A passionate music lover, Genevieve Spielberg, our NJ Mompreneur of the Week, had thought about pursuing a life on the stage. But a reality check and an education in the music business led her to work behind the scenes at the top artist management firm in the country, with the who’s who of classical music for over a decade. Seeing a need to deliver a full-service experience to clients that other management firms weren’t offering, Genevieve struck out on her own and opened her eponymous firm, Genevieve Spielberg Inc.(aka GSI Artists). Over 25 years later, she’s built a client roster of award-winning musicians and even broke a Guinness Book Of World Record while raising three boys. We caught up with this Summit mom to discover where her love of classical music came from, the local organization closest to her heart, and the on-demand ice cream truck her family can’t get enough of.
Genevieve Spielberg, the owner of GSI Artists and our NJ Mompreneur of the Week.
Tell us a bit about your family and background. My husband, Armin Frey, is from Switzerland, and his entire family is in Europe, but we chose to raise our family in Summit because my parents lived here, and the proximity to New York, strong school system, and supportive community were a draw. We have three beautiful boys, Spencer, 24, graduated from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and was also an Evans Scholar. He now works in recruiting. Justin, 23, recently graduated from ECLC, a school for special needs kids, and Carter, 19, is a rising Sophomore at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. He’s studying Finance and is also an Evans Scholar. Due to my dad’s engineering career for international companies, growing up, we moved around a lot. I lived in Los Angeles, the Hague (in Holland), Kansas City, Summit, and Mexico City, before heading to Syracuse University for my degree. While there, I worked for the Syracuse Symphony and worked in hospitality to manage the needs of the artists and bands that performed at the Dome and other venues, and through that, I met many incredible artists, including Dizzy Gillespie, James Taylor, the Rolling Stones, Cindy Lauper, REM, Frank Zappa and more.
Where did your love of music come from? My mother was a pianist and educator, so I was exposed to the arts at a young age. I took dance and art lessons and played the flute and piano, and I was actually all set to pursue a career in performance, but the reality check of success as a performing artist led me to choose a career in the business of music. It’s more stable, and I still am surrounded by the music I love.
Please share a bit about your career background and what led you to launch your business. Syracuse University was the perfect fit for me to get my education. Though today there are many music business programs throughout the country, at the time, schools would offer classes in music history and accounting and call it Music Business. At Syracuse, I learned about contracts and copyright law through the Law School, recording technology through the university’s Newhouse School of Communications, and how to write a great press release through the Management School. Two days after graduating, I started working at ICM Artists, the leading artist management firm at the time. It couldn’t have been a better first step as I had the opportunity to work for artists including Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, James Galway, and Radu Lupu, to name a few. I even found myself in a limo with Baryshnikov 4 weeks into the job.
After 11 years there, I was ready to go out on my own to offer services to artists not being addressed in the classical music artist management sector at the time. We’ve been around for 25 years and offer PR and management services to a boutique roster of notable artists. To name a few, our current and former clients include multiple Grammy Award-winning conductor JoAnn Falletta, multiple Grammy Award-winning guitarist Sharon Isbin, Pulitzer prize-winning composer Kevin Puts, and Tchaikovsky Piano Competition Gold Medalist Barry Douglas. We negotiate publishing and record deals, handle equipment endorsements, work with designers to dress our clients, put together consortiums of presenters for new works, and more. I love that we’re involved with many facets of our clients’ careers. Another aspect of our business is working on recording projects and institutional PR, such as for the National Flute Association, where we orchestrated the breaking of the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest flute orchestra.
Sharon Isbin, one of GSI’s many award-winning artists, posing with her GRAMMY at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards, held in Los Angeles, California. Image: Michael Buckner/WireImage.com
Are there any particular causes that are important to you? Our family is involved in the Friendship Circle as Justin has participated in their programs since he was 5. The beauty of this organization is that they pair special needs individuals with neurotypical kids to engage in a variety of activities. Justin loves participating in their programming, but the individuals who help kids like Justin get so much out of it too. They experience and witness firsthand that just because someone might look or act differently, they are still wonderful and have so much to offer. This interaction teaches them to be unafraid of the unknown and more accepting of others, which they carry with them for the rest of their lives. Over the years, Spencer and Carter have volunteered for them. Taking on advocacy for individuals with disabilities is close to my heart. I was very active in getting the legislation that provided for individuals like Justin, who lost so much during the pandemic trying to learn via Zoom, to get an additional year of school. When the legislation passed, Justin was allowed to stay on an extra year beyond his education entitlement, which has significantly impacted his development. That being said, those with special needs “fall off the cliff” when they turn 21 because there’s a sudden drop in educational and therapeutic services for them after this age, which is a major concern of mine right now.
How supportive is your family? As the mother of an adult child with disabilities, who can never be left alone and has had 20 surgeries to date, it takes a village. I am ever so grateful to have a partner and children that participate in caring for and managing our family and home. Still, with my eldest child moving to Hoboken and my youngest away at school most of the year, organization is key to keeping things running smoothly. It’s not always easy and takes an emotional toll, but so far, so good, and I am so thankful for my family every single day.
Genevieve’s three sons are actively involved in The Friendship Circle, a social services organization where people with unique abilities and their families, volunteers, supporters, and staff come together for social and recreational activities.
Tell us about some of your favorite NJ businesses and why you love them. I’m a big fan of The Bar Method in Summit. It’s an excellent workout for all body types; the staff and community are very supportive. And, as an exercise in contrast, our family loves the Scream Truck, especially on hot summer days. It’s an on-demand state-of-the-art ice cream truck, and Justin is a big fan of their vanilla milkshakes. Seeing his face light up with joy when the truck drives up in front of our home and delivers him a freshly made shake makes me very happy.
What are some NJ spots that you and your family enjoy? As arts consumers, we thoroughly enjoy the programming at NJPAC and love their offerings for the entire family, from jazz and classical concerts to children’s musical shows. My kids are also really into golf and have played all over the state, which brings me so much joy because my father loved the game, and he would be thrilled if he saw his grandsons sharing the passion for his favorite sport.
What’s your best advice for a mompreneur that’s just starting? I highly recommend doing information interviews. There’s so much to be gained by learning about other people’s experiences—you never know where that connection might lead. But the best advice I can offer is, “kill them with kindness,” and don’t forget to say thank you. Even when frustrated, there has never been more truth to the saying you catch more bees with honey. When I have to deliver bad news, I do my best to frame my messaging in a kind way—one never knows when you might have to work with them again.
For more information on Genevieve Spielberg and Genevieve Spielberg, Inc., please see their website and Facebook pages.
