Fall in Full Swing9/26/2026 A season of sunshine, swing, festivals and outdoor music awaits, so come on out and "pass a good time, cher!" What fun it was kicking off this musical "busy season" with BREADA's Farm Fête Thursday night at Main Street Market in downtown Baton Rouge. It was a night of delicious food, great community, and live music (by yours truly inside the market and the John Gray quartet outside). Best of all, this annual event raises funds to support local farmers and expand access to fresh, healthy food in our area. It was lovely seeing some of you there! If you missed it, check out some of the other exciting events I've got lined up for October. With gratitude, Ashley 
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Don't Choke9/16/2026 The vision in my left eye was getting foggier by the minute.
“Oh no!” I thought as a couple of tears started dripping out of my left eye. "Don't choke, Ashley. You have two more songs to sing and no time to cry.” “Get yourself together!" "What if your voice cracks at the mic?” After a few minutes of worrying and trying to wipe away the tears, I decided it was pointless and just let them slowly trickle down my cheek. I was sitting by the piano on the side of the church sanctuary while the son of a woman I’d never met shared one cherished memory after another about his mother. I’ve cantored for many funerals—usually for strangers, so there’s little worry that I’ll get emotional and not be able to sing when I need to. Today was no different. Until the eulogy. It was so heartfelt, conversational, and touching that by the end, I felt as though I knew this woman—a lady whose life was long and very different from my own, but who clearly loved and was deeply loved by many. What struck me most was the thread of contentment that ran through his memories of her: her marriage, her family, her favorite activities, her community. These days, we’re constantly encouraged to reach for more. But if we never pause to enjoy what we have now, what is it all for? As her son wrapped up his speech, you could hear a chorus of sniffles throughout the congregation. And then it was time for me to step up to the mic and sing. Could I? Thankfully, yes. I can think of a few very public instances in my singing career when I’ve been grateful for waterproof eyeliner. Today was one of them. But I walked out of that church with a new perspective on ambition—and a renewed determination not to let the joys of the future get in the way of the joys of the now. With gratitude, Ashley Sweater Weather Says Who?9/10/2026 When I was a kid, I was fascinated by all the depictions of "fall" that I saw in movies and read about in books. And since most of those movies were filmed in New York (or on elaborate sound stages in Los Angeles made to look just like New York), I knew exactly what fall should look like. Only… it never seemed to look like that in south Louisiana. On Saturday mornings, I’d sit in front of our family’s little early-’90s, bunny-ear-antenna, no-cable TV, watching old movie reruns on PBS. Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney would be singing about the holidays by a cozy fire, and I’d wonder what it would be like to have a White Christmas—with fluffy, cold snow, rather than shaved ice in a sno-ball or an errant dusting of powdered sugar that blew off a beignet when you laughed too hard. During my years abroad later in life, I ended up living in places that were much colder than Louisiana, and I learned something important: I’m a warm-weather kind of gal :D But I still love dreaming about those rare “fall” days here—the ones when the air feels crisp and the swamp maples turn red. I don’t expect that to happen this Saturday… But dreams are important, too! So I hope you’ll join me this weekend at the Red Stick Farmers Market! My summer break was wonderful, and now I’m refreshed, recharged, and so ready to make some music for y’all again. See you Saturday! With gratitude, Ashley  A lot, it turns out... Turning 40 in two weeks has me feeling ALL the things… But if there’s one thing I know, it’s that I want this next decade to be about making the music I’ve been dreaming about. So… I’m starting it with a bang: finally recording my debut album!!! No more waiting till I'm "ready" or "good enough" or "have everything perfect." It's time to birth a sonic experience about life through my voice and perspective! Thankfully, I've got several wonderful mentors and teachers to guide me through all the things I don't know about creating an album (which is a lot, of course, since it's all pretty new to me). I got to talk a bit about this and several other upcoming projects recently in an interview with BoldJourney Magazine. Click here to read the article! Will definitely keep you updated on this exciting new step in my journey :) With gratitude, Ashley  Spaghetti On the Ceiling8/5/2026 Sometimes being creative feels like pulling teeth... It's hurts. Other times the creative juices just seem to flow and it feels as easy as throwing spaghetti on the ceiling and it miraculously sticks. Then you look at or listen to your creation and think, "How in the world did you come to be?" even though you were involved in the creation process :) The latter (which I prefer, of course) is what happened to when I was tasked with turning a new (and already quite popular) local children's book, "Roux's First Day," into a song! This weekend I had the privilege of joining the author and illustrator to chat about it with Mike Esnault and the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge. Listen to the whole story at the links below! With gratitude, Ashley  From Mike Esnault:
"I recently had the pleasure of speaking with author, playwright, creative consultant, Julie Gerdes Becnel, illustrator Cullen Bernard, and jazz vocalist/ukulele artist, Ashley Orlando. We discussed the recent publication of Julie’s children’s book “Roux’s First Day”. This is a story of Roux, a baby Rougaroux, and her first day of school in the swamp and how she discovers what makes us different is also what makes us shine. We discussed the process of creating this publication as well as the creation of the music that accompanies the story. This interview is part of the AC23+ - Artist Legacy Series of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge. This particular interview is available on on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Amazon Music and Spotify. YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_HZGkkDX5k... For easy access to all the links, click here: https://www.artsbr.org/ac23-podcast Don't Be Interesting7/13/2026 For people with careers that require talking IN FRONT of others--whether pitching, performing, presenting, or promoting to a group in some visual/verbal way--you'd think this piece of wisdom was misplaced.
