MusicConnex

There are points in every artists journey when they´re faced with taking 'the next step'! I took my 1st steps with Jonathon Hockley, Kasha and Composure in early 09'...and the next steps revealed themselves pretty quickly after that! Branching out and meeting more producers and artists...setting up my blog and other social networks came next...then getting a band together in early 10' for my 1st gig...which inevitably led to more gigs! But with all this hard graft under my belt where exactly is the AA project heading?? I knew the 'next step' was imminent but I didn't have a clue what it was!?!

I've got Faron McKenzie and his partner Jon Mansfield to thank for my latest musical ephiphany! MUSIC CONNEX -their brainchild - does exactly what it says on the tin, and MorE lol! I was skeptical when Faron 1st mentioned this conference because I hadn't been to a seminar since uni days...and the business side of the music industry has always been a bit over complicated for my liking! I gave it a go however...and on the 1st day alone I was blown away by the energy and keen faces that filled Kings Place! This wasn't just a seminar...this was a celebration of success!

The three-day programme covered a range of subjects relevant to any budding artists! From brain rehearsing to hints on how to get signed. Youtube gave a tips on how to get your music out there digitally and Miss Bee from I Luve Live told us how to secure good gigs!! And innovative companies such as Music Dealers showed us exciting ways of monetizing our work! I was spoilt for choice with artist speakers like Labarinth, Random Impulse and Jazzy B in the house. As well as industry moguls like Charlie Sloth and Glyn Aikins from Virgin! The highlight for me though was an intimate discussion with the one and only Al Shux (producer/songwriter of Emipre State of Mind!) His room was SOOO packed that me and a couple of others set up camp outside his room til we were granted access!

In between seminars we all had the opportunity to network and connect in King's Place beautiful canal side setting! The bar was buslting...and so relaxed! Novice artists like myself could rub shoulders and pick the brains of veterans like Ian Titchner from The Music Consultancy (Think DJ Luck and MC Neat). We were also treated to showcases on x2 of the nights...including performances from visiting Canadian Blast rap troupes! (You'll hear a bit about producer S.O.U.L soon)! See pics here! At this point I got to make a big shout out to my boy Sketch Williams! He's a Canadian artist/producer I met at MusicConnex...big talent...and new found friend ;D!

So what was this career changing next step? Well as independent as I've been up until now I learned that the AA operation needed extra hands and minds to help crank this thing up a gear! Hello Lucid Tiger! I don't want to say too much about this management duo at the moment as it's still early days, but if all goes to plan you'll be hearing a lot about Anthony and Raphael over the coming months! :D

Music Connex connects you to like minded driven people in the music industry! I was working on a short film at the same time as the seminar, so I only attended 2 out of the 3 days...wish I could have had it all lol! I won't summarise my experience in words...I think this video (filmed on location in the Kings Way hall hehe) says it ALL:

Thank you Music Connex! (And Jonathon for filming this vid :D)

@sh.x

RATHBONE Youth Centre:

I've never thought of myself as much of a mentor...especially since I'm prone to somewhat erratic behaviour lol! I've always hoped to inspire people through my music, but it wasn't until my girl Anna, a designer and youth worker at Rathbone in Hackney planted the seed that I really considered the potential Ashleigh Ashley had to reach out to some of London's most interesting kids!

Anna invited me down to the youth center to give a 'talk' to some of her clients! Not one to mess about Anna chucked me right in the deep end lol...and I found myself sat in a room of about ten 16-19 year olds (under her watchful eye)...nervous as hell! The mistrust, and general apathy amongst the group was written on their faces..'who the hell is this chick?...and what is she going to try and preach to us today??' I did my best to entertain/inform them about the ups and downs of my journey so far and answered as many questions as I could about music/making videos and networking...but deep down I felt I was missing the point?! Having left home at 17 I had more in common with these kids then I first thought...and in hindsight I would have made the most of that fact!

