Frank, i just saw ur story and was afraid it may disappear when a new issue comes out, so i brought it here and now no need to click on it. I shared your story w. the family and enjoyed the story and finally got a good look at your picture.
have a great weekend.
==================== here is the rest of the story --------------
Destined to musical heights
By Sunshine Werbock
Times Staff Writer
Northeast musical genius Frank Ellis begins to conduct one of his original compositions. The whole orchestra is on cue and ready to create
magic. With the gentle motion of Ellis's hand, the pianos begin to sing, first trickling like drops, then tumbling in tides, a building waterfall of
melody.
With his left hand, the maestro layers the languid moan of a clarinet with a chorus of violins, sounds blending like strokes on a canvas.
With a sweep of a finger, he commands an exodus of sound, a musical conversation with a dozen instruments sharing harmony. He
choreographs the crescendo, horns leading the way, strings and piano gracefully gliding in their wake to complete the movement.
Miraculously, none of the orchestra members are ill. There are no haughty attitude problems. The whole orchestra plays for free. And
nobody has to be home at any specific time - which is good, since it's 4:30 a.m. and the whole orchestra is in the spare bedroom of Ellis's
Mayfair rowhouse.
In fact, the whole orchestra fits on a couple of computer chips in Ellis's synthesizer keyboards.
Ellis, 51, is the creator of the national New Age hit Destiny, a new album that employs the use of a synthesized orchestra to create
inspirational compositions. Although Ellis, a full-time letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, has been enlightening the lives of others with
his music for decades, Destiny has become a national success thanks to the Internet.
Though Ellis does credit technology with helping to speed up the composition process (Imagine how many symphonies Beethoven might
have churned out using a Macintosh.), he has been touching others with his piano playing since he was a teenager.
"I was a late bloomer," Ellis said, laughing.
He had always loved the classics &endash;&endash; relishing Chopin and the powerful sound of symphonies &endash;&endash; but the
desire to play music himself didn't hit until Ellis was about 17.
"I heard one of my teachers playing Heart and Soul on the piano, and I asked him if he would teach me how to play it," Ellis recalled. "I
was hooked."
After a bit of self-instruction, Ellis enrolled in the Settlement Music School in Center City and later studied at the Philadelphia Conservatory
for two years. His baby steps into the music industry brought him to engagements in small rooms and nightclubs.
But it wasn't long before Ellis was playing high-end gigs, like the Barclay Hotel, the Bellevue-Stratford and the Cherry Hill Inn.
"I still needed a steady gig," Ellis said, "and I found one at the post office."
For the past 10 years, Ellis has been a mail carrier at the Jenkintown Post Office. And when he wasn't slinging mail or spending quality
time with his wife, Ellis has spent 10 years perfecting his craft and writing original music.
In 1988, Ellis wrote a song for a Christmas-themed broadcast for AM Philadelphia. Again, he was hooked. Scores of songs poured out of
him. Ellis found inspiration at every turn, quickly penning Italian Rhapsody after a lovely trip to Italy and writing Destiny I after watching
the surf glide over the sand in Cape May, N.J.
"Music just started rushing through," he said. "Other times I'll go to the piano and not wait for the inspiration."
A few years ago, Ellis decided that he wanted to record his compositions with a lush, full sound - the harmony and chorus of a full
orchestra.
So he created his own.
Using several synthesizers, a computer, a mixer and digital recorder, Ellis was suddenly able to put music to his vision, layering horns,
strings and piano with meticulous care and joy.
"It's amazing the things you can do," he said.
And there were definitely some advantages to having a virtual orchestra at his fingertips, Ellis added. For example, he never has to deal
with sick musicians or prima-donna attitudes.
"They don't take breaks or ask for pay raises either," Ellis quipped.
The result was a collection of six inspirational New Age pieces. Last year, he took them all to a studio in Pennsauken, N.J., where they
were remixed and transformed into CDs and cassettes titled, aptly, Destiny.
"It was terrific having my first real CD," Ellis recalled. "It was an awesome experience."
Two months ago, Ellis had a Web page installed on California's Underground Music Association site so that folks around the world could
sample some Destiny or order the album with a credit card.
About 500 copies have been sold so far. And the thank-you letters Ellis has received are rather touching.
"It is truly some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard," wrote one fan. "I can only describe the feeling as pure drama, full of power
and energy, carrying the listener to new heights."
"It is truly one of the most magnificent works of art and music that I have ever heard," wrote a listener from Jacksonville, Fla.
Another gushed, "Anyone who has the pleasure of hearing your music will be truly touched."
"Yeah, I'm happy about it," Ellis said. "It's quite impressive to see that so many people out there have been moved by it. The feedback has
been just tremendous."
Of course, Ellis is certain that creating music is his destiny. He has lots more composing to do, he said, and he also hopes to someday play
benefits and to perform at live shows to promote his album.
But until then, Ellis is satisfied to have fulfilled this joyful stretch of his destiny. And he hopes that others will follow his lead.
"It's never too late to fulfill a dream," he said. "It's worth it. Try to get the most you can out of life. Enjoy it. And don't let anyone
discourage you from doing something you enjoy.
"It's almost as if I was driven to this point in my life. I'm happy. And I want the whole world to hear it."
To enjoy a sampling of Destiny, check out Ellis's Web site at frankellis.iuma.com or webspawner.com . To
purchase a CD or cassette, write to Destiny Records Inc., P.O. Box 57108, Philadelphia PA 19111. |
