIES OF WOMEN ARE TOLD THROUGH THE EYES OF MEN AND YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF REALLY RELEVANT AND VARIED ART SONG.

I'M TALKING ABOUT ART SONG HERE, THIS VERY SPECIFIC GENRE.

THAT IS TOLD IN A REALLY AUTHENTIC WAY, AND DEALS WITH THINGS-- ISSUES THAT WOMEN ARE DEALING WITH TODAY.

AND REALLY PULLS BACK THE CURTAIN AND REALLY DELVES INTO WHAT WE REALLY DO DEAL WITH; AND NOT SORT OF SUGAR COATING.

I MEAN THERE ARE SO MANY SONGS, YOU KNOW, WRITTEN BY SHUBERT SHUMAN BRAHMS THAT ARE WRITTEN ABOUT FLOWERS AND LOVE AND I WANTED TO SORT OF TALK ABOUT THE REAL STUFF, THE STUFF, THE DOWN AND DIRTY.

AND LOVE I MEAN ALL-- THE GOOD, BAD AND THE UGLY.

>> SURE.

AND SO YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW YOUR MOM WAS SO INFLUENTIAL IN YOUR MUSIC CAREER.

I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING.

WHAT STARTED YOUR LOVE OF MUSIC OR THIS TRAJECTORY?

WAS IT HER?

>> OH YEAH AND MY DAD.

MY DAD IS AN AMATEUR RECORDER PLAYER.

>> OKAY.

>> AND HE LIKES TO SING.

SO HE DID NOT DO THAT FOR A LIVING BUT THEY BOTH, I MEAN, LOVED MUSIC.

MY MOTHER LOVED MUSIC.

AND MY MOM WAS A PRFL PIANIST PROFESSIONAL AND SHE TAUGHT PIANO IN THE HOUSE EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK.

I WOULD COME HOME FROM SCHOOL AND HEAR ALL OF THIS MUSIC GOING ON.

AND SHE, OF COURSE, THEY BOTH TOOK ME TO CONCERTS ALL THE TIME AND I GREW UP-- I GREW UP SINGING IN CHURCH CHOIR.

THAT WAS SORT OF MY INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC IN TERMS OF ME MAKING MY OWN MUSIC.

AND SO I STARTED, YOU KNOW, SINGING IN THE CHOIR AND WE WERE REQUIRED TO TAKE MY BROTHER AND I WERE REQUIRED TO, BY MY PARENTS, TO PLAY AN INSTRUMENT.

SO I STARTED STUDYING PIANO.

I STARTED STUDYING WITH MY MOM IN FIRST GRADE AND THAT DID NOT GO WELL.

>> I CAN IMAGINE, YES.

>> RIGHT?

>> YOU NEED AN OUTSIDE ENTITY.

>> QUICKLY SHIFTED TO SOMEONE ELSE.

AND I STUDIED THAT FOR FIVE YEARS UNTIL-- AND I REALLY DIDN'T LIKE IT.

I REALLY HATED IT ACTUALLY.

I ALWAYS LOVED TO SING.

BUT I DID NOT LIKE TO PLAY PIANO AND SHE MADE ME KIND OF STICK WITH THAT UNTIL I WAS OLD ENOUGH TO PLAY SOMETHING ELSE AND I SAID I WANT TO PLAY THE FLUTE.

I STARTED STUDYING FLUTE.

AND I LIKED THAT BUT I ALWAYS KNEW THAT SINGING WAS LIKE MY REAL THING.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T REALLY START STUDYING VOICE-- I MEAN IT'S NOT RECOMMENDED TO START STUDYING VOICE TOO EARLY AND I THINK MY MOM KNEW THAT AND SHE SAID WELL HOW ABOUT-- YOU CAN START STUDYING VOICE WHEN YOU ARE 14.

I HAD TO WAIT.

IT WAS REALLY GOOD FOR ME TO STUDY PIANO AND FLUTE.

I BECAME A VERY GOOD MUSICIAN.

BUT WHEN I STARTED STUDYING VOICE, WITH MY MENTOR, I HAVE TO MENTION, SHE IS ALSO A LOUISVILLE LEGEND, TAUGHT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.

AND SHE IS JUST DEAR TO ME.

I STARTED STUDYING WITH HER WHEN I WAS 14 AND THAT JUST LIKE WAS THAT MOMENT OF-- THIS IS WHAT I'M MEANT TO DO WITH MY LIFE.

LIKE THIS IS MY HAPPY PLACE.

