Today we’d like to introduce you to Sherry Ellis
Hi Sherry, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Ever since I was a kid I’ve enjoyed music and books. I’d gravitate toward musical instruments above any other toys. There’s a picture of me three years old strumming a guitar my parents had gotten me for Christmas. When I was eight, I taught myself how to play the piano. Private lessons began when I was ten. Music was always something I enjoyed. I even had aspirations to become a viola soloist and perform all over the world. I’ve done a little of that, but not quite how I’d originally envisioned. After college, I started working in a bank. Driving all over the state doing gigs got a little tiring and I wanted benefits—a traditional job. While there, I met a lady who had two daughters who played violin in middle-school. She asked if I’d be interested teaching them. At that point, teaching really hadn’t crossed my mind. But, I thought I’d give it a try. A little extra money wouldn’t hurt. Turns out, I absolutely loved it. This was what I was meant to do. Eventually, I left the bank to teach full-time. I haven’t looked back. Along the way, I’ve played with orchestras and that eventually led to me becoming the Executive Director of the Georgia Philharmonic.
My author career has a different story. I always enjoyed reading, but I never envisioned myself as an author. When my son was a baby, he woke me up a lot. One night as I was sitting in the rocking chair and a poem started going through my head. Every time he woke me up, I added to it. By the end of the week, the poem was complete. I decided to share it with my daughter who was three years old. She thought it was good and said I should make it a book. The result was my book, That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN! After that, I just kept writing. Now I’m the author of ten books. I started doing bookstore, library, and school visits to market them. It’s been twenty years, and I’m still doing it.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Has it been easy? Not always. It has taken hard work and determination. I often share the story that it took ten years of revising and querying to finally find a traditional publisher for my book, Bubba and Squirt’s Big Dig to China. Perseverance is the key to success.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have been a musician and author for over thirty years. My career has been multi-faceted. As a musician, I perform with orchestras and teach. I’m currently the principal violist of the Georgia Philharmonic and Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra. I also teach violin, viola, and piano lessons at a conservatory in Johns Creek called Musik21. Some of the highlights of my musical career include being a semifinalist in the 2004 International Viola Competition in Paris, France, performing as a soloist in Germany, and performing Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody for Viola and Orchestra with The Georgia Philharmonic at Dragon Con 2024. I am also the Executive Director of the Georgia Philharmonic. Managing the business side of an arts organization has added a nice balance to my career.
As an author, I have ten published books. Most are children’s books—picture books and middle-grade books. I enjoy attending author events and connecting with young readers at school and library visits.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I think any performing artist or author is a risk-taker. We’re putting our craft out there for all to see. Sometimes that means criticism. It’s important to keep in mind that you can’t please everyone. The key is to do what you enjoy and do it to the best of your ability.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sherryellis.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherry_ellis_author/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sherryellisbooksandmusic/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherry-ellis-71585521/
- Twitter: https://x.com/513sherrye
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sherryellis4456
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sherry.ellis.author
Image Credits
Musician Photo Credits: Eric Burkhard
