EMEAPP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our mission is to preserve and share the history, artists, sounds, equipment and technology of electronic music, keeping it relevant and accessible for future generations.
ABOUT US
EMEAPP (pronounced ehm-eee-app) is an acronym that stands for Electronic Music Education and Preservation Project. EMEAPP’s primary mission is to serve as the caretaker of one of the world’s most comprehensive private collections of modular, lead and poly synths, electro-mechanicals, amplifiers, guitars, basses, effects and recording gear.
The collection includes an extraordinary selection of rare, historical prototypes of instruments which would later become some of the most important in music history. The collection also contains many early production examples, meaning the first versions to hit the retail market.
Many items in the collection have VIP artist provenance, from Steve Howe, Chick Corea, The Allman Brothers, Parliament Funkadelic, Black Sabbath, The Who, Genesis, Bo Diddley, Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Emerson, Yes, Kraftwerk, Neil Young, John Lennon, Pink Floyd, Cheap Trick, Queen, and the list goes on. New items are added regularly to further expand this amazing world-class collection.
It is important to note that the majority of items in our building are part of this private collection and do not belong to EMEAPP. EMEAPP has been given access to this collection with the understanding that we will preserve and maintain it for future generations while also making it accessible to the public for educational and artistic purposes. EMEAPP also maintains a smaller collection of its own, consisting mostly of instruments and equipment that were donated directly to us.
WE FOCUS ON EDUCATION
EMEAPP maintains a strong focus on educating the public about the pieces of music history that make up our collection. We regularly produce original articles and videos discussing and demonstrating the pieces in our collection. Through our EMEAPP Interviews video series and our Innovator Profiles articles, we are making a special attempt to document history and stories as told by the inventors, pioneers, performers, and stage techs of electronic and popular music.
In addition, we regularly host concerts and workshops where the public can see and hear our collection in person. We are currently scanning and indexing an enormous set of incredibly rare print resources including user manuals, hand-drawn schematics, and other ephemera related to the history of electronic music — when scanning is complete, we will be making the entire collection searchable on our website. We also maintain a comprehensive collection of detailed photographs of these instruments which we make available for licensing by request.
We make a special effort to ensure that the knowledge within our walls is passed down to younger generations. In addition to maintaining a strong presence on social media, we regularly host groups of high school and college-age students and their teachers. We are the the process of creating a series of video lessons on sound science as well as a presentation that can be taken “on the road” and given at school auditoriums. We have given talks and workshops at local colleges and recently presented a session on basic synthesis at the first annual Musikfest Industry and Education Conference. And we are currently in the process of building out an in-house educational classroom and mini-recording studio so that we can host classes and workshops here at our facility.
…AND ON PRESERVATION
As part of our responsibility as the caretakers of this amazing private collection, EMEAPP makes educated decisions as to the degree of restoration needed for each piece. EMEAPP has a large selection of electronic gear with historical importance, with many having artist provenance or being limited production instruments/rare prototypes. Sometimes in these cases, we strive to preserve an item in original untouched condition for posterity. In other cases, we undertake complete rebuilds in an effort to restore an instrument to factory-spec functionality. EMEAPP maintains relationships with several talented technicians who visit our facility on a regular basis to repair and restore our instruments. We maintain a fully outfitted workshop (affectionately known as the “hospital”) for our technicians to use as well as an extensive set of repair parts and parts instruments so that we are able to use original-era parts when we can.
In addition, the physical facilities at EMEAPP were carefully designed to provide a secure and climate-controlled environment for proper preservation of vintage electronics and musical instruments. Our facilities are positively pressured and humidity controlled and provide access to both American and European power.
Our reputation for proper restoration and preservation has led many organizations as well as musicians and their families to reach out to us when considering where they want their priceless instruments to end up. EMEAPP is the current home of Keith Emerson’s modular Moog (e.g. “the most dangerous synthesizer in the world”) as well as the caretakers of the crucially important Minimoog prototypes – the Models A, B, C, and D.
THE FUTURE
Keep your eyes on this site to discover new upgrades as EMEAPP continues to develop. Interested in more info? Join us as a free member and be the first to know. You are also welcome to contact us directly via email at info@emeapp.org or by using our Contact Us page.
Thank you for visiting!
MORE ABOUT US
We want you to feel comfortable when dealing with EMEAPP. Here are some more details about who we are and how we roll.
EMEAPP is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, or socioeconomic background. View our full Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement.
EMEAPP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. View our complete Financial/Legal Information.
EMEAPP will never misuse or sell your personal information. View our Privacy Policy.
