Ellen (Reid) Cornwall
Violinist
B.A. - UW Madison
Master’s Degree - Public Policy and Administration, The LaFollette School of Public Affairs (UW Madison)
A Few Memories from Early Beginnings:
Thomas Buchhauser, affectionately known as Mr. “B”, was my mentor, friend and the most influential teacher throughout my entire education. He was the person who first taught me how to play my violin in 1968 before private lessons began and gently guided and encouraged me beyond measure. He remained my teacher and orchestra conductor throughout my elementary, middle school and high school years at 3 different schools - John Muir Elementary, Thomas Jefferson Middle School and James Madison Memorial High School - from 1968 – 1976. Mr. B always made music fun but also worked us hard. Our music theory class in 7th grade was my only exposure to the intense learning that went into the math part of music, and I still attribute it to my love of numbers and the good grades I received throughout high school and college. I can’t thank Mr. B. enough for changing my life in such as positive way!
In 7th grade, Mr. B encouraged me to audition for WYSO the following year. I did, and became a member from 1971 – 1976. That experience was a life changer, allowing me to make new friends and giving me the opportunity to grow in my musical journey. A highlight of WYSO was in my senior year when we traveled to Washington D.C. to perform at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to honor our country’s Bicentennial. The attached photo of Mr. B. and me was taken in 2016 at the 50th Anniversary Reunion of WYSO in Madison. My connection to WYSO continues to this day as a volunteer chaperone having participated in 2 international tours.
More JMM Memories:
The Rookie of the Year Orchestra Award was an award that I didn’t even know existed until the end of my freshman year in 1973, when I was called up in front of the entire school to receive it. My name was engraved on a brass plate to commemorate this honor.
Golden Strings – A group of us were chosen by Mr. B. to play chamber music at various events around town – hotel openings, receptions and the like. It was the first time I performed in a chamber music ensemble.
Pops Concerts – Our annual pops concerts performed every spring in the gymnasium were fun and lively and gave us exposure to popular music as well as jazz.
JMM Musicals – My annual participation in the JMM pit orchestra was a different kind of fun. I still remember the jelly beans we placed on our stands and snacked on during long rehearsals that went late into weekday evenings. During the performances themselves, we noticed a different kind of audience where we, the instrumentalists, were not the main attraction. Bye Bye Birdie was one of the more memorable musical productions.
Edgewood Musicals - Because Edgewood didn’t have an orchestra, several of us volunteered for their musicals as well. I remember playing in their pit orchestra for Brigadoon and Guys and Dolls, among other productions.
Concerto Concerts gave us the chance to audition for and perform a piece of our choosing accompanied by the JMM Orchestra. It taught us hard work and gave us confidence as a performer as we learned how to play under pressure as a soloist in front of a large audience. I debuted as a soloist in the JMM Concerto Concert in my junior year on April 15, 1975. I still attribute my frequent requirement to memorize music to my subsequent success in school, both in my remaining year in high school, as well as in college.
After High School:
Although I was not a music major in college, I was a member of the UW Madison Symphony Orchestra for 4 years. It was there that I quickly realized that while being a member of a high school orchestra was perceived as being “nerdy”, playing in a college symphony orchestra was revered by my friends. I received a B.A. Honors Degree from UW Madison, and went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Administration from The LaFollette School of Public Affairs, also at UW Madison.
After College:
After moving to the Twin Cities, I joined the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra during the 2nd half of their 2nd season in January of 1985, and have been an active member ever since. Interesting opportunities have arisen over the years as a result of being connected to this volunteer group, the most memorable of which was the chance-of-a-lifetime opportunity to be paid to perform with Prince in a music video. It doesn’t get any better than that!
For the majority of my career, I have worked in insurance, and while at Travelers Insurance I served as co-chair of an Arts and Diversity Committee for 3 years. I was a volunteer member for more than 12. I currently work in operations and logistics for a family-owned business.
My JMM experiences were vast and memorable. I’m wishing its Performing Arts Wing Project all the success it deserves!
