Ellen Epsteinhas enjoyed making music with children and adults for over forty years, as an elementary school teacher, camp counselor, guitar instructor, folksinger, therapeutic musician, and mother.  Since moving to the Boston area in 1980, she has lent her harmonies to countless performances and recordings.   From 1980-1982, she was a member of the Boston-based folk chorus Northern Harmony, under the direction of David Gay.  She has appeared in several iterations of Dillon Bustin’s musical, Tidebook, and for many years was part of the Sweet Chariot Music Festival on Swan’s Island, off the coast of Maine. In 2003, she had the pleasure of traveling to South Africa with the Vermont-based community chorus, Village Harmony.

In1981, Ellen joined with Cindy Kallet and Michael Cicone to form the popular folk trio Kallet, Epstein, and Cicone. Their close harmonies continue to delight audiences at coffeehouses, festivals, and workshops.   Together they have recorded three albums: Angels in Daring (1988), Only Human (1993), and HeartWalk (2008). Ellen can also be heard singing backup vocals on all of Cindy’s solo albums.

From 1993-2000, Ellen owned and operated Overall Music, a small, community-focused record store in Lexington MA.  Since then, she has enjoyed teaching guitar to children and adult beginners, both privately and as part of Lexington Community Education’s Adult Ed program. 

After two years of study with the Music for Healing and Transition Program Ellen received her Certified Music Practitioner (CMP) credential in April 2007. She fulfilled her internship requirement at Lawrence Memorial Hospital (Geriatric Medical Psychiatric Unit); Melrose-Wakefield Hospital (Special Care Nursery); and Care Alternatives, a hospice agency, where she had the opportunity to play for patients in nursing homes, hospitals, and private homes.  In September 2009 she completed her Advanced Clinical Musician certification (ACCM), while continuing to play bedside music for private clients and hospice patients in the greater Boston area.

Ellen brings a lifetime of musical experience to her work as a music practitioner.  Her repertoire includes showtunes, standards, children’s songs, lullabies, sea music, chants and rounds, classical tunes, choral music, sing-alongs, popular songs of the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, Gilbert and Sullivan, and folk music new and old of many cultures and traditions.  Thanks to her parents, and many musical mentors and friends, her life has been infused with song for as long as she can remember.  She is a firm believer in the positive power of music.