>> IT'S THE DIFFERENT THING THOUGH, LOVING MUSIC OR EVEN LOVING TO SING AND BEING TALENTED, AS YOU ARE, TO DO IT.

AND SO I GUESS WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU, LIKE THIS IS-- I'M GOOD AT THIS.

>> I DON'T KNOW.

THAT'S HARD.

I MEAN I THINK I-- >> OR THAT THIS COULD BE A CAREER PATH.

A LOT OF KIDS I THINK LOVE MUSIC BUT DON'T KNOW THE PATH TO MAKING IT A CAREER.

>> RIGHT.

WHEN YOU HAVE A PARENT WHO IS DOING IT, YOU KNOW THAT'S A VIABLE OPTION.

BUT I MEAN I WAS NEVER-- I WILL SAY-- I MEAN I'VE ALWAYS I GUESS HAD A NICE VOICE AND I LIKE TO SING.

BUT I WAS NEVER LIKE THE BEST, BEST, BEST.

AND I NEVER HAD LIKE THE BIGGEST VOICE OR THE HIGHEST VOICE OR THE FASTEST VOICE.

I REALLY LIKED SINGING AND I REALLY ACTUALLY LIKED ACTING.

I DID THEATER IN HIGH SCHOOL AND WAS VERY INTO THEATER.

I ENDED UP GOING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN FOR MUSICAL THEATER, WHICH IS SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN THOSE TWO THINGS, BUT I KIND OF-- AND I GOT THERE AND I QUICKLY WAS LIKE, THIS MAY NOT BE EXACTLY WHAT I'M GOING TO DO.

BUT I STUCK WITH IT AND I REALLY WAS SO GLAD THAT I HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE BECAUSE IT INFORMED MY SINGING SO MUCH AND MY STORY TELLING.

BUT I THINK PROBABLY IT WAS-- THIS IS GOING TO SOUND SO WEIRD, OR MAYBE NOT.

MY JUNIOR YEAR ABROAD, I WAS IN LONDON, AND I WAS STUDYING WITH THIS SOPRANO AND I WAS DOING THEATER THERE.

BUT I WAS HAVING VOICE LESSONS WITH THIS WOMAN WHO WAS YOUNG AND HAD A VOICE SIMILAR TO MINE AND SHE WAS MAKING A CAREER AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I COULD DO THAT, TOO.

I REALLY COULD DO THAT TOO.

BUT WHAT REALLY, I THINK, SET ME APART WAS LIKE MY ABILITY TO TELL STORIES AND BE EMOTIONAL AND MAKE PEOPLE FEEL THINGS.

AND THAT'S THE REASON I DO IT, RIGHT?

I DON'T-- I CARE-- OF COURSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL VOICE, BUT WHO CARES.

>> AND THAT'S WHAT LED YOU INTO THE OPERA GENRE, RIGHT?

>> YES, YES, YES, TELLING STORIES.

>> WHICH, THAT CAREER, I WAS READING ALL OF THE PLACES YOU HAVE BEEN AND PERFORMED.

IT IS INCREDIBLE.

>> OH WELL, THANKS.

IT'S HARD.

IT'S A HARD, YOU KNOW, I'VE WORKED HARD AND IT'S A HARD LIFE TO HAVE.

IT HAS SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE BIT SINCE I HAD KIDS I REALLY WANTED TO KIND OF BE HOME AND BE WITH THEM.

AND I'M ACTUALLY KIND OF LEANING BACK IN THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT OLDER.

>> SURE, SURE.

AND SO HOW DID THE MUSIC COMMUNITY IN LOUISVILLE FOSTER THAT?

LIKE WHAT IS THE MUSIC SCENE?

>> WE HAVE SUCH A FABULOUS MUSIC SCENE.

OH MY GOSH, WE ARE SO FORTUNATE.

WE ARE SO LUCKY.

WELL, I MEAN KENTUCKY OPERA HAS BEEN SORT OF MY HOME OPERA COMPANY FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS.

DAVID ROTH GAVE ME, OUR LATE WONDERFUL DAVID ROTH WHO WAS AT KENTUCKY OPERA FOR YEARS, GAVE ME MY FIRST START RIGHT AFTER I HAD DONE A YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM AT THE WASHINGTON OPERA AT THE KENNEDY CENTER AND AFTER I FINISHED THAT, HE SAID I WANT YOU TO COME.

HOW ABOUT YOU COME AND SING EDINA.

IT WAS MY FIRST BIG ROLE AT A MAJOR COMPANY.

