Meet Emma - Piano, Oboe, Composition, and Voice Teacher

Emmaline Jackson is a classically trained, Utah-based media composer and music teacher specializing in classical and cinematic music. Emma has studied and performed piano for over 20 years and oboe for over 13, and she is also an accomplished vocalist. She received a degree in Commercial Music from Brigham Young University with an emphasis in film and media composition. Emma has won numerous awards for both her composition and performance pursuits including “Best Music” from the One-Reeler short film competition and a nomination for the Utah Theater Awards. She has also been a member of many ensembles throughout her performance experience such as BYU Wind Symphony and the Syncopation vocal jazz group. Aside from teaching and subbing for the occasional local symphony, Emma currently writes music for movies and video games on a freelance basis.

Having taught piano, oboe, voice, and composition lessons professionally for over 4 years, Emma has developed a system in which she personalizes each lesson to the students’ needs. For piano technique exercises, students struggling with chord fingerings may be assigned I chord inversions. The rest of the lesson may include anything from reviewing assigned pieces from method books or elsewhere to discussions and written assignments on music theory. For oboe, Emma spends a great deal of time on embouchure and breathing as these are both crucial to good tone. Oboe students are instructed both on assigned band pieces and various solo pieces ranging from classical repertoire to popular melodies chosen by the student. For both piano and oboe, Emma allows students to choose pieces they want to play and transcribes them according to the necessary skill level. 

Emma’s composition lessons offer a wide range of opportunities. Depending on area of interest, some lessons may be focused on classical theory rules and basic voice leading practices. Others may be more of a production lesson delving into the details of digital audio workstations and virtual instruments.

Whatever the student’s interest, Emma’s goal is to foster a love for music and help each student discover that they can play or compose almost anything they set their mind to. Her favorite thing about being a music teacher is seeing her students get excited about the material they’re working on, so she does everything she can to both challenge them and make sure their goals are always within their grasp.