Role at FoxFuel: Developer
Mary Ellen Adkins is a recording artist turned front-end developer. She likes jazz, JavaScript, and Japanese anything. The answer to your question is yes; she can code your website and sing Days of Wine and Roses at the same time.
What's your favorite...
Nashville restaurant?
Taqueria del Sol (I worked there during my musician days)
Musical instrument?
Piano. Complex jazz chords on a grand piano make me melt.
Line from a movie?
"Samsonite! I was way off!"
Thing to do away from the computer?
Thrift store shopping, yoga, writing, and hanging with my orange cat, Christopher.
Item of clothing?
My gold and green party shoes. They are vintage and pretty worn out, but when I tried them on, my feet fit perfectly. It was meant to be.
Memory from school?
Performing the role of Peter Pan in my 8th grade musical. We got to fly while singing!
All About Mary Ellen
What inspired you to do what you do?
I have a strong need to create. For my first five years in Nashville, I fulfilled that need through songwriting and musical performance. Then I learned JavaScript and found that I could write code all day and design responsive websites through computer programming, and it feels intensely creative.
What is the most frustrating question, comment, or feedback you get related to work?
When people ask "Can you QA this? I need it done in 30 minutes."
What's your go-to karaoke song?
"I Will Survive." Something about Santa's Pub at 2 a.m. brings out my inner Aretha.
What's something that someone would be surprised to know about you?
I'm nearly fluent in Japanese. My major in undergrad was Japanese Language & Literature. I lived in Tokyo for a semester and fell in love with the culture.
What are you looking forward to the most?
Short-term, probably my wedding next spring. Long-term, traveling and exploring more countries around the world.
What is one of your proudest accomplishments?
Touring with my band, Melon & The Mayhem, and releasing three albums of original songs.
Would you rather be on a survival reality show or dating game show?
Survival reality show, absolutely. As a developer, I'm very resourceful. I also grew up between two brothers, so I can fend for myself. And I could survive barefoot forever.