ellen cherry is a singer, songwriter, and performer extraordinaire. She’s a lovely human and a sensitive artist who feels things deeply. She’s really smart and a student of history. That allows her to create context for her stories that is unique and compelling. She’s also a terrific collaborator with other artists.

This story is about ellen cherry the TV producer (www.ellencherry.tv). She and her mate, Shaun Wilson, co-produce a live stream music show called “Listen In with ellen cherry” out of the living room of their home in Lauraville. They feature Baltimore bands and musicians. Shaun is the Sound Engineer and Daniel Chase is the Cameraman. ellen is everything else; including emcee, interviewer, stage-hand, green room hostess, and social media director. Into their second season she is able to transition from one role to another and back again, with ease. She certainly makes it look easy. It’s not.

This month’s guest is Super City. You can find their appearance on Listen In with ellen cherry here: http://ellencherry.com/super-city/

* * *

Peter
How did the idea to produce a live stream music TV show out of your living room come to you?

ellen cherry
My parents shipped their grand piano to me from Texas the summer of 2012. I wanted a way to show them the piano was being played. In January 2013, Shaun and I set up a really crappy video camera and figured out how to do it through Ustream. It was an hour-long performance of me at the piano and playing a little guitar. We were going to do another but I was in a bad car wreck and we couldn’t do that. When I recovered I really needed something…I wanted to continue the show but I didn’t want to do my music. Because, and I think this is the essential flaw of my career, I like promoting my music to a certain point and then I just get tired of promoting it. I would rather promote other people’s stuff. I’m also very curious about other genres of music, especially in Baltimore, having lived here fourteen years. The last seven have been this eclectic time where there’s this amazing scene. Not just in the music scene– the entire art scene. I wanted to show my little corner of that to my parents and to people in other countries.

We have this wonderful thing, web casting, which is super fun. And I live with Shaun Wilson. I knew that it was going to sound good. Our goal last year has been trying to get it to look good. Eventually we got a cameraman. We upgraded our cameras, invested in the technology part of it. The next step will be figuring out a way to make it sustainable.

Peter
What are you learning about yourself as you realize this idea?

ellen cherry
I like telling people what to do. Ha! I understand what producing means now. I know what the performers’ perspective is and how to make them as comfortable as possible. Also, I’ve learned to consider the look of the show, the audience experience of it. I like to do shows where the audience is having an experience the second they arrive in the venue. That’s what we wanted to make with this program. You come into my living room and it’s fun and light-hearted, but you’re also seeing some of the most amazing musicians in Baltimore.

Peter
On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being you just got the idea and 10 being the idea is fully realized and it’s time to move on…where are you now?

ellen cherry
I think we’re probably at 6. I think the next step is taking it to a public taping.

Peter
What does that look like?

ellen cherry
My new vision, which I’d love to do in Season 3 starting January 2015, is to have a small theater with 30 to 40 seats, a two-camera shoot, where we invite a live audience that pays a small donation for a live taping. A live audience would give it a boost.

Peter
Observing today I enjoyed seeing it behind the scenes. It was entertaining. Seeing the transitions from one segment to another and watching you change roles made it even more fun.

ellen cherry
Breaking the fourth wall, right? The engineer part of my brain really enjoys all the process that goes into it and being a problem solver. That’s what I learned about myself. I love producing and I love the satisfaction of creative problem solving.

Peter
What are the challenges of producing a live TV show from your home?

ellen cherry
I don’t have my finger on all of the pulses that are happening in the city. So this season I branched out from featuring people that I know and asked people to send me recommendations of the highest quality musicians in specific genres that they know. I asked previous performing guests—can you recommend someone I could invite into my home? That’s a huge part of it. It’s very intimate. I’m OK with it, but I want to know people a bit first.

I’m trying to branch out. I don’t want it to be just singer-songwriters or pop music. I want it to represent all of what Baltimore has to offer.

Peter
What’s it like wearing so many hats? You’re the producer, emcee, stage hand, and social media driver all at the same time?

ellen cherry
Being a working musician trains you for that. The first couple of years I was working I could just show up at a venue and play music. Make a poster or something. Now the artist does almost everything. It’s a business and you’re wearing all these different hats. It’s really exciting and keeps me interested in the show. The only downfall of that (doing the TV show) is I miss a lot of the guest’s performance. I’m busy thinking what does the sound engineer or the cameraman need?

Peter
When you see the performance you see it the way your audience sees it.

ellen cherry
Yes. Jumping into the emcee role I get nervous and I have to remember to take a beat. That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned over the last ten years performing is that when I’ve seen someone who is masterfully performing, I understand that they are actually taking a nice big breath (onstage) before they begin. I used to feel like I had to hit the audience right away.

Peter
As part of the audience I take that breath with the performer. Settle into the space and the shared energy. Find the frequency and dial into it. It’s a generous and necessary moment.

ellen cherry
It is. I’m on bonus time now, since my accident. It could have ended last year. I like taking those breaths now. I used to get anxious thinking I was wasting time. Now, I see how valuable that is.

Peter
What is it like working within the creative limitations of your home?

ellen cherry
The room is small and has a grand piano in it. Today we fit a five-piece band in that space. Creatively we get to figure out how to do that and light the room properly. I like the limitations because of the intimacy. It looks like a house. There’s no trick.

I like working out of my home. I feel safe here. Also, and this is going to sound hippie flower girl, but to bring this type of energy to a hundred year old home and to have all these young people playing music and offering their ideas! I feel really lucky people agree to do this. At this point nobody is getting paid. I’d like to change that. Maybe they do it because it’s a cool idea and worth their extra time.

It’s a wonderful thing to have people bring art into your home. I think they leave it on the walls.

Peter
There’s a nice circular flow of activity and motion behind the scenes when it happens, because of the way it’s set up, that contributes to that lovely feel.

ellen cherry
It’s a wonderful space. I’m so lucky to have landed in this location. I think this is my dream house.

Peter
You’re living your dream.

ellen cherry
I know, right? How did that even happen?

Peter
You arranged it.

ellen cherry
One step at a time, I guess.

* * *

Like hearing about exciting musicians? We also talked with singer/songwriter Marissa Nadler and from our archives, a piece with Victoria Vox. What Weekly, it’s good for your ears.