Meet Taylor Ash

 

We were lucky to catch up with Taylor Ash recently and have shared our conversation below.

Taylor, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

Resilience is a funny thing to me- in the hard moments of my life, I never thought I was being “resilient” I was just pushing forward because in my mind I had to keep going. When I was in high school, I took the risk of pursuing my love of singing and music by applying and auditioning at music schools. These schools are highly competitive and some offer only a few spots each term. After many rejections, I was finally set to go to Westminster Choir College studying vocal performance. About six months in, my voice teacher was very frank and told me she did not think I had a career in this field- which of course was utterly devastating at the time (but she was absolutely correct). I then switched my major to pursue music theory and composition, another passion of mine. I had been writing songs since i was 11 years old, so it seemed the natural way to go. Things went really well after the switch, but then life once again threw me a curveball. In 2014, I spent weeks in and out of the hospital with a strange affliction that would (months) later be diagnosed as Lupus. I was unable to move freely, having to use a cane to help me walk and was in an extreme amount of pain. The medicines they put me on were intense, and one of them caused reflux so severe that it burned my vocal chords, effectively destroying my singing voice. The recovery process took 2 full years, and to be honest my voice was never the same again. It felt like the universe was trying to push me out of the music field completely. Every time I thought I was getting somewhere, something would happen to halt that progress. I now understand that all of this had to happen to put me on my current path- where I have found the most happiness and success yet.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Back in 2020, during the pandemic, I began to teach myself music production. I originally intended for this to be so I could record my indie music myself and not have to always go to a professional studio- but two close friends of mine reached out and asked me to compose a theme song for their podcast. Though I had studied classical composition in school, it had been a while since I had put those skills to use. I found so much joy in creating the theme, I started to do more scoring in my free time. I ended up composing a theme song for a popular book series which then went viral on TikTok. Shortly after, I entered a scoring competition and was one of the 5 winners, receiving feedback from Bridgerton’s composer Kris Bowers. The universe was screaming at me “THIS, This is your path!” So, I ran with it. I kept composing scenes from books, or character themes, and as that gained more popularity, clients started reaching out to have me on their projects. From all of this, my studio and business was born. I opened From Ash Studios in early 2022 which provides music for all types of projects- from film, to books, to commercials and even sound design. I absolutely love working with people to bring their creative visions to life with music. Music is so powerful and I truly believe it adds an unforgettable layer to any kind of project. I’m currently working on a 90 minute score for the TTRPG game “Alice is Missing” which is set to release later this year. My commissions are also currently open if you have a project that needs music!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think sticking with piano through most of my life (I have been playing since I was 6 years old) was tremendously helpful in terms of composing and what I do now. I am incredibly grateful for my teachers over the years who encouraged me or guided me to help me get to where I am. Being open and receptive and implementing their knowledge has helped me improve my craft. I also think collaboration has really impacted me- I sung in choirs most of my life, and was lucky enough to perform with some world class orchestras. Being in those environments, and meeting so many other passionate musicians really fueled my fire and allowed me to grow as human being.

Although these things are specific to music- I think they can apply to all fields. Stick to your guns, and keep at something even when your bad at it (and you always will be at first!). Listen and learn from those who have been in your shoes- take what you need and leave the rest. Collaborate with your peers and learn from them, as well. Don’t compete or compare when you can encourage and work to both be better.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

Back in September I became a Mom. It has been my greatest joy and such a blessing to welcome our daughter to the world, but of course came with many challenges in terms of my career. Balancing mom-life and work-life I think any Mom can understand is hard, but working a creative-type job brings even more challenges than I was expecting. When you’re composing it can be difficult to have to stop and start your workflow. Sometimes, when you CAN work the creative juice isn’t flowing, but then it starts up as soon as you can’t get away. I am fortunate enough to have help, and so we are learning to overcome these challenges and I’ve learned to adapt my work method, but it’s still all a work in progress!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Tracey Harrison Photography, David Ross Lawn Photography

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Leadership Development
Empathy Unlocked: Understanding how to Develop Emotional Intelligence

“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus

Productivity
Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic

Productivity
Boosting Productivity Through Self-Care

When you have a never-ending to-do list it can feel irresponsible to engage in self-care,