His Story

As parents all you really want for your children is that they grow up healthy and happy. To be left utterly speechless by their talent and skill is an amazing and wonderful bonus. Ellis is such a child, he was always a cheeky performer, the life and soul of family events, but even we couldn’t predict the chapter that was about to open! Ellis constantly struggled with academic work at school and despite encouragement at home and at school he felt a failure and his confidence was rock bottom. Then one day, (in fairy tale style), his music teacher asked him to stand up and sing and the rest, as they say, is history. On that day the teacher immediately left the room when he had finished singing, Ellis thought he had done something wrong, she returned with a colleague to confirm her amazement at his astonishing voice. His teacher told us that his was one of the most amazing voices she had heard in her whole career.

As a result Ellis was asked to join the school choir and the Northern Beaches School Choir. In year 8 Ellis’ skill blossomed, he co- wrote a song with friend Freddy which was heard by an agent and made into a music video called ‘Butterflies’. The success of the video, particularly on YouTube where friends as far away as England saw it, established Ellis as a successful musician to watch among all those that knew him. Very quickly afterwards he appeared on X-Factor with his band Straight Up. He has performed at The Australian Music Foundation Charity event ‘Duets’ with his co-band member Latifa Tee. Ellis has been offered a place at the prestigious Australian Institute of Music to study all aspects of music with a focus on vocal and guitar.

The saying goes ‘you never forget a good teacher’ and we are indebted to music tutors Lizzy Smith and Lorelei Morris of Collaroy Public School who saw Ellis’s potential and set him on his amazing journey. Thank you to them. We can’t wait for the next chapter in Ellis’s story, watch this space!

“I had the BEST day performing at Collaroy Plateau Public School. The photo is me with Mrs L Morris – my first music teacher. She helped me start my journey. Thank you so much!!!
Just think – what if I had not got up that day and sung for the first time – wow! Thanks to everyone who has helped me!” – Ellis Hall