AND HE WAS SO SUPPORTIVE AND THEN BARBARA LYNN JAMIESON WHO IS LEAVING, HAS ALSO BEEN SO SUPPORTIVE OF MY CAREER AS HAS TEDDY ABRAMS.

I HAVE BEEN SO FORTUNATE TO COLLABORATE WITH THE LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA MUCH THE ORCHESTRA IS REALLY UNPARALLELED IN THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THEM HERE IN A TOWN OF OUR SIZE, IS LIKE SIGHTS REALLY REMARKABLE.

SO THAT HAS BEEN-- I HAVE BEEN SO FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE MUSIC HERE, YOU KNOW, AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THERE ARE SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE NEW LOU CHAMBER PLAYERS, AND SEVERAL DIFFERENT DERBY CITY MUSIC FESTIVAL, ALL THIS CHAMBER MUSIC AND ALL THESE WONDERFUL MUSICIANS WHO PLAY IN THE ORCHESTRA WHO THEN COME AND, YOU KNOW, CREATE THEIR OWN STUFF ON THE SIDE.

IT'S JUST RICH, A LOT GOING ON.

>> IT'S A REALLY COOL, CLOSE COMMUNITY.

>> YES, IT IS.

>> AND NOW RECENTLY YOU HAVE TAKEN ON ANOTHER ROLE AS A PROFESSOR.

>> YES.

>> AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE.

>> YES.

>> SO HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT AND HOW HAS THAT SORT OF, I GUESS, EXPANDED YOUR REPERTOIRE, RIGHT?

>> YES, IT DOES SEEM RECENT BUT I ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN THERE FOR 10 YEARS.

>> WOW.

>> I HAVEN'T HAD TENURE THAT LONG.

I STARTED THERE JUST TEACHING A COUPLE OF STUDENTS.

THE WAY THAT CAME ABOUT IS THAT MY MENTOR, EDIE TIDWELL, I THINK SHE KNEW SHE WAS GOING TO BE RETIRING AND SHE ALSO KNEW THAT I WAS KIND OF BASE IS-- BASING MYSELF HERE.

WHEN I MET WHO IS NOW MY HUSBAND, I WAS BASED HERE.

I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GOING TO LIVE HERE.

I NEVER ANTICIPATED THAT BUT WHEN I MET HIM, IT SORT OF HAPPENED BECAUSE HE IS FROM HERE, TOO.

SO I STARTED, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TEACHING A LITTLE BIT AT U OF L. SHE SAID DO YOU WANT TO COME AND HAVE A FEW STUDENTS?

IT WAS NEVER ANYTHING-- IT WASN'T ON MY RADAR.

I THOUGHT, TEACHING?

WHAT?

NO,WELL NOT NO BUT OKAY, THAT SOUNDS REALLY INTERESTING AND NOT ANYTHING I HAD THOUGHT ABOUT.

SO I STARTED TEACHING ADJUNCT AT U OF L AND WHEN SHE RETIRED, I APPLIED FOR HER POSITION.

AND WAS JUST SO GRATEFUL-- I'M SO GRATEFUL.

IT-- TEACHING IS SO AMAZING.

IT REALLY IS.

AND IT SOLIDIFIES YOUR TECHNIQUE IN A WAY THAT IS-- THAT I DID NOT EXPECT.

HAVING TO TALK ABOUT HOW TO SING AND TEACH SOMEONE ELSE THE THINGS THAT YOU JUST-- I MEAN NOT THAT I'VE ALWAYS KNOWN HOW TO DO IT.

OF COURSE I'VE WORKED REALLY HARD, BUT THAT IT'S SO, SO EYE OPENING AND REWARDING AND ALSO JUST THE RELATIONSHIPS YOU HAVE WITH THE STUDENTS.

I MEAN I SEE THESE STUDENTS.

I HAVE LIKE 15 RIGHT NOW.

I'M REALLY THE ONLY QUOTE UNQUOTE ADULT THAT THEY SEE ONE ON ONE EVERY WEEK.

AND SINGING IS VERY VULNERABLE, AND VERY YOU KNOW, YOU ARE TAPPING INTO YOUR EMOTIONS, AND IT CAN BRING UP A LOT OF THINGS.

AND SO I BECOME A THERAPIST, TOO, A LITTLE BIT.

>> AS EVERY GOOD PROFESSOR DOES.

