Pinch Me Moments, Learning from Jason Max Ferdinand, and Melodic Dictation from the Womb with Cindy Ellis | Ep 30

Welcome to this episode of The Choir Guys Podcast! In this episode, we sit down with the powerhouse herself — Cindy Ellis — for a conversation that’s as inspiring as it is energizing. Cindy is a Cuban-born choral director at Miami Arts Studio, where her middle and high school ensembles have graced stages from Carnegie Hall to the Latin GRAMMYs and beyond. We talk about her journey from immigrating to the U.S. in 2005 to conducting at ACDA, singing with the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers, and collaborating with artists like Gloria Estefan, Jacob Collier, and Coldplay. Cindy shares her insights on programming powerful performances, building long-term curriculum across grade levels, and how she fosters musicianship and vocal technique in her students. She also opens up about her “pinch me” moments, lessons learned from performing on the world’s biggest stages, and how she stays grounded and passionate as both an educator and artist. Whether you’re a veteran choir director or a music ed student just starting out, this episode is packed with the kind of wisdom, joy, and fire that will stick with you. We hope you find our discussions helpful, entertaining, and applicable. If you have any questions or topics you would like us to cover, please email us at [email protected], or simply message us on social media - @thechoirguyspod. We will be back in a few weeks with a new episode! Make sure to follow us on our social media pages (linked below) so you do not miss an episode. Visit The Choir Guys’ website here: https://thechoirguyspod.weebly.com/ Subscribe to our Newsletter! https://the-choir-guys-newsletter.beehiiv.com/subscribe Want to become a sponsor of the podcast? Email us at [email protected]. Download the full podcast here: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-choir-guys/id1730260085 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1vQx1T5IYKNs5ztnOkuVns Follow The Choir Guys on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556415050610 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thechoirguyspod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechoirguyspod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thechoirguyspod Sponsors: Sight Reading Factory: sightreadingfactory.com Kansas Maid Frozen Pastries: kansasmaid.com Endeavor Music Publishing: endeavormusicpublishing.com Encore Tours: encoretours.com S-Cubed: teacherspayteachers.com/Product/S-Cubed-Sight-Singing-Program-Level-ONE-Original-Power-Point-Version-1208701 Class Intercom: classintercom.com GIA/Walton Music: giamusic.com/walton-music Pavane Publishing: www.pavanepublishing.com/ Gateway Sheet Music: gatewaysheetmusic.com/