BIOGRAPHY
One of the San Francisco Bay Areas busiest music directors, jazz singer Ellen Robinson has helped take many a vocalist from the level of simply wanting to sing to the stage. She's notable for arranging and guiding vocalists toward mastery of nearly any genre of song. Nonetheless, Ellen is definitely at home as a performer herself with a bevy of sold out shows.
In addition to her own jazz performance dates and recording projects, Ellen is currently the Director of the Anything Goes Choruses in San Francisco (Community Music Center), and Oakland (First Congregational Church). These are community choruses for men and women which she founded in 1980. She also directs two women’s performing ensembles called Girlfriendz and Treble Makers, and teaches a beginning singing class for women called Swingshift Singers. Ellen has worked with literally thousands of students throughout her life and continues to be a gifted and dedicated vocal coach.
Ellen’s musical journey has led her through many genres: folk, rock, Blue Grass, an Andrew Sisters type trio called The Spoolie Sisters, Cabaret venues, a women’s a cappella sextet from 1989-2005 called Vocolot, and currently jazz. Her CD “Mercy! Ellen Robinson Live” released in 2006, captures those one-of-a-kind performances in a compilation of songs selected from concerts performed since her last CD “On My Way To You” released in 2001. She produced both of these recordings on her own EMR MUSIC label with jazz radio personality and drummer, Bud Spangler.
EDUCATION
Ellen is a member of National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).
Bachelor of Music, Ithaca College, Graduate Study: Bank Street College of Education, SUNY-Stony Brook, Hofstra University, C.W. Post.
Ellen has been a Vocal Instructor for adults at U.C. Berkeley Extension, a Choral Director for teenagers in the Oakland Youth Chorus, and a Music Instructor for children at Walden Center and School in Berkeley and Beacon Day School in Oakland, CA.
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