>> SOMETIMES IT'S HARD, YOU KNOW, BUT THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ARE JUST SO WONDERFUL, AND I HAVE SO MANY OF THEM WHO GO OFF AND DO WONDERFUL THINGS AND I STAY CONNECTED TO THEM AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN GREAT.

IT'S BEEN SO GREAT AND IT IS GREAT BECAUSE I CAN REALLY HAVE THAT HOME BASE HERE, YOU KNOW.

AND I DON'T ARE TO SAY YES TO EVERYTHING.

>> RIGHT.

>> I CAN PICK AND CHOOSE AND TAKE MY KIDS TO SOCCER.

>> WELL, YOU DO PICK AND CHOOSE AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I ADMIRE ABOUT YOU.

EVERYTHING I FEEL LIKE I'VE SEEN YOU IN IS SO MEANINGFUL.

LIKE THE KAISER VON THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.

>> IT WAS FABULOUS.

>> IT WAS ONE OF THOSE.

AND SO YOU DO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION, RIGHT?

>> YEAH, I DO.

I MEAN I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN OFFERED A LOT OF JUST LIKE GREAT THINGS.

AND I THINK MAYBE SOME OF IT IS THAT I GIVE OFF-- THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN SO THEY THINK OF ME FOR THOSE THINGS.

I DON'T KNOW.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS BUT I HAVE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE A LOT OF REALLY INTERESTING PROJECTS COME MY WAY.

>> WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE.

>> THIS IS GOING TO BE HARD.

I DON'T KNOW.

WHATEVER I'M SINGING AT THE MOMENT.

I LOVE SINGING ART SONG.

THAT IS SUCH A-- BECAUSE IT'S JUST YOU AND A PIANIST AND THE AUDIENCE IS RIGHT THERE AND IT'S INCREDIBLE POETRY AND YOU ARE ABLE TO JUST INHABIT ALL OF THESE-- I MEAN IN THE COURSE OF AN EVENING OF AN ART SONG EVENING, I'M SINGING MAYBE 17, 18 DIFFERENT SONGS, 20, I DON'T KNOW.

AND EACH SONG IS LIKE A LITTLE JEWEL AND IT TELLS A LITTLE STORY.

AND IT'S LIKE A LITTLE MINIATURE OPERA.

AND SO YOU GET TO IB HABIT ALL OF-- INHABIT ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT CHARACTERS AND REALLY HAVE THAT CONNECTION, THAT INTIMATE CONNECTION TO THE AUDIENCE THAT IS SO DIFFERENT FROM OPERA, WHICH IS ALSO WONDERFUL AND I LOVE IT'S JUST DIFFERENT.

>> SO WHAT IS NEXT?

ARE WE GOING TO SEE OR HEAR MORE RECORDINGS?

>> YES, YES, YES.

I DON'T EVEN THINK I'VE TOLD MY HUSBAND THIS.

>> WELL, HE'LL LEARN.

>> I'M AFRAID.

NO, HE IS SO SUPPORTIVE.

IT IS A LOT.

YEAH, I THINK-- I MEAN WE ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO-- CATHY AND I ARE GOING MAKE ANOTHER RECORDING.

I THINK WE MIGHT BE DOING SOME OF IT THIS SUMMER DOWN IN HOUSTON.

WE FOUND A RECORDING ARTIST.

AND ANYWAY, BUT, YEAH, TELLING MORE STORIES OF WOMEN, FEMALE POETS.

>> IT WILL BE... >> IT WON'T BE COMMISSIONED.

>> IT WILL BE SIMILAR THEMED YOU ARE THINKING.

>> MAYBE SIMILAR THEMED.

YEAH WE ARE DEFINITELY RECORDING TWO SETS THAT ARE FEMALE POETS.

THEY HAVE BEEN WRIT EBB.

THEY'RE NOT BRAND NEW BUT IT IS FEMALE POETRY.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> YOU CAN WATCH AND SHARE THIS EPISODE ANY TIME.

GO TO ket.org/INSIDE LOUISVILLE PLUS BE SURE TO FOLLOW OWS INSTAGRAM WHERE YOU CAN GET EXTRA INSIGHTS INTO OUR EPISODES, INCLUDING 10 RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS WITH EMILY.

YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT SHE SAYS SHE WOULD DO FOR A CAREER IF IT WEREN'T FOR MUSIC.

YOU CAN FIND US ON INSTAGRAM AT KET IN LOU.

THANKS FOR SPENDING A LITTLE TIME GETTING TO KNOW LOUISVILLE.

HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT TIME.

UNTIL THEN, MAKE IT A GREAT WEEK.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