When you finally feel your practice is paying off
Meet the Tumblist
HUERRRLOOOO
I’m Ashley.
This is me. Viola.
(I hope you recognize I am INDEED a woman, not a man, for that is your fellow SYWTSFS tumblist, Mr. Cameron)
I grew up in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky, and basically came out of the womb dancing. I started ballet/tap/jazz lessons, joined a dance team, toured around doing competitions, until a dance teacher told me my boobs were too big to pursue this as a career. (No joke.) So, I needed something else to do with my time, why not sing?? I had always loved singing, I remember I had this sweet karaoke machine when I was a little tater-tot and maybe my biggest hit wouldn’t be “Biscuits in the Oven, Gonna Watch ‘em Rise”.
I started taking voice lessons when I was fourteen, starting off with basic musical theater songs, which was what I wanted to get into. I knew my voice was a bit bigger even as a teen, but didn’t know it could actually suit a style of singing. My teacher recommended me to buy that good ole famous “24 Italian Arts songs and Arias”. AND I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT.
Enter the sad part of my life as a teenager who loves opera, but no one else does. I remember singing for talent shows in high school, premiering my arias that I had worked so hard on, and everyone would still praise the girl who sang some song from Wicked. (I am not, REPEAT, NOT bashing Wicked. If you knew me, you’d know how much I sing these songs behind closed doors.) I also started doing… ugh, dare I say it?? Singing competitions. I never won anything, never felt like I was good enough to even perform. I had terrible stage fright, and the only time I even felt comfortable singing was when I was in my room with no one home. I was never the lead in a musical, never number one, but when anyone needed a extra power house voice, I was always there.
Then I started auditioning for colleges, and other people made me realize, “Hey, I AM good at this!”. I wasn’t just this girl chasing a lost cause. People still like this stuff. They do exist. I later went on to receive a full ride scholarship to University of North Carolina School of the Arts and began my journey as an Undergraduate Opera Major. I started to actually WIN competitions, not just participate in them. I began to have solos and roles in shows, not just be a background chorus voice to beef up the soprano section. I was finally told that I don’t have a voice that belongs in the back, but a voice that deserves front and center. This was sure as hell news to me.
(One of my personal favorites, performing in Robert Ward’s The Crucible)
Flash forward to now, I’m currently entering my senior year at UNCSA, enjoying and savoring every single minute of it. I study with the wonderful Dr. Marilyn Taylor, although I have also studied with Ms. Marion Pratnicki since I’ve been at the school. But enough of this long, dramatic bio, *Well, I AM a soprano…* let’s learn some fun facts about me, shall we?
FUN FACTS:
- I’ll just admit it, I AM ON A DATING WEBSITE.
- I love Harry Potter. But not like everyone else does with the books or whatever, I’m just obsessed with the movies and can pretty much straight quote movies 1-3.
- I absolutely love doing hair and make up. Obsessed.
- I look terrible with a middle part.
- I am EXACTLY 5 feet tall. My nickname is Munchy, and yes, some of my teachers call me this. (Nickname courtesy of fellow SYWTSFS tumblist, Lindsey)
- My favorite opera is FO SHO La Traviata.
- I loooooooveeee singing anything by Puccini. My voice was made to sing his stuff.
- I always have my fingers and toes painted. Otherwise I look like I have caveman hands and feet.
- I have a kick-ass Louie Armstrong singing impression.
- Sometimes I pretend to have an English accent in public places.
- I sleep with my computer right next to me. (I am a loner)
- One of my greatest accomplishments of this summer was starting and finishing the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
- I like to use emoji excessively.
- I don’t know how to wrap this up.
Adios.
Ashley
When you finally win a competition.
P.S.- We love our women’s gymnastics team here at SYWTSFS!!!
GO USA!
