Emily Taylor Kaufman of Cooper City is passionate about singing, acting and dancing. The 8th grade student at Pioneer Middle School is on her way to turning her dream of appearing on Broadway and singing with Demi Lovato into a reality. This month, she will be on stage with Phil Collins and perform at Carnegie Hall.

Since Emily got her start at age six, she has won various first place trophies for her dance and vocal solos. She has been in 17 musicals, including Hairspray, Into the Woods, Annie and The Little Mermaid. She is a featured National Anthem singer for the Florida Marlins and the Miami Heat. She often performs for nonprofit organizations and the elderly.

“I feel very at home on the stage, whether acting or singing,” said Emily. “I love to entertain people and give them some joy in their day.”

Emily is part of the Little Dreams Foundation, founded by Phil Collins and his wife, Orianne Collins. On December 9, the group will be performing numerous songs at the “Dreaming on the Beach” Gala at the Fillmore Miami Beach. They will also back up Phil Collins and KT Tunstall on a song or two.

“I performed at the same event in 2016 and it was one of the highlights of my life,” said Emily. “We backed up Phil on a song, as well as Lou Gramm from Foreigner. The house was packed and it was a blast. It was the opportunity of a lifetime.”

On December 14, Emily will perform “Journey to the Past,” from the Broadway musical Anastasia, at Carnegie Hall for winning first place in the American Protege International Vocal competition for her age group in the Musical Theater category. She also won the Judges’ Distinction Award. This is the first time she will be performing at Carnegie Hall.

“I really love New York City,” said Emily. “It’s a big accomplishment to sing at places like Carnegie Hall and, one day, Madison Square Garden. I think all singers aspire to perform at famous venues. It is like a bucket list for performers.”
This year, she won Tri Rail’s South Florida Kids Got Talent Competition for her performance of “Don’t Rain on My Parade.” She will perform at the next competition as a past winner during the judges’ decision time.

Last month, Emily performed at the 8th annual Aventura Mall Young Stars Showcase at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center for the third time. She was one of nine singers, ages 13-18, that performed melodies. She sang a medley of Celine Dion songs and performed in a group number.

When Emily is not performing she can usually be found doing homework, spending time in nature, swimming or volunteering with animals. She is also a Youth Ambassador for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, a 6th year Girl Scout, and a member of the National Junior Honor Society.
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To learn more about Emily, visit her on social media @EmilyTaylorKaufman.

by Diane C. Lade

Emily Taylor Kaufman is a young girl who has impressive ambitions: to see her name in Broadway lights, sing before thousands during a halftime show, maybe take a recurring TV show role. She also has Type 1 diabetes, a potentially life-threatening medical condition requiring constant monitoring. The Cooper City middle school student isn't about to let that get in the way of her big dreams.She's one of 10 Florida youths taking the stage on Friday with multi-Grammy-winning performer Phil Collins as part of the Little Dreams Foundation's annual fundraising dinner and concert at The Fillmore Miami Beach. "They call us 'Dreamers'. There's a lot of competition out there but I'm not afraid," said Emily, 11, an upbeat, 75 pound powerhouse whose favorite songs are 'big belty' numbers. She was picked from more than 100 youngsters who auditioned for Little Dreams in Deerfield Beach last year after singing Whitney Houston's high-pitched ballad, "I Have Nothing".