Anything Goes Chorus Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Ellen Robinson, founder of the Anything Goes Chorus, has been teaching singers and directing vocal groups for over 30 years. Find her listing in OPEN EXCHANGE's Music category.

Music is her passion and her mission is to get the world singing—one person at a time. Meet Ellen Robinson, the Bay Area's pied piper of singing. Vocalist, composer, pianist, choral director, and educator, Ellen is gearing up to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the chorus she founded and directs in both Oakland and San Francisco, The Anything Goes Chorus.

Joined by Ellen's other choral groups Girlfriendz, Treble Makers, and Swingshift Singers and featuring a solo from Ellen herself, The Anything Goes Chorus 30th Annual Spring Concert is a heart-opening celebration of Bay Area diversity at its best—from the variety of jazz, Broadway and pop songs to the sprinkling of props and choreography.

Ellen feels extremely blessed to be able to make her living working exclusively doing what she loves—music. "Singing in a group is a truly joyful experience that enhances the life of every person who participates and can help you to find your own voice in other areas of your life," she says enthusiastically. "In addition, we can create harmony in the world through harmonizing in song."

The vocal groups Ellen directs certainly create a lot of harmony in concert halls and clubs - and even in unlikely venues such as assisted living facilities and homeless shelters in San Francisco and Berkeley, and shows in local prisons produced by Bread & Roses. Another outlet for Ellen's talents is teaching musical theatre at Stagebridge Senior Theater Company, where her older students learn vocal and acting skills while developing a workshop presentation of one of America's classic Broadway musicals. As if she weren't busy enough, Ellen finds time to teach at the Jazzschool in Berkeley, and is a private vocal coach.

In addition to leading others in song, Ellen is a gifted jazz vocalist, and she is currently working on her third CD. Her repertoire ranges from swinging up-tempo rhythms to the hushed intensity of ballads. Celebrated for impeccable timing, clever phrasing and her expertise in telling a story with warmth and vulnerability, she does it all with style and panache.  The songs she writes are full of quirky rhythms and catchy melodies like the lady herself — upbeat and always in motion.

The joy Ellen brings to her live performances shines a radiant light on rare gems and highlights the spontaneous interplay with her talented band mates. She performs with her quartet in Bay Area venues such as Yoshi's Jazz Club, and will be appearing on May 15 at the Freight and Salvage. Ellen has enjoyed collaborations with many talented jazz musicians, including pianists Murray Low, Ben Flint, and Ken French; bass players Sam Bevan, John Wiitala, and John Schifflett; reed players Kristen Strom, Charles McNeal, and Harvey Wainapel; and drummers Bud Spangler, Jeff Mars and John Arkin.

Surrounded by music all her life, Ellen grew up on the east coast and began learning piano at age 9. She taught herself guitar at age 11, sang in her high school chorus, earned a Bachelor of Music degree with a major in piano from Ithaca College, and performed as a singer/songwriter in folk clubs in New York City. When she moved to California, she began to explore the world of jazz and has been performing as a jazz vocalist ever since. Studying with the legendary Mark Murphy, jazz vocalist Madeline Eastman, scat singer extraordinaire Kitty Margolis, and cabaret performer Faith Winthrop, Ellen developed her own style as an adventurous singer and classy musician with a repertoire full of surprises.

In Ellen's own words, "Music is what I was put here to do. To sing and to help people find their voice. I used to think teaching and singing were frivolous, but I've discovered doing music is probably one of the most important things to do. Being a performer is powerful, it can destroy you or you can use it to do something good for the world. Why not say something good that lifts people up?"

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