Junior, Elyria Catholic high school
Ellingson only took formal guitar lessons for about three months before sending her audition tape to Grammy Camp. At the weeklong program in Los Angeles, New York City or Nashville, Tennessee, teens take classes, perform and meet music industry professionals. As one of just two students from Ohio, the 16-year-old solidified her ambition to pursue a music career while in Nashville. “It just clicked in me that it wasn’t just a hobby anymore,” she says. “I wanted it to be a profession.” Fan girl: Ellingson began writing songs at just 8-years-old and then picked up a guitar a few years later. She credits pop star Taylor Swift as her inspiration. “I started playing guitar because I wanted to be like her,” she says. “It is what I’ve always imagined and aimed for.” Camp rock: During an impromptu lunchtime jam session on her first day, Ellingson was nervous about where she would fit in at her skill level. But she found herself really learning in those situations. “[It] was intimidating and inspiring to see how incredible [the kids] were,” she reflects. “Without any sheet music, they could just play. I think I learned more from my peers than I did from the instructors.” Support system: Before camp, Ellingson never performed in front of people she didn’t know. But Elyria Catholic has always been a place where she felt safe. During a freshman health class, she nervously played in front of her peers for the first time. “It gave me the courage to take on music from a professional standpoint,” she says. Open arms: Her Catholic education and its emphasis on the golden rule of treating others as you want to be treated are big reasons why Ellingson is who she is today. “[It] shaped me into an accepting human being,” she says. “It was the best decision my parents could have made.” Sweet Escape: Ellingson used to play soccer and run track, but her focus now is on the guitar and songwriting. “It’s a diary more than anything,” she says. “It’s so fun to be able to create little phrases that people really think about and feel they can relate to.”
