LIVE MUSIC: Emily Watkins & Sue Orfield

An Eau Claire native, Emily has been an active part of the Chippewa Valley music scene for more than a decade. She performed for four semesters with the Grammy-nominated University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire Jazz Ensemble I, which earned a DownBeat Award for Best Undergraduate College Big Band, and has played guitar with the Chippewa Valley Jazz Orchestra since 2012. A versatile musician, Emily performs across jazz, funk, folk, blues, classical, and rock, and since 2018 has served as the guitarist, booking manager, and co-arranger for the award-winning variety band Uncommon Denominator. She has also played in pit orchestras for nearly 30 musicals, including a season with Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre in Colorado. In addition to performing, Emily is a dedicated educator with nearly ten years of private teaching experience, offering guitar, ukulele, and beginner bass lessons to students of all ages and skill levels.

Sue Orfield has been playing the saxophone for close to 40 years, with the last 10 or so right here in the Chippewa Valley.