Emilia was born into a musical family in San Diego, Califormia, where she grew up singing, dancing, and playing the oboe. She continued to pursue her love of music and Chapman University, where she received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal and Oboe Performance. Having taught music to her dolls since childhood, she fell in love with teaching music to children during her undergraduate studies.

While working on her masters and graduate certificate in oboe performance at USC, Emilia began teaching at PLAY and fell in love with early childhood music. She simultaneously began teaching various different music classes in underprivileged schools through USC's Thornton Community Engagement Program. In 2018, Emilia and her mother created a kids music duo, Ruth and Emilia, releasing two award-winning albums with the goal of inspiring young minds to be their very best, while making the world a better place.

In 2022, Emilia moved to San Francisco and found that she was missing the communities she had left behind in Southern California. In 2025, she created Malinky as a way to create community through music and language. Emilia hopes that through these classes and performances, she can spread joy and create nurturing environments where children can grow and thrive.