Ellen Meadows

Pianist-Vocalist/Instructor/Writer

Hailing from Atlanta, GA, Ellen Meadows brings her love of music to the community. After many hours practicing as a young student, to the introduction to musical theatre productions and work in small ensembles throughout high school, she has followed the role of soloist, composer, bandmate, researcher, educator, music therapist and workshop facilitator. She has over twenty years of training in piano performance, four years in classical vocal training, and four years in Orff instruments (marimba, xylophone and metallophone). Styles include classical, folk, funk, soul, progressive rock, jazz, punk, gospel, musical theatre, and improvisational.

Beginning with teaching lessons at the age of 16, she has been an active music educator for ten years. She has held full-time instructor positions at Sandy Springs Music Studio, Highland Music Studio and has offers private instruction through after-school programs at 21st Century STEM Academy in Decatur, GA. During her time as a private instructor, Ellen has utilized different visual and tactile methods to help students with dyslexia, auditory processing and emotional disorders, approach reading music and learning to play piano in a unique way.

Her fascination with how music affects the brain continued with an older demographic. Ellen helped co-author and developed the curriculum for the research study entitled “The influence of piano playing on the neural and cognitive functioning in older adults”1 developed in 2011 and was published in 2013. She has helped adult students following head trauma, regain higher levels of concentration and memory recall through relaxation and auditory exercises. She has volunteered through Camp Cocoon, through Pruitt Healthcare, a camp designed to help children process grief following the loss of a family member or friend, through songwriting, group and solo performances.

Ellen aims to elicit freedom of the body and imagination through artistic expression, while also leading students to rudimentary skills to improve muscle strength, finger independence, and breath-control (while playing or singing). Awareness of the body and how it aids in kinetic and spatial awareness has led her to explore the Alexander Technique, yoga and other improvisational movement. She has studied the work and philosophy of the post-modern dance movement pioneered by Anna Halprin in Kentfield, CA, to encourage movement to music with those suffering from PTSD, muscular dystrophy and onset of Parkinson’s disease. Use of this technique has aided in her personal growth as a musician, while also helping students to avoid injury during long periods of preparation or performance.

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