Prep Alumni Spotlight: Emi Ferguson '05 Prep
A 2023 recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant, Emi Ferguson '05 Prep thrives as both a soloist and a collaborator, appearing at major festivals and concert halls around the world.
What does NEC Prep mean to you?
I think every teenager who’s excited about the arts has a moment when they realize they’re no longer the odd one out, but suddenly swimming in a sea of peers who are just as passionate and curious about music as they are. For me, NEC Prep was that place. Every Saturday felt like stepping into a haven filled with people who shared my love and dedication to music. NEC Prep gave me room to explore many musical curiosities. Whether through ensemble playing with MYWE and YPO, chamber music groups with people who I’m still close with today, music theory classes with both classical and jazz faculty, and “special” private lessons (more on that below!) Beyond Gainsborough St, NEC Prep opened the world to me through performances that stretched far beyond Boston through eye opening and magical tours to South and Central America.
Can you share an experience you’ve had in your career that has felt the most rewarding?
Returning to NEC to work with students has been incredibly rewarding. There’s something uniquely meaningful about coming back to the place where you first began to understand who you are as a musician, and then getting to share what you’ve learned with students today. Many NEC faculty members knew me when I was a teenager, and have since welcomed me back as a colleague, something that will always be very meaningful. I’m always humbled and grateful for that full-circle moment - they shaped me into the musician I am today, and now they empower me to help shape those who will follow.
Share a story about one of your favorite faculty or studio instructors.
After spending two summers just down the street at Berklee’s Five-Week Program, I returned in the fall to NEC Prep determined to continue my fledgling jazz flute studies. At the time, there was no jazz flute faculty, but NEC Prep didn’t see that as a limitation. Instead, they paired me with jazz trumpet professor Peter Kenagy, who graciously welcomed a flute player into his studio. I’m so grateful to Peter for introducing me to and sharing the importance of the art of transcribing by ear, not only as a way to internalize style and understand a player’s musical decisions in recorded music, but as a powerful self-teaching tool. In many ways, it mirrors how I think about Baroque performance practice or exploring the performance traditions of living composers - listening deeply and learning from the source so that it can then become another color in one’s musical toolkit. That early ear-training became foundational for me. It shaped my musicianship and later served me well during my 15 years teaching Ear Training at Juilliard. And it continues to support my work today, whether I’m creating a score for music that exists only in recordings, arranging pieces that haven’t yet found their way to the page, and improvising and responding in real time to my colleagues on stage.
Do you have any advice for young professionals, musicians, and current NEC students?
If I had one piece of advice, it would be to go to as many concerts in Jordan Hall (and beyond) as you possibly can. Soak it all in. You never know what will spark inspiration or open a new door in your artistry. We make music because it moves us, and because it connects us to others. Hold on tightly to that bigger picture, especially when the day to day gets challenging. Let curiosity, joy, and community keep leading the way.
Learn More About Emi:
Current Job: Professional Flutist
Program: NEC Preparatory School
Instrument: Flute
Calling all NEC Prep Alumni!