But that tiny phrase, "Don't be interesting," stuck out like a sore thumb last week when I found myself--for the first time ever--in an acting class. "Don't be interesting," the teacher said to us. "Be interestED." Because if YOU are interested/invested in the story you're telling, the audience more likely will be too. This applies just as much to sharing stories at the kitchen table or to pitching your boss as it does to singing on a stage or acting in front of a camera. AND, it releases some of the internal self-doubt pressure of thinking we need to "perform" to make people like us. Nope! Experiment with being interestED this week instead of interestING, and see what happens. With gratitude, Ashley Aloha!6/23/2026 When I first tell someone I'm an ukulele player, they often assume I play Hawaiian music... Here in south Louisiana, however, luaus are few and far between. In fact, I've probably only ever played for 3 or 4 Hawaiian/Polynesian/tropical-themed events ever in the almost 10 years I've enjoyed playing this delightful instrument. But last Friday night was one of those times! I performed during a special luau-themed dinner at The Barclay House before a theatrical dance troupe performance outside (which included fire hula--talk about hot hot hot!). Thankfully I did NOT have to dance or play uke with fire blazing on sticks around my waist (I loved hula hooping as a kid but draw the line at open flames. haha). And the residents were so sweet and complimentary. I even finished learning and played several 1930s and '40s hapa haole (English-language Hawaiian) jazzy songs that will be added to my general sets. So mahalo to The Barclay House for the festive summer fun, and aloha! With gratitude, Ashley  Speechless6/18/2026 I was always one of the "tall kids" growing up. It had some advantages (I could help my 5'0" maw maw reach top-shelf pots by age 12). But even though I took up more vertical space than the average American female, in most ways, I've always been a late bloomer. I had no idea Kenny Washington was, too. At 65, Washington (who happens to be about as tall as my maw maw was...) has had a long, illustrious career as a jazz vocalist. He's recorded with Wynton Marsalis and performed with Jazz at Lincoln Center. He's sung off-Broadway with Elvis Costello, toured the world with the U.S. Navy Band, and been a guest artist on numerous star-studded concerts and albums. Yet he released his own FIRST album in 2024. And he only just started teaching masterclasses. I realized later that it was only fitting I selected a song that I STARTED working on 20+ years ago (and put away in frustration soon after) as the one to work on with him. And how, only now, do I feel like it's truly becoming my own. I didn't see Kenny's full reaction to my performance until someone sent me this video. Sometimes no words are necessary. Kenny reminded me that "speechless" can speak volumes. And my biggest learning: "Trust your gut. It knows the way." With gratitude, Ashley A Solo Sport5/30/2026 Sometimes I love being able to accompany myself. Other times I wonder if it holds me back. When I get booked for jazz gigs, it is MOSTLY as a solo artist. Why? Because when I play solo, I can squeeze into almost any tiny space--the corner of a restaurant, a downtown sidewalk, into another band as a vocalist, etc. I can fit more budgets. And I only have 1 schedule to check! Just kidding, I actually have about 4 schedules to check because there's also Ethan's busy toddler schedule (summer swim lessons!!!), my husband's schedule, and the schedule of whoever will need to watch the babe if he can't). As a solo artist, it is definitely convenient to have only 1 main creative opinion to appease and 1 set list to pull from. That can make things easy in many ways. On the flip side, I often find it more musically stimulating to play with another artist (or several) who can do things that I can't; who knows new songs it might be cool to try; who can add in their own sonic ideas to the mix and fill out the space in a different way. Playing with others makes me listen more and creates a musical conversation that I don't always know the end to. I love the excitement of wondering where a song will end up and following its lead :) That's why I love taking requests from the public when I do play by myself. It's also why I enjoy playing for fun with community groups like St. Alban's Ukulele Orchestra. 1970s music isn't my forté, so until we started rehearsing, I had never heard about 65% of the music we did for our spring ukulele concert this month. But I can say that it all turned out pretty "groovy," and the audience LOVED IT, too. Here's to many more musical adventures (solo and group-sized) to come! With gratitude, Ashley  St. Alban's Ukulele Orchestra - "Music of the '70's" Spring Concert - May 2026
Time Traveler's Whiplash5/13/2026 Saturday night was a beautiful dream. The weather had been terrible all weekend with constant rain soaking all of southeast Louisiana, so I honestly did not expect a large crowd at "The Songs She Sings." But y'all showed up in force, and it was incredible! The Manship staff even had to pull out a few more tables/chairs to accommodate everyone. THANK YOU for your support! We received lots of positive feedback about the song selections, stories, the musicianship and even the energy in the room. The following comment in particular was one that touched me deeply: "I am so so glad we did not let the gloomy weather keep us home...your show was phenomenal. You have a beautiful voice and a wonderful style of showmanship making us feel special and seen just by being in your audience." That last line especially means so much to me. Because it takes a lot of time and effort to craft not just a collection of songs but an immersive, musical experience that brings the audience on a journey. And anytime I curate a show of my own, THAT is always my goal. I look forward to continuing to grow with you on this whimsical, warm, sometimes wacky but always worthwhile journey of creativity and self-expression. Now this week is all about FUN and TIME TRAVELING because on Tuesday I performed a 1920s-focused traditional jazz set with the Florida Street Blowhards, and this Thursday at 6pm my uke and I will be getting groovy with "Music of the '70's" by the St. Alban's Ukulele Orchestra. (Please join us at St. Alban's Chapel on the LSU Campus if you're free!) With gratitude, Ashley In case you missed it, here's an audience-perspective clip from "The Songs She Sings" Saturday night:  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
September 2026
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