Whirlwind Week7/2/2025 What a fun experience it was to stay in the heart of the French Quarter (the Bourbon Orleans Hotel, just behind St. Louis Cathedral) and immerse myself in traditional jazz for 6 days during the New Orleans Traditional Jazz Camp! Stepping out of my comfort zone also paid off tremendously since I did the guitar track (i.e. ukulele since I don't play guitar. haha--the instructors are the best in their fields so they were still able to work with me). Now I feel a lot more confident "locking in" with the rhythm section (guitar/piano, drums) in full-band situations. It was also exciting to meet fellow trad jazz players from throughout the U.S. (and even the U.K., France, and Australia). I shared some of the fun on social media Facebook and Instagram, but here's a link to the recap video on YouTube! With gratitude, Ashley 
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Hi From the French Quarter!6/20/2025 As you're reading this newsletter, I am likely nose deep in traditional jazz music, history, and guitar/banjo/ukulele stylings at the New Orleans Traditional Jazz Camp in the French Quarter! I'll be sure to post some of the fun on social media, so follow along with me on Facebook or Instagram for real-time, behind-the-scenes pics and videos. With gratitude, Ashley  The Show of the Summer6/12/2025  If you're looking for a fun date night idea or some fabulous evening entertainment INDOORS this month, please join us for the BIGGEST show of the summer right here in Baton Rouge:
"A Salute to Bobby Darin" benefitting Capital Region Crime Stoppers & presented by REV on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, from 7pm to 10pm at the LSU Union Theater! This top notch big band concert will include Darin's major hits (Splish Splash, Dream Lover, Beyond the Sea, Mack the Knife, and more) performed by Ned Fasullo and His Fabulous 17-piece Big Band Orchestra with a few special guest vocalists (including yours truly)! There will be cash bar for concessions & adult beverages, and a large portion of this event's proceeds will benefit Capital Region Crime Stoppers, which now provides services & safety content to an 8-parish area. If you were hoping to see me on stage this summer, this is your chance! I can't wait to see you there. With gratitude, Ashley When the Joyologist Loses Her Joy5/12/2025 You may think that someone who people refer to as a "joyologist" rarely feels down or sad, but unfortunately, I am 100% human, too :p With negative news seeming to hit 24-7 these days (and from every angle/medium, etc.), I've been struggling a bit more than usual to bounce back from challenges to my baseline "go-get-em" outlook. So I was pleasantly surprised when a speaker friend of mine in California asked me out-of-the-blue to perform last month at his virtual Rotary Club Meeting featuring Wall Street Journal columnist and JazzWax editor Marc Myers. Marc is based in NYC and has written about music and jazz for decades. What an honor to get to connect and hear him speak! What I didn't realize until halfway through the meeting was just how much I needed to hear Marc's specific message for that day: the importance of finding positivity in the world and how music can help. So in case hearing what he shared with us that day can help to pull you out of a funk, too, here's the meeting video below. With gratitude, Ashley Feeling Good4/21/2025 Have you ever attended an outdoor event where the weather was determined to be the STAR of the party?
