Do Dreams Come True? Local Songwriter Answers Age-Old Question With “Maybe”
by James Coulter
Many songs are about making your dreams come true by wishing on a star or following the rainbow. But do dreams really come true? And what does it mean for a dream to come true? One local songwriter answers those questions in her new song, “Maybe.”
Emily E. Finke utilizes her rich, mezzo-soprano voice and extraordinary songwriting talent in her latest song which she recorded in November and recently released earlier this month. Her song explores the subject of dreams and what it really means for them to come true. The song takes the listener on an emotional journey of discovery to a place where “…dreams aren’t always what they seem.”
“‘Maybe’ is a song about whether or not dreams come true,” Finke said. “When we look at our dreams, do we really see them clearly? The song puts things in perspective to recognize when our dreams come true.”
As with many of her songs, her inspiration derives not from one specific place or thing, but rather, from the many random thoughts she has in her head at any given time. Writing music allows her to better focus her thoughts and narrow them down into one coherent message, she explained.
“My mind is very active, and I am constantly thinking about things and making connections,” she said. “So even with this new song, it was not one thing that inspired it. It was many things that sort of conglomerated with this feeling and these thoughts that I was having about the subject of the song. That is the song that I wrote because it is what I felt on my heart at the time. There were things that happened in my own life, but it was many different things that resulted in deep thoughts and feelings I had.”
Finke was born and raised in Lake Placid. She has lived in the same house her whole life with her parents and older sister who were both homeschooled from kindergarten to twelfth grade. Her interest in music began at age six when she started playing the violin and guitar. She started singing at age 16, and she eventually went on to learn to write and perform her own music. She even performed fiddle in a country band.
“Honestly, looking back, [my love of music] was something that God put on my heart,” she said. “Since then, it has been my entire life and I would not have it any other way….Whether or not it is as a hobby or I am doing it for work or pleasure, I am constantly involved in music, and it has always been a part of me.”
Following her high school graduation in 2017, Finke decided not to pursue a college education. Instead, she has focused her time and energy on her music. The free time she has because of her decision has afforded her many opportunities she otherwise would not have balancing her interests with studying.
Currently, she is a lyric coloratura mezzo-soprano who has performed at many venues including Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House. Her favorite classical genre to perform is Baroque where her voice feels most comfortable performing at the vocal range.
As for her songwriting, Finke has self-taught herself not only to write music, but to arrange, record, and mix it all by herself. Being able to combine so many disparate elements of her music together in a single song feels like quite the accomplishment to her.
“I really enjoy being able to write music and express myself,” she said, “and I would not have had the freedom to do all of that if I had been going to college. And on top of that, I still get vocal coaching. I train very seriously in singing opera, and that is something I do full time.”
Finke considers herself a “classical” woman. Her musical inspirations derive from early 20th Century musicians like Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, and Glenn Miller. Many of her own songs were heavily-inspired by their styles, but they still maintain a modern sound and feel that allows her to release them as pop songs.
“I have not come across another artist that makes music that sounds like mine,” she said. “That is why I started writing my music to begin with: I had a sound in my head musically that I wanted to get out. So I started writing out the parts of the different instruments just to get that sound out of my head.”
Like most musicians, Finke wants nothing more than to make a living off of her music. However, while she has lofty dreams and aspirations about her musical career, she humbly follows wherever the Lord leads her through life. In the end, she performs not merely for herself, but to accomplish the will of God.
“I have always been very sensitive about following God’s will in my life and sort of allow Him to lead me down the path that He wants me to take to do the things He wants me to do,” she said. “So that is how I view success. I would be absolutely thrilled if He grants me an audience that will listen to my music, but even if it is only one person and it makes a difference in their life, I would consider that successful.”
“Maybe” is available on most music streaming and download services. For more information, visit her website at: https://www.emilyefinke.com/
