Ella Fitzgerald was my first musical inspiration. She was the first musician who made the concept of artistic excellence and thorough musicianship real in my life. I’ll always remember the day this happened.

When I was 15, I had the privilege of attending a performing arts High School.  I studied classical music, musical theatre, and jazz. I was sitting in Jazz choir when my teacher, Dianne Mower, put on the live album Ella in Berlin. She played the last track: How High the Moon.

I had tears streaming down my face. I was amazed that the human voice could be so beautiful. I was captivated by her happy, bright sound. It was hard to believe that an individual could be so creative.

Ella changed my life. She showed what it meant to be a singer. I hope I can learn to sing like Ella did, not just the amazing improvising and vocal technique, but the pure joy to be alive and to sing! Happy Birthday, Ella. Thank you for your inspiration.

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A lot of singers cite Ella as an inspiration. Ever wonder where Ella got it from? Next week I’ll be posting a lineage I created of Ella’s Influences. Follow my blog to get the updates!

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Ella Fitzgerald Quotes:

“I know I’m no glamor girl, and it’s not easy for me to get up in front of a crowd of people. It used to bother me a lot, but now I’ve got it figured out that God gave me this talent to use, so I just stand there and sing.”

“I guess what everyone wants more than anything else is to be loved. And to know that you loved me for my singing is too much for me. Forgive me if I don’t have all the words. Maybe I can sing it and you’ll understand.”

“A lot of singers think all they have to do is exercise their tonsils to get ahead. They refuse to look for new ideas and new outlets, so they fall by the wayside… I’m going to try to find out the new ideas before the others do.”

“The only thing better than singing is more singing.”