Ellen Doty blends motherhood, music, and community into heartfelt storytelling
Ellen Doty’s music tells stories of love, loss, loneliness, and the small, simple pleasures of life. Being active in the Alberta arts community is one of those pleasures—since becoming a professional musician in 2013, Doty has balanced her love of music with her roles in fundraising and development at organizations like the Arden Theatre in St. Albert, and as Strategic Lead in Fundraising Initiatives at the University of Alberta.
Maintaining balance between full-time corporate work and playing music on a professional level has been a matter of seeking and securing financial comfort for Doty. As a full-time musician, she often found it difficult to completely focus on the art. “I was always needing to take work that I didn’t really want to do, like lots of corporate events … [just to] stay afloat,” she says. On the flipside, having the financial stability of a day job marries well with her music, where performances usually happen in the evening, and on weekends.
In 2021 and 2023, Doty added marriage and motherhood to the mix with most of the songs on her latest album, Every Little Thing (2024), written during her pregnancy. Reflecting on her tendency to fill every moment with busy activities, Doty turned everyday observations of life into lyrics on the album’s tracks. “I watch you drink coffee from your thrift store mug/ pour over the dailies/ This is enough,” she writes in “Every Little Scene,” a song about her husband. Doty acknowledges that her music’s current tone has changed from her earlier albums. What she wants to capture and convey now is appreciation for the people she loves and the micro actions of daily life like hearing the kettle coming on in the morning and revelling in the light that streams through a window.
As a mother, now, Doty has the pleasure of watching how her son is affected by music. Singing with him, seeing his eyes ignite with interest at the sound of the piano, and witnessing him react to different sounds brings her immense pleasure. “There’s something really beautiful and meaningful about that—[being a] part of seeing the light in someone’s eyes when they hear new sounds, and learn about things related to music,” she says. Parenthood has made Doty recognize the value of giving back to the community that has supported her throughout her music journey. She gives back by attending friends’ performances, engages in musical collaborations, performs at events like the Tiny Footprints Fundraising Gala, and makes donations through album release tickets to CKUA Radio.
Songwriting never stops for Doty. A healthy heap of heartfelt lyrics have been piling up as she pushes onward into life. The calming effects of Doty’s music will likely continue along its minimalist lines into her fourth album. Local performances, aimed at fundraising for key charities, are being planned, and more collaborations are in the works.
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