Interview with Émily Bégin

Émily Bégin is part of a large and wonderful blended family. She hosts a reality show that highlights the importance of listening, and she is a multidisciplinary artist whose work is based on hearing. Charismatic and generous, she took the time to answer a few questions.

How important is hearing in your daily life?

My four-year-old son Théodore is in a crucial phase of his language development. We are working hard to teach him to speak well. Also, the tone of his voice is beautiful when we sing nursery rhymes. Sometimes we’ll listen to music, and he’ll be humming it the next day. He really has a musical ear, and it’s adorable!

Do you experience noise issues with such a large family?

Not at all. In my family, we are people who talk loudly and laugh loudly. We even put on music at the same time. However, I frequently ask the kids to turn down the volume on the TV or tablet when they’re watching a movie. With all the other sounds of a house inhabited by two adults and four children, it quickly becomes a cacophony. I’m also trying to protect their hearing and get them used to watching TV at a reasonable volume. When Théodore was younger, Guillaume (Lemay-Thivierge) and I performed at the theatre. We bought him earmuffs, because the noise level at those shows can be high and harmful to a young child’s hearing.

What is it like to communicate with your stepchildren as a stepmother?

It’s going well, they’re really good kids. With Charlie (Lemay-Thivierge), who is 20 years old, I’m more like a big sister. We talk about all kinds of things about life, and I give her advice. Sometimes her parents even ask me to discuss some of the most delicate subjects with her.

Are there any hearing problems in your family?

There is no hereditary hearing loss in my family. My father is completely deaf in one ear because of a virus.

What are your fondest auditory memories?

I immediately think of the evenings at my parents’ cabin. The moments around the fire are very unifying for us. We talk, we laugh, we sing, and we play guitar. Some sing well and some sing badly, but we like that!

Do you have any hobbies that require you to protect your hearing?

Come to think of it, I need to protect my hearing when I go skydiving. Skydivers usually wear a helmet and goggles. I prefer to wear a full-face helmet. I find it less deafening when I’m free falling at 200 km/h. It makes the noise from the wind much less intrusive.

When you sing, do you wear hearing protection?

At the beginning of my career, I only used the speakers on stage. When I started singing professionally with Star Académie in 2003, we wore in-ear monitors. It really changed the way I work. I didn’t have to project my voice as much because I could hear myself much more clearly. So, the monitors help to protect my voice and improve my singing. They’re essential for me whenever I’m on stage.

What role does listening play in a show like Si on s’aimait?

It plays a big part! Listening is the basis of our role in the program. Guillaume and I watch the episodes as you do at home. We don’t have scripts written in advance. The director captures our natural reactions and puts the most interesting clips into the version that will be shown to the audience. We need to pay close attention so that we can make comments that are relevant to what the participants are experiencing. We also need to make sure we follow the sequence of events so that we can discuss what happened with Louise Sigouin, the psychologist. If we weren’t good listeners, it wouldn’t be the same show at all!

What are your next projects?

The third season of Si on s’aimait is coming in the fall, and we can’t wait. I am also co-director for the new Sunday night show, Chanteurs masqués, hosted by Guillaume. I’m behind the camera and I really like it.

Thank you, dazzling Émily, for this nice interview!