Ellie Rui 瑞
Graduation Year: 2020
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Type of Creative: Musician
What They Do: Ellie is a jazz drummer and musician who performs in various bands and professional concerts. She also works at the University of Chicago Laboratory School.
Their Journey: After graduating from Wellington in 2020, Ellie pursued her passion for music at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she studied jazz drumming with Billy Hart and earned a degree in jazz studies with a concentration in jazz percussion and a minor in African American music studies. Since moving to Chicago in August 2024, Ellie has played in several professional concerts and is a member of multiple bands. She is set to record an album in May 2025 with sound artist Susie Ibarra in Fantasy Canyon, Utah. Ellie balances her musical career with her job at the University of Chicago Laboratory School, where she works primarily with first graders – and loves it! Ellie's favorite musical performances since leaving Wellington include her senior recital "A Mental Playground State," organizing her first concert "Hopscotch with the Homies," her first professional jazz concert "Colin Heshmat at Merriman’s Playhouse," and her main Chicago band's debut concert "The ERA Trio at Fuller’s Pub." These experiences have been pivotal in her growth as a musician and performer.
The Wellington Impact: Ellie credits Wellington, particularly the Blue Notes and Mr. Becker, for nurturing her interest in jazz and providing her with the support to embrace her creative instincts. "If it weren’t for the Wellington Blue Notes, my interest in jazz probably wouldn’t have grown, and I likely never would have applied to or auditioned at Oberlin. Mr. Becker’s support was integral to me embracing my musical spirit. He used to let me play the drum kit in the band room between the end of school and the start of basketball practice. He would also often highlight me in our Upper School concerts in some way with the Blue Notes or the regular band. As someone with a learning disability, standard school was not always my forte. But Mr. Becker and the Blue Notes gave me my voice at Wellington and granted me the space to fall for music."