ST. LOUIS — There is a joke that goes, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.”
St. Louis musician Maria Ellis knows this firsthand. She has devoted her life to becoming a conductor.
“This is what I’ve always wanted to do,” Ellis told 5 On Your Side.
Ellis discovered she had an ear for music when she was a little girl listening to the choir at her church.
“(I) learned at a very, very early age that I could hear the different parts," she said. "I just didn’t understand why the people in the choir kept getting their notes wrong."
But while Ellis could hear the different notes, she didn’t know how to read music until later in her life.
“I had to learn different cords and that different cords had names and things of that nature, and it was hard,” she said.
Ellis’ hard work has paid off. She now conducts the All-Star Choir at The Sheldon Concert Hall in the Grand Arts District.
“This choir is made up of students from all over St. Louis. They’re so talented,” she said.
She uses the motions of her hand to blend their talents together.
“My power’s in my hands," she said. "It’s just like directing traffic. Everybody has a place where they are supposed to be,” she said.
A classically trained singer herself, Ellis knows what it takes to make the most of their voices.
“I push hard. I do. I push hard. I take music very seriously,” she said.
The pushing is paying off. On Sunday, Ellis will lead the All-Star in New York City.
“We are headed to Carnegie Hall. It’s just a one-day concert. At times, I still feel like I’m in a dream, like it doesn’t feel real,” Ellis said.
Ellis said she sees this opportunity as not just a time for the choir to be heard but also as an opportunity for young girls to see her conduct.
“Future girls will be able to see that, yes, this is what we do. too. I didn’t see my first Black conductor of an orchestra, female, until the year 2020. To me that’s too long,” she said.
She hopes her musical journey to Carnegie Hall sets an example of how determinate helps in making dreams come true.
“I didn’t let anybody’s 'no' stop me. Whatever you plan to do in life, it is up to you to make it happen,” she said.
To learn more about Ellis and her work, click here.
To watch 5 On Your Side broadcasts or reports 24/7, 5 On Your Side is always streaming on 5+. Download for free on Roku or Amazon Fire TV.