Her dad bought an old fiddle at an antique shop when she was about 7, but she didn't start playing until she was 13. Over the next few years she taught herself to read music and play by ear as she listened to radio and watched fiddlers on TV. At 14, her mom took her to jam sessions around the Fayetteville area where she met professional fiddlers Leslie Sandy and Matt Hooper. They took her under their wings and started to mentor her in the ways of a bluegrass fiddler.
In April 2005, Ashley was hired to play with Bill Jordan & Southern Bluegrass where she began developing her fiddling style. Upon finishing high school she started freelancing as a musician and began courses for a degree in Business Administration at Fayetteville Technical Community College.
Ashley found The Parsons (www.theparsons.info) in 2007. The Parsons played a different style of music they called "Uptown Hillbilly Swing." She loved the challenge of learning different styles of music and found them to be very encouraging of her musicianship. When her schedule allows she continues to play with the Parsons.
These days Ashley is very busy with school and her job with a local heating and air company.
She enjoys spending time with friends and family, a good jam session, traveling, and cooking! If you ask her what she likes to do when she's not playing music...she'll look at you as if to say..."Is there something besides music?" With Ashley's determination and talent you will definitely be seeing and hearing a lot of this girl!
THE COX FAMILY - STANDIN' BY THE BEDSIDE OF A NEIGHBORRHONDA VINCENT - I GOTTA START SOMEWHERELESLIE SANDY BANDMICHAEL CLEVELAND & FLAMEKEEPER - THE NORTHERN WHITE CLOUDSBLUEGRASS ALL-STARS
Stuart Duncan