My earliest memory is sitting at the piano next to my mom--my little legs dangling over the piano bench and the piano keys at my eyeballs. I "improvised" and felt great joy! A few years later, I began to jam with the whole family. Mom on piano, Dad on clarinet and sax, brother Jeremy on trumpet, and dog Smudgy providing rhythm with his tail banging against the door.

I attended Eastman School of Music and studied violin and piano as a kid. I remember one of my teachers, David Diamond, telling me that I had to practice more if I wanted to play at Carnegie Hall. I couldn't figure out what the big deal was--getting to play in Mr. and Mrs. Carnegie's hallway.

Years went on and I became a psychotherapist and teacher -- a great career for many years...until I fell in love with THE BASS! Turning my midlife crisis into a career as a jazz bassist sent me down a whole new path: music student again at age 50! This meant quitting my day job, school loans, endless practice, and an absolute passion and complete commitment to my new life. I've had fabulous teachers and experienced fabulous connections of all kinds--big bands, trios, blues bands, Dixieland, Carribean music, Jewish Klezmer...... a whole world opened up!

And...performance opened up the world of composing as well as teaching. There are endless tributaries, and many more to come.... all of it amazing!

Teaching Experience
For many years, Ellen taught ensemble, rhythm workshops, and jazz combo classes as well as private bass and piano. She is a substitute piano teacher at Seattle Central Community College and currently teaches private jazz ensemble classes and bass performance.

Education
Beyond her formal education, Ellen has studied with master teachers Hilliard Greene (bassist for Jimmy Scott), Brian Kirk (drummer for The Pointer Sisters), world-famous composer and arranger Allen Sanders, and internationally known bassists Chuck Deardorf and Doug Miller.

Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York: piano and violin

Syracuse University, New York: B.A. Psychology

State University of New York at Buffalo: M.S. Educational Psychology

Seattle Central Community College: Jazz Studies

Faunt School of Creative Music, California: Bass and Rhythm