We recently connected with Dylan Ashburn and have shared our conversation below.
Dylan, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
People often comment on my charisma and self-esteem, and are surprised to learn that I haven’t always been so outwardly confident. Growing up in a class of the, now joked about, “high-achievers”, I was a rather reserved child. I had my loud moments, as any kid does, but I spent most of my time quietly observing rather than doing.
Luckily for me, my elementary school had a mandatory music program for fifth graders. Every student had a choice — band, orchestra, or choir — and I remember being upset that my mornings on the playground would now be spent inside doing music instead. I landed on band and chose the trumpet. My late grandfather was a lifelong musician and was almost certainly more excited about my joining the band than I was. I sang in the car and made “mouth noises” (i.e., beatboxing) as my mother affectionately called them, but that was the extent of my music experience, outside of a general music classroom.
Luckily for me, I loved it. I realized that what I felt for music was stronger than simply “loving” it. I found a place that I connected with, almost etherically. Music made sense to me, and made sense to the musicians around me in and out of my own class, and I found a space where I felt comfortable.
There’s a well-known music stereotype that the trumpet players are the loud kids. The type of person who isn’t afraid to express their opinion, or get involved in conversations across the room. I’m not sure I was that kind of child before I began playing the trumpet, but I became one as the years passed. By the time I started high school I had bloomed into a confident, if a little brash, teenager who believed in himself and the friends around him. I found opportunities to run for student leadership roles, and was elected by my peers. I took to the stage, and branched out from just band to choir and musical theater. In college, while studying engineering, I battled the “outsider” mentality from music majors and staff, and founded and ran one of the most successful student music groups on campus.
All of these opportunities have brought me confidence that I never dreamed I would have. I know that I am capable of tackling projects or problems that I have no experience with, because I have learned how to learn, how to lead, and how to trust myself in unfamiliar spaces. Music gave me a place to take risks, to be seen, and to grow alongside others, and those experiences shaped how I see myself today.
My confidence and self-esteem were not something I was born with; they were built through connection, discipline, and the courage to step forward even when I felt unsure. What began as a mandatory fifth-grade elective became the foundation for how I carry myself, advocate for others, and believe in my ability to make an impact.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Each day, I wear two hats: those of manager and educator. I am the manager and operator of a private music studio and music therapy business in Casper, Wyoming, called VIBES. VIBES Fine & Performing Arts opened its doors in 2013 and is a family-owned enrichment studio offering music creation, interaction, and performance opportunities for all ages in Casper’s community. VIBES allows all to excel in music and the arts and exposes students and families to new musical opportunities. In 2019, VIBES introduced a customized, clinical, and evidence-based music therapy program helping clients feel empowered to be their best selves and engage in healing.
This means that I have the pleasure of working with and leading amazing musicians and clinical music therapists to provide healing, education, and fun to the community of Casper. This has provided me the opportunity to experience a wide array of tasks, including grant planning, local and statewide presenting, government and legislative advocacy, and above all, teaching.
Additionally, I am a certified Kindermusik educator, and I teach developmentally appropriate music classes to children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years old. Kindermusik is an internationally recognized and research-based program that uses music as a vehicle to promote development specific to a child’s age. This means that we’re singing, dancing, and making music in the interest of serving a child’s fine and gross motor development, cognitive and social skills, and emotional well-being. Growing up, I never imagined myself as a teacher, but teaching is easily my favorite part of my day.
Our music therapy program is on the cutting edge for the service in Wyoming. We employ 4 full-time music therapists, of the 9 or so across the entire state, who see patients throughout Casper at facilities such as the general hospital, adult and adolescent psych hospital, and elderly care facilities, in addition to private patients at our studio. Our therapists have extensive experience in memory care, motor rehabilitation, social/emotional techniques, and use music as an avenue for exploring ways to overcome a patient’s problems. A majority of our services are provided at these facilities free of charge to the patients, and we have assorted avenues of grant funding for private patients to eliminate cost as a barrier of entry to treatment.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three qualities that have been most helpful on my journey have been optimism, flexibility, work ethic.
Optimism helps you overcome problems that might feel overwhelming. I remind myself every time I’m faced with a hard moment that things will all work out, because they have to! There’s no other option for how things will end,.
Flexibility has served me well at work, and in life. I often call myself a true jack of all trades, and I think that’s a strength and not a detriment. I have knowledge and competent skills in many different areas, and I’m never afraid to jump into something that is outside of my comfort zone. Never stop looking for chances to learn, and never let your inner dialogue keep you from doing something new.
Work ethic is more intrinsic, but attention to detail functions the same way. Things have to get finished, and nothing is ever 100% perfect, but attention to the detail is what makes your work or product sparkle. If you focus on the details, your work will shine every time.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My family life was far from perfect, but my parents loved me fiercely and unapologetically, and instilled in me that I was truly capable of whatever I set my mind to. It might be too late to grow up and be the game show host that I told my parents I was going to be when I was older, but I live every day now with the resolve that I will be successful in whatever I do. This has been my greatest asset in overcoming imposter syndrome, integrating with new teams in new environments, and growing alongside my hobbies outside of work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vibescasper.com
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