Emily Ann Roberts Shares Powerful Message About Staying Motivated When the Audience Isn’t Paying Attention
Emily Ann Roberts is turning what could have been a very discouraging moment into a powerful message for aspiring artists….
Photo Courtesy of Emily Ann Roberts
Emily Ann Roberts is turning what could have been a very discouraging moment into a powerful message for aspiring artists.
The country singer recently came across a fan-filmed video of herself performing on stage, only to notice that much of the crowd appeared distracted, talking loudly over her performance instead of paying attention. At first, Roberts admitted the clip embarrassed her.
“When that came up on my for you page, at first I thought somebody took a video of me, and half a second later I thought, that’s kind of embarrassing because nobody’s paying a lick of attention to me and they’re talking really loud. And now I wish this wasn’t on the internet,” she explained in a selfie-style TikTok.
But as she kept watching, her perspective on the entire situation shifted. “Thank God by the end of the video, my brain had come full circle and I thought, you know, who cares? The girl who took this video cares. She was paying attention.”
From there, Roberts delivered a heartfelt message for other up-and-coming musicians who may face similar moments. Drawing from a decade of experience, she reminded her followers that situations like this one are all just part of the journey.
She recalled a show in Texas where the audience hardly acknowledged her performance.
“Nobody cared. And we got done with our first song, and you would’ve thought that we had never even done nothing,” she remembered.
Instead of delivering a subpar show, Roberts and her band put forth their A-game and it wound up paying off. The next day, her producer shared a message from an audience member who praised her performance saying she “acted like she was on the Grand Ole Opry back on that patio.”
“Okay, Emily Ann, that is what you do,” she said. “That’s how you put on a show because you never know who is watching. It doesn’t matter if you look around and everybody’s talking and looking at their cell phones… somebody there cares.”
Roberts stressed that the key to building real fans and having a long-standing career in country music is to always give your best effort.
“If [God’s] the only one watching, well, then by golly, I better put my best foot forward for him,” she said.
“What else are my options? To throw in the towel? No, that’s not an option. That ain’t an option for me. And that ain’t an option for you either. So shift your perspective and know that what you do matters and somebody’s watching and you ought to want to make a good impression.”
Roberts’ post was flooded with comments from fellow artists, including Mae Estes, who asked, “Why Am I crying?” and Walker Hayes who supported her comments with two flexed bicep emojis.
Emily Ann Roberts brand-new EP, Memory Lane, arrives on Friday, October 3.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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