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our story begins...
We had the passion. We had the drive.
But what we didn’t have were the resources and knowledge to succeed in today’s modern music industry.
Our shared frustration quickly found a home in San Francisco coffee shops. We met before work to exchange insight and accomplishments, share tips, swap resources, and provide support for one another. The more we learned, the more we realized others could benefit from this. In fact, everyone should benefit from this. We could save others valuable time and unnecessary frustration - because as Robert Ingersoll put it so simply, “We rise by lifting others.”
…and E.M.P. was born, an organization which focuses on entrepreneurship within the music and performing arts businesses. Our goal is to create a community that provides much-needed support in an industry that is largely DIY. We strive to be a go-to for all things that can help you succeed. Literature on financial planning, how-to’s on marketing, resources for grants, and much much more. Most importantly, we aim to be a live network of successful and supportive artists.
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how it works...
You will find a list of resources we have personally benefited from under our page.
Join us for an event! Each month we invite a guest artist to share a meal with in a private and intimate environment. Hear their story, ask questions, get advice, learn their tips, and most importantly, connect with a community of musicians just like you.
*limited to 8 seats per event. please reserve your spot
meet the founders...
When Alli Gessner picked up an oboe for the first time in 9th grade, she had no idea that she was picking up her life's work. She is passionate about teaching music to students of all levels in private lessons, as well as group classes. Alli is a versatile musician, at home in chamber, orchestral, and non-traditional performances, freelancing with Stockton Symphony, Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, Sacramento Philharmonic, and One Found Sound ensemble.
Before pursuing her musical career full time, Alli was the General Manager of a dog walking company in Chicago. In her 5 years working at Dogs Deserve It, she helped grow the company exponentially. She is now building on her business knowledge to manage her musical career juggling a large private lesson studio, active freelancing schedule, and create multi-disciplinary performance pieces with her duo Floboe Productions Studio.
Victoria attended the Molnar Antal school of music in Budapest, Hungary alongside San Francisco State University for violin performance. Following her studies, she lived in Buenos Aires studying tango violin, which she continues in the Bay Area by performing with her trio and Quartet. Victoria is an active free-lance musician, having held recent engagements with numerous Bay Area symphonies, as well as Berkeley Play house, San Francisco Playhouse, Marin Theater Company, 42nd Street Moon and Opera Cultura. She has shared the stage with popular acts such as Sarah Brightman and DJ Spooky, and recorded for commercials, movie scores, video games, and a diverse clientele of Bay Area artists. When she is not performing, Victoria teaches violin in her private studio, serves as the string clinician at CHS, and mentors for SF Art and Film.
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Courtney Wise holds a B.M. from USC Thornton School Of Music and a Masters of Music from the SF Conservatory where she studied with Tim Day. She is a co-founding member of Duo Bohème which boasts a wide repertoire of varying genres of flute and guitar music from around the world and which released its debut album, Senza Misura, in 2014. Courtney enjoys an active career as a freelance flutist and flute teacher.
Courtney is also the co-founder and executive director of the ballet and orchestral group Art Haus Collective and has produced their performances of Firebird (2019), We, Human (2018), and Pictures at an Exhibition (2018) and Rite of Spring (2017) at Burning Man. She specializes in pairing classical and contemporary music with large-scale art pieces, and enjoys collaborating with artists of all mediums from around the globe.