Throw heaping amounts of talent, determination and hard work into a pot; add a few tablespoons of timely mentorship, healthy competition and the kindness of strangers — and don’t forget a dash of good old-fashioned luck —and that’s your recipe for Contemporary Folk Music legend Ellis Paul.

Over a 30 year arc, Ellis has logged more than 5,000 shows and earned scores of accolades and awards (let’s save time and just say all the prestigious folk music awards). He's released 20 albums, landed songs in major motion pictures, and been a featured performer at countless major folk and songwriters’ festivals. He’s even picked up an honorary PhD and been the subject of a documentary. Yet he remains humble, open and as inspired as ever to create new music, turning out some of his finest, most vital work ever on his latest 2019 release, The Storyteller’s Suitcase.

We were thrilled by how generous Ellis was with his time in sharing hard-won insights into every aspect of what it takes to carve out a living, and a life, as a musician. We want to share it all with you, so we’re making this a two-parter. Enjoy Episode 1 now, and watch for Episode 2 of our visit with Ellis Paul.