It was so windy during my recent private event performance with the Fat City Swing Band at a marina in Slidell, LA, that the heavy breeze knocked over a drum cymbal while we were setting up and later, a speaker, just after we'd finished a song! Dust flew into eyes of anyone without sunglasses (thankfully I had 5 forgotten pairs in the center console of my car that I eventually dug up and handed out to those who needed a pair). But the funniest (and scariest) part-- any sheet music that wasn't clothes-pinned down was sure to fly away (I had to chase a few pages for the rhythm section). It's on days like this when you truly appreciate the skill level of the people you're working with. I'm so grateful the bandleader had picked people who knew how to make beautiful music in challenging circumstances. That combined with their can-do attitude went a LONG way in keeping the collective mood up. We made the best of the tricky weather and had a great time, too! I hope to get the chance to play with the Fat City Swing Band again. Enjoy this 1-minute recap video here! With gratitude, Ashley April In Paris4/2/2025 As the jazz standard says, that's the dream, anyway, right? Funny enough, I worked in Paris for almost a year in my mid-20s but totally missed the month of April, so you'll have to take Ella Fitzgerald & Count Basie's word for how beautiful it is. I can confirm, however, that April in the French Alps is GLORIOUS :) Things have been a bit quiet lately on the outward front, but a lot of preparations are happening behind the scenes this spring:
What a pleasure it is to sing with so many different groups covering favorite standards from the 1920s-1960s! On the home front, Ethan is 8 months old, growing more adorable by the minute (how is that even possible???) and awake for most of the day now. As every working parent knows--whether they work from home or not--it's a constant challenge to juggle quality time with him plus getting things done, so my goal these days is to update you at least monthly in case you don't follow me on social media or at AshleyOrlando.com. See you soon at an event soon! With gratitude, Ashley  I Found a New Baby (Musically-Speaking)3/17/2025 In case you're wondering, no, Ethan has not been replaced :) But I do have more BIG news! This past week I have been playing with a new MUSICAL baby (ukulele) that arrived in the mail last week because... I am officially a Kanile'a Ukulele Artist! It is truly an honor to be welcomed into the Kanile'a ohana as one of their artists. This Hawaiian ukulele brand is known around the world for its superior craftsmanship and uncompromising pursuit of quality in each instrument it builds. Kanile'a Ukulele Artists include world-renowned players and teachers:
What a thrill to be recognized among this incredibly talented group of musicians for my unique combination of pro-level vocals, performance skills, and joyful way of connecting people together through music. I started my ukulele journey back in 2016 with a Kanile'a Islander ukulele (still one of my main recommendations for a quality beginning instrument). But as my playing ability has grown, so has my need for an uke upgrade. I've played a few different instruments throughout the years, but none match the quality and tone of my new Kanile'a KTR T Pro Ukulele (pictured below). This instrument is top-of-the-line in every way, and I can't wait to see where it takes my music next. I hope you have the chance to come hear it for yourself at a performance this spring! With gratitude, Ashley  The Big News2/18/2025 I’ve been holding onto a little secret, but it is secret no more! Whatcha doing at the end of April??? You’re invited to watch me make my Festival International de Louisiana debut with Dr. Daylight's Jazz Company :D Join us Saturday, April 27, at 12:30pm (Pavillion de Cuisine stage) in Downtown Lafayette for one of my favorite music events of the year! With gratitude, Ashley  Can You Keep a Secret?2/12/2025 I just received a bit of EXCITING NEWS that I can't wait to tell you about! It's something I've wanted to do for a long time, AND, you're invited. Stay tuned to get the scoop. In the meantime, please enjoy this new video from my recent Calmes House Concert :) With gratitude, Ashley From Folk to French2/3/2025 Saturday night guitarist Brian Breen and I had the pleasure of kicking off the 13th year of Calmes House Concerts in Central, LA! Thank you to everyone who came out to support us and enjoy the music. It was a blast to play for a FULL HOUSE (literally :p) and share songs that represent important milestones on my life journey. This concert series usually hosts "folk" artists, so we were a bit outside the norm for them and performed a combination of jazz standards and folk songs from greats like Joni Mitchell (who also ventured into jazz throughout her extensive career). Now I'm switching gears to prepare for an upcoming guest performance in French with LSU pianist Ericka Kudry for the LSU Friends of French Studies Annual Dinner Meeting Thursday, Feb. 6, at the Baton Rouge Country Club. If you would like to support French Studies at LSU, please join us! Tickets are available here. I hope you have a wonderful week! With gratitude, Ashley  Brian Breen and I after our FULL HOUSE acoustic duo show at Calmes House Concerts in Central, LA
AuthorAshley Orlando is a jazz vocalist/ukulele artist and joyologist on a mission to help 1 million women find their voice through music, inspiring stories, and communication skills. Archives
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