About Last Night...11/22/2021 "I'll find you in the morning sun, and when the night is new. I'll be looking at the moon, but I'll be seeing you." - Billie Holiday Y'all, last night was a dream come true and SO MUCH FUN! I had the pleasure of performing for a local church's concert series, which meant I got to sing/play a selection of favorites from the Great American Songbook and Broadway. I was joined by the church's incredibly talented pianist who introduced and accompanied me. We titled the evening "Count Your Blessings: A Thanksgiving Show," and it truly did feel like a night of warmth and gratitude. This was my first official "show" (where people come specifically FOR the music) in person. I can't tell you how amazing it feels to hold an audience's rapt attention for that long! And to think that I LEARNED how to do this. Which means you can, too. Songs and stories are powerful. The important part is figuring out how to connect. This is me glowing after the concert :D  Flash forward to this morning...I've been trying for a few hours now to get the video footage from the show off of my phone (the file's so large that it's causing problems).
When I do figure out this issue, I'll send y'all a snippet to watch! In the meantime, I'm recognizing that all I truly need are the memories in my head and heart--seeing the smiles on people's faces, watching them interact and hearing their kind words after about how I "transported back to their childhood." So I'm reminding myself to count my blessings, and I hope you do too! Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving, Ashley
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Vulnerability Is Hard...11/15/2021 "Vulnerability is hard, and it's scary, and it feels dangerous, but it's not as hard, scary, or dangerous as getting to the end of our lives and having to ask ourselves, 'What if I had shown up? What if I would have said I love you? What If I would have come off the [starting] blocks?'" This powerful quote from Brené Brown struck me last night as I was watching one of her popular talks online. The phrase was part of her closing statement, the one meant to both touch our hearts (because we can relate to it), but also call us to action (so that we DO something as a result). It got me thinking about the most vulnerable action I have ever taken--deciding to marry the love of my life. You're probably wondering, "How in the world is that even a question???" but hear me out :) You see, I have lived and worked abroad, I have learned new languages and connected with fascinating people, all while enjoying an incredible sense of freedom to choose where I was in the world. And in marrying the love of my life, I knew that I would be signing up for a very different style of living--one where I would be connected to wherever his job sent us. I knew it would mean eventually leaving behind a job and career I loved to start over (possibly multiple times). And I needed to decide if I was OK with that. It took a while, but eventually I was ready to take that deep plunge into a new unknown (and the decision by then did become a no-brainer!). I had to get through a whole lot of scary vulnerability first for my head and heart to click. As hard as it was then, I'm so glad that I did. Because it led not only to building a life with my favorite person in a new place that we have both grown to love, but it also gave me the courage to take OTHER vulnerable steps toward big goals, like reconnecting with music. Fast-forward several years, and now I get to enjoy the fruits of some of those vulnerable steps with you! If you're in the Houston, TX area, I hope you'll join me for several upcoming performances:   I hope to see you at one or both of these shows!
And remember--embracing vulnerability is hard. It can hurt. You WILL fail at times. But "sometimes winning is not coming in first. Sometimes winning is doing the really brave thing." - Brené Brown Ashley Whenever you’re ready… here are 2 additional ways I can help you develop charismatic communication skills to create the life you want:
AuthorAshley Orlando is a jazz vocalist/ukulele artist and coach who helps growth-focused leaders find their voice, grow their presence & amplify their impact. Archives
March 2023
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