Bio

Allison studied music (horn) and new media/journalism at Valparaiso University (’05), where she also continued piano and vocal training. In 2011 she graduated from Concordia University in Wisconsin with a Master of Church Music degree, emphasis in choral conducting.

In June of 2025 Allison moved to northern Virginia to take on a new role as Director of Worship Arts at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Springfield. She has been a music director on staff at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (West Allis, WI), Mt. Olive Lutheran Church & School (Milwaukee, WI), Martin Luther High School (Greendale, WI) and Wauwatosa Presbyterian Church (WI). She has directed many different groups, ranging from traditional choirs to handbells to wind ensembles – adult, high school, middle school and children’s ages.

Allison has composed and arranged music for brass, handbells and mixed vocals/congregation. Her brass duo premiered her own original compositions in 2022 at the International Women‘s Brass Conference in Denton, TX and again at the same event in Hartford, CT in 2025.

Allison has instructed on piano and has played piano for weddings, funerals and special events on a freelance basis. She has been a choral accompanist (Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Wauwatosa), service music leader (The Congregational Home in Brookfield) and soloist (additional events). As a vocalist she has done comparable things; generally freelance wedding and funeral solo work. She has sung with The Milwaukee Choristers and Vox Antiqua early music ensemble.

Allison has taught French horn and has played horn with Avec le Bois Woodwind Quintet and The Firefly Brass Duo; she was a substitute performer with the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra and freelances in various other capacities.

Allison began Wisconsin Music Ventures in the summer of 2019 as a way to offer musician friends fun, engaging performance experiences while serving as accessible listening opportunities for her private music students and others who might like to “find” the live music. Since COVID-19, WMV shifted to become a diverse music community that helps musicians thrive in Wisconsin – through its continuation of hosting/co-hosting live music events, promotional support and networking efforts directed primarily toward member musicians.

In “the biz” Allison is known by the name Allison Emm. She and her business have been featured on a number of radio shows, TV news segments and other media. Allison has spoken on the topic of music business in classrooms at UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, UW-Oshkosh, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Millikin University (IL) and more. 

Allison has worn a variety of hats within the arts and entertainment field: from music journalism to house management to box office to arts education to orchestral business management to marketing; having been everything from the Executive Director of a local symphony orchestra to a Guitar Festival Consultant. As a musician she has worked as a performer, conductor, composer, arranger and accompanist. She’s also been actively involved as a volunteer with local non-profits such as the Tosa Farmers Market (Fundraising Chair/Vice-President), 88 Nine Radio Milwaukee (Music Education Task Force) and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (Docent for Educational Programming).