Former teacher leaves profession to pursue career in music

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) -Two years of teaching in a pandemic has resulted in many teachers re-evaluating their careers. For one LPS teacher, it led her to follow her dream of creating music.

Emmy Hernandez taught family and consumer science at Lincoln Northeast High School. After spending nights and weekends creating music throughout her teaching career, Emmy is now pursuing her music career full-time.

“I just finished up my teaching year with LPS and throughout the last year, with making music video and making more music, I think it’s time a really invest in myself and my music and focus on making more songs making more music videos and filling my cup along the way,” Hernandez said.

Over the last year, Emmy has worked alongside her fiancé to bring her music to the forefront. Emmy, who performs under the name Emmy Jo, released her first-ever music video for her single, Yellow Year, last Tuesday following the end of the LPS school year.

Emmy partnered with a film director based in Los Angeles to create the video. After two years of teaching through a pandemic, Emmy said it was time to step away from the profession and focus on her passion.

“I think it’s time a really invest in myself and my music and focus on making more songs making more music videos and filling my cup along the way,” Hernandez said.

The music video is just the first drop of this summer. Emmy said she’s finishing up her first EP that is set to be released later this summer. She has two singles out on music streaming platforms.

“We kind of joke around that they’re sad girl bangers because I’m really inspired by emotion and typically when I’m upset or sad that inspires me,” Hernandez said.

Emmy said she plans to use her summer to release her EP and gain a following on social media to reach a broader audience.

“Moving forward I want to keep telling stories with my music and keep it authentic to either stories I’ve gone through or stories people in my life have gone through but I probably wont get too far away from my sad girl bangers,” Hernandez said.

Emmy’s latest song, “Yellow Year” is on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music.

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