The Music Marathon3/28/2024 I've made it halfway through the music marathon that is Holy Week (this year, for me, that means 8 liturgies, 2 major rehearsals and 1 funeral), and the physical and mental fatigue that much scheduling/standing/sightreading brings is already setting in! With that in mind, please be kind to any church musicians you encounter this week. We're all doing our best AND may be a bit more frazzled than usual :) Happy Easter! Ashley P.S. Upcoming Portobello's (Bocage) Dates (See my full event calendar for details): - Saturday, April 6 - Saturday, April 27 - Sunday, May 12 - MOTHER'S DAY BRUNCH 
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The Sweet Potato Lady Knows Best3/13/2024 Have you ever gone shopping for one thing but came home later with something very different than you originally expected? A couple weeks ago at the farmer's market, I was singing my songs, playing my ukulele and enjoying the beautiful spring-like weather when I noticed a middle-aged woman stop about 15 feet away to listen to the music. When the song finished, she came over to me smiling and held up a wad of $1 bills so I could see it clearly. "I came here to buy sweet potatoes," she said. "This is my sweet potato money. But your voice is so sweet and put me in such a good mood, that I'm gonna give it to you instead." I was both touched and torn. "Oh no! I can't take your sweet potato money!" I said. But she wouldn't be persuaded. "Honey, you have given me a beautiful gift with your music. I can buy sweet potatoes another time. THIS was what I really needed today. Thank you." This brief encounter has stuck with me over the past few weeks because I think it's a beautiful reminder that sometimes you THINK you need one thing, when you're really searching for something else. You may not even know what it is until you stumble upon it. In my own daily life, I'm almost halfway through my first ever pregnancy, and boy is this experience teaching me a lot about slowing down to notice those deeper needs and fulfilments--body and soul--this is something I've practiced for years, but apparently I also needed bouts of morning sickness and acid reflux to slow me down enough to fully embrace it. What I love most about reflecting on the sweet potato lady's story is seeing her joy in letting go of her original intent once she realized that she had received what she needed in that moment after all. AND I still hope she got her sweet potatoes eventually! What deeper fulfilment might you be searching for today? And would you be open to finding something unexpected? With gratitude, Ashley P.S. I've got two unexpected shows this weekend at Portobello's (Bocage) - March 15th & 16th! Come dine with us and enjoy the music. Details here.  What Are You Waiting For?3/7/2024 Have you ever wanted to get started on a project or skill but thought, "I'll do it when I have more...time/money/knowledge..."? Me too. But the more I learn about the world and those who find great success in it, the more I realize that there's usually one big difference in the way they live their lives. You see, most people find lots of reasons to put off getting started on "important but not urgent things" until conditions are "better." They wait...and wait...and wait. The problem is that oftentimes, those perfect conditions are rarely met. The most successful people, however, get started immediately, even when they don't have EVERYTHING they need yet, and they gather more knowledge/skills/a team to help them along the way. Jumping in early is NOT my natural way of operating, but everything I have created that I'm truly proud of was developed before I felt truly "ready." Here's a simple example: You've probably seen the promo below for my upcoming solo performance tomorrow night, Friday, March 8, from 6pm to 9pm at Portobello's Grill (Bocage) in Baton Rouge (If you don't already have dinner plans, join us! The food there is fabulous and the music will be too :D) But what you may not know is that the photo used for this ad is no "professional shot." In fact, it wasn't even taken on a "normal" camera. In reality, it was one of a bunch of late-night selfies I took with my smart phone, a tripod, and a handheld remote while on lockdown during the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. It's not high quality (so it can't use it in printed materials), and I couldn't even see if I was in the frame while taking it (which means I had to take A LOT of pictures to get one nice one in focus), but it has come in handy over the last few years. And it was born out of a combination of boredom and necessity--one major roadblock I encountered as a new solo artist during lockdown was that I had no promotional photos to use even when I managed to find a virtual gig! So I had to create some with whatever equipment I had at my house at that moment. Are you waiting for conditions to be perfect to get started on something in your life? If so, how can you break that habit and start a new one of taking one tiny action every day? With gratitude, Ashley Ashley Orlando Solo @ Portobello's (Bocage) |
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