Em Zanleoni

Em Zanleoni is a folk artist from small-town Vermont. Her experience as a church piano player, an opera singer, and a job as a high school psychotherapist reflected her lifelong twin dedication to both music and mental health. After a teen suicide cluster in her area, Em started Musicians Uncovered with Music to Life’s help. The program gives rural teens the chance to learn about music and create original songs/music, beat poetry, music videos, and other music-driven activities; they also learn how they can use music as a coping skill and tool for resilience. Musicians Uncovered features weekly guest artists (musicians, DJs, and producers) that show hard-to-reach kids the “many hats the solo artist wears,” and the multitude of job opportunities available in the music industry. Although it started as an in-person space to let kids play various instruments, since the program is “really about the connection more than anything,” Em successfully pivoted to an online format during pandemic lockdowns. As of October 2020, she had two confirmed collaborators and two funding sources in process.