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.
Allison instructs on piano and plays piano for weddings, funerals and other special events on a freelance basis. She has been a choral accompanist, service music leader and soloist. 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 teaches French horn and currently plays horn with Avec le Bois Woodwind Quintet and The Firefly Brass Duo; she’s performed with the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra, Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Summer Philharmonia and Concord Chamber Orchestra.
Allison has directed a number of groups, ranging from traditional choirs to handbells to wind ensembles – adult, high school, middle school and children’s ages.
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 has 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. WMV launched its own podcast, The Musician’s Venture (which Allison still contributes to), in the fall of 2020.
In “the biz” Allison is known by the name Allison Emm. She and her business have been featured on a variety of radio shows, TV news segments and other media. Allison has spoken on the topic of music business in classrooms at 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).