Singer-songwriter Ursula Ellis has lived her entire life as an Army brat, knowing all too well the highs and lows of the military life. Ursula is also a filmmaker and wrote and directed the film "War Is Kind," which depicts an Army teen dealing with the struggles of her dad's deployment, while a film student at Northwestern University. Born in Germany, Ursula attended 10 different schools and lived in 9 states.
Her mother, an Army wife throughout her husband's entire career, penned lyrics about their long journey and poses the question- When all's said and done, with no map for this road, would you do it all again? While she wrote this as a gift for her husband who was coming to the end of his lengthy Army career, she realized she wrote it for herself also and for other military wives and families. It's written from the spouse-in-military perspective for his/her spouse- not only as a reflection back on their journey together but as a thank for her many sacrifices while he was 'just doing his job.' After receiving the lyrics from her mom during a Christmas break, Ursula sat down and composed the music and recorded it within a couple of hours.
Upon on moving to NYC to attend graduate film school at Columbia, Ursula made a professional recording with John Brechner of Visager. The result is poignant song that reflects not only the journey of a military man, but also that of a father, son, brother, and husband, along with his wife and child. Those not in the military will realize the glimpse of young love followed by a lifelong journey as well, and give reflection upon their own life choices. Ursula's films are available on Vimeo.
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