Meet Ellen! (As if you haven’t already.)
Welcome to round 2 of our Faces of Fanny’s series. Today, we feature a short interview with Fanny’s beloved Ellen Angelico, who you will often find at the Fanny’s front desk, touring with country artist Cam, or producing our Youtube Videos as Ellen’s Favorite Thing of the Week.
I had a chance to ask Ellen a few questions… enjoy!
What would Fannys have meant to you if it existed where you grew up?
Every once in a while someone comes into Fanny’s and in cosmic way, I’m looking through time at myself 15 years in the past. They’ll ask me what my pronouns are, and I know they see something of themselves in me. I loved going into guitar stores as a kid and rarely felt unwelcome, but what if I’d seen a thirty-something version of myself behind the counter? Would it have saved me a few painful years of exploration and discovery? Would it have expanded my worldview and given me a picture of who I could grow up to be? I think Fanny’s gives that to young musicians.
What is your favorite thing about being a part of the Fannys community?
My favorite thing is when I connect with a customer over a shared love of music, and then they turn out to make amazing art. Jillette Johnson came into Fanny’s to check out an Eastwood Tenor Baritone – a musically adventurous, extended range guitar – and we had a blast discussing its possibilities. She invited me to a show she was playing and she blew me away. No less than three songs in her set made me cry. She’s freaking brilliant, and now I listen to her music all the time. This has happened a million times. I always get the best live show recommendations from Fanny’s customers.
What are your favorite neighborhood lunch spots?
First of all, I would absolutely take a bath in the green hot sauce from the taco truck at the gas station in Five Points. So that’s probably the most important thing to say. But gosh, I just love everywhere around Fanny’s. I get breakfast burritos from Tower Deli every week and I believe they have improved my cognition and cured my allergies. The breakfast sandwich at Sweet 16th once vanquished my jet lag after I stupidly scheduled myself for a shift at Fanny’s the day after flying in from Japan – what is wrong with me? But you asked about lunch. There’s nothing better than pho from Far East on a cold day. I’ve never had anything bad from Wild Cow. And now that Slow Burn Hot Chicken has opened up a little spot on Eastland, that’s my go-to reward for a good day at work on my way home.
Ooo and would you talk a little about your high school band!!
I took guitar lessons as a kid from Music Makers of Western Springs. They’re still there and bigger and better than ever, if you know anyone looking for quality music instruction in west Chicagoland! I learned so much from my teacher, Jeremy Michor. He connected me with some like-minded young people in my neighborhood, and we formed a band. We had rehearsals in our bass player’s basement, wrote songs together, and played anywhere that would have us: school dances, battle of the bands, coffee shops, the student activities center, the back of flatbed trucks during parades. More than anything, I loved exploring music with my friends. I am so grateful to be able to still do that today.
To visit Fanny’s online store, visit: https://fannys-house-of-music.myshopify.com/
To learn more about how you can support Fanny’s in fostering a safe, multi-generational arts space, visit https://www.fannysschoolofmusic.org
Blog by Georgia English / a Nashville-based musician, writer, illustrator, and educator.