Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Gullo.
Emma, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Growing up, my parents knew I was born to be an entertainer. I was put on a stage as soon as I could walk and immediately grounded myself under the lights. We could be at a dance recital or making home movies in our living room, it didn’t matter, if an audience was present, I was ON!
In my adolescent years, my dad got me involved with a program called “Talent Scout Cue52”; the goal of the program was to bring together musicians, singers, actors, and cinematographers to connect and build confidence in their entertainment path. I signed up for the musicians/singers boot camp, and this was the first opportunity I got to sing in front of people. It was from this program that I really discovered my strengths of entertaining people; I began to focus on vocal performances and grew out of my awkward stage presence. Cue52 was the bright ignition of it all.
When I was 14 years old, I was packing my suitcase eagerly for my first trip to Nashville. We were going to celebrate a family member’s birthday, but we would have a few free days to just explore the city and do annoying touristy things. With this in mind, my dad suggested that I bring my guitar along, saying “you never know what could happen”.
I remember walking down Broadway Street and passing every venue: seeing a different band pressed up against the windows, music pouring out for the crowds, there were street performers and musicians playing instruments out of household items. Music was everywhere. Art was just flowing. It was all beautifully overwhelming.
It was one of our free days, and my dad suggested that we could set up on a curb like some of the other performers we had seen. We got a crooked foldable chair, picked a free corner, and I plopped down with my guitar to begin my first song. This 2 hour plan turned into 7 when we had people coming up to us on the street with compliments and positive interactions. It was such an astounding revolution for me, I felt like it was a further sign that I was this was my calling.
When we got back, I had a solid desire to pursue music, and so my dad helped me create these homemade business cards and we drove around town looking for live music venues. This tactic didn’t work exactly like we hoped, we didn’t get much response, but when a friend of mine wanted another musician to support her at a gig, I took the opportunity graciously. It was this gig that I started getting noticed by the music community.
We created a Facebook page that night and started “booking gigs”. A steady incline of new gigs started filling my weekends; I got hired for my first weekly gig in Dahlonega on Thursdays, driving straight from school to various locations all over North GA. The more places I played, the more connections I made, realizing very quickly that the music community is a small world. For most of my teen years I stayed on a circuit like this, just following any opportunity that opened up.
If gig season was dry, we would attend open mic nights. It was about putting myself out there, getting in front of an audience, introducing myself to people, every little step forward we took was important. You never know what could happen.
When I was 18, my dad and I went to an open mic night at Good Ole Days in Cumming. We were unsure if they would even let me in the building, patrons had to be 21+, but ultimately we decided that it’d take 15 minute tops and we’d be in and out. The staff was super nice and talked to the manager for us who gave us the 15 minute okay. I didn’t realize how impactful this open mic night would be, but I would find myself back at Good Ole Days every weekend that summer. They gave me the chance to perform on their patio for tips, and if I started to gain a following, they’d put me on payroll. This gig became one of those revolutionary growth moments for me as an artist. I started cracking down on my style and building set lists, I even started “dressing the part”, I was finding my brand for the first time. The staff and management became a second family, I would play here for holiday events, lots of summer weekends, and it became my backbone that propelled me toward other local gig opportunities. For example, I booked a gig in wine country Dawsonville because of a couple I met at GOD. I got invited to Pelican Pete’s at Lake Lanier to play a 30 minute set, I signed up for Eddie Owen’s monthly singing contest at The Red Clay Theatre. Doors were opening.
And for the most part, here we are today. The music world has finally been opening back up since COVID-19 exploded. After being dormant during quarantine, I started really having to make big choices with my career. I could come out of this dark hole with no path or dive straight into rebuilding.
Since the beginning of 2021, I started my senior year of college and committed fully to life on the road. Every weekend I’m traveling to gigs, on Halloween I got the most incredible opportunity to play in Smith’s Ole Bar’s upstairs with Nobody’s Darlings, Greg Carey & the Feel, and Manorism.
I’ve partnered with BGR Productions to record my first EP! I’m hoping to release my first single at the end of this year and the rest in 2022!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not a smooth ride. Not in the slightest. These opportunities were amazing, but I was also a new high school kid when this started.
Truthfully, the mentality is “gigs come before everything”, I missed a lot of sleepover parties, social events, and became distant with once close friends. Plus, I was doing school and extracurriculars…I developed terrible sleeping habits, I was exhausted all the time. I really learned the hard way that I have to watch my energy tank and SLEEP. Once I got to college, I was able to prioritize and make a healthy schedule.
COVID was an extreme challenge, I mean everyone was struggling. I was rarely hired, venues could barely afford to pay their own staff much less a freelance performer. It took a lot of soul searching to reignite that motivation and drive, it had been over a year and a half since I did a live performance.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have a few covers that I am “known for”; my rendition of Bennie and the Jets, Jolene, Royals, and Free Fallin’ are probably my most requested covers from the audience. I really try to play to the crowd; classic rock, country, current pop, alternative, indie…I try to do it ALL! Every gig I get a read of the room and choose a setlist that I think that particular audience would enjoy.
I’ll perform and make jokes with the audience, we really spend three hours together laughing, talking, and enjoying music. I think that’s what makes our gigs so special, we all form a relationship throughout the night, it’s a genuine and positive atmosphere.
I’m so excited to finally share original music. For the past 7 years, I’ve been gigging and doing covers (which I also LOVE), but it’s finally time to take the next step! September of 2021, I began recording my first album! My first single will be coming out at the end of 2021, and I will hopefully be releasing the finished album in early 2022!
I think I’m most proud of the progress I’ve made as a 22 year old. I’ve been disciplined on understanding that these performance opportunities MUST come first, it makes me proud to know 14 year old me kick-started this drive.
What sets me apart…I do think I have a different-sounding voice, and I think that is what draws people to listen. But truly, again it comes back to the audience. Every performance is a brand new show, it’s never the same experience. I want to be a part of creating personal and everlasting moments for people. People will laugh with us, get up and dance with their partners, they sing along to their favorite songs, there is no feeling like it. It’s pure entertainment, it’s just people putting away their worries and having fun.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Peter J Gullo. My incredible, unbelievably supportive father. Out of 8 years of performances, I can count on one hand how many gigs he has missed.
He shows up. He goes out of his way to help me achieve my dreams. I can’t tell you how many times adult men have come up to him thanking him, praising him for going above and beyond as a parent, saying “I wish I was like you”. My dad has been my marketing, my roadie, my driver, my bodyguard, my manager…I may be the talent, but I wouldn’t even be close to where I am today without him. He really has been my number one cheerleader since the beginning, we are a great duo, we basically think the same. He taught me that working hard and pursuing ambition produces the greatest rewards, my work ethic definitely comes from him.
My mom, my siblings, honestly my whole family definitely deserves praise, they are all incredibly supportive; I’m extremely grateful and lucky to have the family I do, we are so close and encourage each other to go after our goals.
Kevin Jackson and the Cue52 mentors, my high school drama teacher Joni Smithwick, the Good Ole Days family, there are so many people that have positively affected this journey.
Pricing:
- $200 – 3 Hours
- $70 per hour
Contact Info:
- Email: egsingsofficial@gmail.com
- Instagram: @egsings
- Facebook: @egsings
- Youtube: @emmagullosings
- Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPd2eexTw/
Image Credits:
Peter J. Gullo
Monique Gullo
Shelby Lauren Smith
Eddie Owen’s Presents
Emma Gullo
