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
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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  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
July 2025
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