News Talk 94.1 The Scene

Melissa Ellis Speaks On Bryan Symphony Orchestra With Mark Creter

Loading player...
Mark Creter sits down with Melissa Ellis, Development Director for the Upper Cumberland’s own Bryan Symphony Orchestra—the only professional orchestra in rural Tennessee. Melissa’s passion for music began at age 15 when she joined the Cumberland County Playhouse in Crossville, and later studied music therapy at Tennessee Tech before working as a jazz artist until 2020. She became an 11-time nominee for the international Josie Music Awards (recently nominated again), while leading all fundraising and networking efforts for the orchestra. Plus, she discusses the troupe’s upcoming concert season and shares insights on balancing her music-driven career with raising four children.

Listen To The Scene Podcast Today!
27 Jul 2025 English United States Arts · Society & Culture

Other recent episodes

Troy D. Smith Joins Mark Creter to Discuss His Journey To Becoming An Author

Mark Creter sits down with Troy D. Smith—local author, Tennessee Tech history professor, and former student of Mark's—for a conversation that traces Troy’s unexpected path to becoming a published writer. From waxing floors at a K-Mart in Tullahoma and reading westerns on slow shifts, to discovering that words captured his…
8 Mar 15 min

Megan Mertsock Joins Mark Creter To Discuss The Good Neighbors Theatre & Her Lifelong Passion For Performance

Megan Mertsock of Good Neighbors Community Theatre takes listeners inside a vibrant community theatre that’s connecting audiences across multiple counties. She shares her lifelong passion for theatre, highlights upcoming productions like the musical The Little Mermaid in April, and discusses exciting initiatives such as Coffee and Conversations, school partnerships for…
22 Feb 15 min

Gus Creter Joins Mark Creter To Discuss Leading A Student Newsroom At TN Tech

Mark Creter sits down with Gus Creter, reporter and managing editor of the Tennessee Tech Oracle. Gus talks about getting his start in journalism in high school, his long-running music column, and what it’s like leading a student newsroom. He also shares why he believes this is an important time…
8 Feb 16 min
All episodes