Atherton Award Recipient
Max Ellison, 2022

Max Ellison
Alto Saxophone

Maxwell Ellison took a different path than most getting into music, as he didn’t play an instrument until he joined band in 11th grade after spending a year learning saxophone because somebody told him he couldn’t. He fell in love with performance and especially the marching arts as he performed in two seasons with the Rosemount High School Marching Band and two seasons of Rosemount’s WGI Winds group. After graduating in 2018, Max spent the summer performing with River City Rhythm on Baritone. 

Max is a proud alumnus of UW-Eau Claire where he studied music education. He earned his BME Instrumental and General Music Education in 2023. Max Ellison is in his first year as a band director at Menomonie Middle School where he teaches 6th grade Saxes, Low Brass, High Brass, and Music Appreciation and 8th grade concert and jazz band. Max has also been a part of the hornline staff at Rosemount High School since the summer of 2020 and continues to teach there in the summers. 

In his time at UW-Eau Claire, Max performed with many ensembles including Symphony Band, Wind Symphony, Contemporary Ensemble, Cabaret Orchestra, Sax Quartet, Jazz 3, Jazz 2, UWEC Handbell Choir, Varsity Band, Intercollegiate Marching Band, Blugold Athletic Band, and Taurus. He was also a part of the Saxophone Studio under Alastair Wright. Max served on the executive board of the Blugold Athletic Band for three years as Treasurer, Vice President, and President/Director over those three seasons. Taurus was a saxophone duo founded by Max Ellison and Daniel Modl in the fall of 2021. They performed together until their joint recital on April 20th, 2022. 

During his five years in the Blugold Marching Band, Max spent all of them in the Alto Sax section where he served one year as a rank lieutenant and three years as section leader. In his second year with the band, he became a featured soloist in the first year the band implemented electronics and microphones. Every year since, he had served as a soloist for the band. He traveled with BMB on two international tours, performing on the Radiance of the Seas and the Norwegian Bliss, and seeing Australia, New Zealand, Columbia, Panama, Guatemala, and Mexico in the process. In his last year with the band, he was awarded the Brandon Atherton Award along with his Taurus Duo partner and best friend, Daniel Modl.

“I can’t imagine what my time in college would have looked like without the Blugold Marching Band. I’ve never really been outgoing and struggled to put myself out there to meet people and build friendships, so having a network of 400 people in your corner the moment you step onto campus as a freshman is life changing. I met my best friend, duo partner, and roommate in the band and I wouldn’t give that up for anything. I also value all the performance opportunities the BMB provides. Whether it’s playing at Carson Park, massive stadiums like US Bank or Lucas Oil, or performing downtown for the fall festival, you always feel like a rockstar with this band. It was a place where I finally felt like I belonged. I’m so excited to see where the band goes from here!”