The most poignant part of the session for me was when I asked them: "What do you want to do with your life...?" Now, I wasn't expecting an in-depth description...who KNOWS for sure what they want to be at 17? I was expecting however, to see some kind of animation in their eyes...hear something of dreams and hopes...ANYTHING! But my question was met by most of the group with silence and averted eyes!! In fact one kid even crossed the room and stuck his head out of the window to chat to a 'mate' outside lool! They're young, beautiful souls...with everything to live for...so what are they so afraid of?? What will it take to help these amazing youngsters realize their potential?

In the age where the so-called Y-generation are defined by Facebook, knife crime and bad grammer it's no wonder youths have lost faith in themselves! Not to say that anyone has an excuse to be a criminal, 'rude-boi' or general meanie...but if the media and indeed most adults continue to paint todays youth with that 'hopeless' brush it's inevitable that they'll grow up in those colours right!?!

I can't wait til my next session with these guys! I want to find out more about them...I want to know what makes them TICK. And most of all I hope to get them involved in a new upcoming Ashleigh Ashley project...RULE THE WORLD! Watch this space!!...

@sh.x

Shout out to all the girls and guys in my session...I believe in you...and next time we meet I hope you'll let me in and we can get this ball rolling!

Styling Miss Annastasia Baker:

You might remember this chica's name from 2010's Xfactor?! Click here to see her audition. Like most REAL talent that graces Simon Cowell's stage Annastasia proved too much for the Xfactor to handle lol...she made it all the way to the round before the live shows before leaving the show! I've got nothing but admiration for this young mums determination...and it was an absolute pleasure to meet her on the off chance at Flavour Live in September 2010!
Scrolling forward a couple months...I'd kicked in the full time job to sing and style for a living...and Miss Annastasia was continuing to gig, and entertain audiences around London! One November night we found ourselves performing in the same arena we had met (details in Ashleigh Ashley Flavoured)...check out Anna's interview from the night:



We got talking...as us girlies do and I told her a bit about the styling malark I do hehe! Good thing too, because a few months later we were planning her 1st proper promo shoot! Annastasia Baker is reborn...AA styleeeee hehe!!
THE PROCESS:
Well as with any styling gig we had loads of little hiccups, but the themes for the three costume I had planned finally came together in the week before the shoot! *PheW*. Here are the three 'looks' and some of my fave pics from the research stages!
ANNA-RELLA:
This look saw Anna dressed as a chained 'goddess'! My vision was a soft white Grecian dress with a full-ish skirt...feirce, dark eye make-up and copious amounts of chains to dress her. Soft angelic white with hard cold iron/steel could only make a dynamic combination!

COLOUR:
This 'look' was to be infused with POP! Bright colours, striking make up and candy sex appeal! Just to add a bit of a twist Metal Man reared his metallic head again in the form of shoulder pads, modelled here by our gorgeous photographer Leah Jude-Porter!

NAUTICAL:
This was just a simple and natural look for Annastasia...(who did an amazing job picking the perfect/versatile hairstyle for this shoot). I must admit I had to back down on this one... Anna had been patient enough with me and my outlandish idea's of African print trousers and lengths of chain. We went simple with a nautical jacket and jean combination. And I think you'll agree that the final shots look absolutely stunning! These are a couple of cool refs:

FINAL SHOTS - Well my faves anyway:

We're so proud of the results...and I think you'll agree Anna looks FEIRCE! Well done girly...Go Team Annastasia!
Photographer: Leah Jude-Porter
Make Up: Amanda Graham
Styling: Ashleigh Ashley

Holla at me on ashanneash@gmail.com for more info...or indeed if you want a shoot of your own!

@sh.x

L'Oreal...Metal Man Take Over:

So we've seen Metal Man grace the pages of Flavour Magazine so whats came next for this intrepid explorer?
Well, meet the Kennady's...so to speak! A top rate hairdressing salon in picturesque Ingatestone! An hair-stylist friend of mine - Timmi Norman (the guy responsible for my hair in my featured photograph...which helped create the 'Ashleigh Ashley' look)- is a head stylist at Kennady's and he called in the cavalry after they were selected to showcase their talents at the prestigious L'Oreal Fellowship hairshow! Now these guys are the 'parliament' of the hair industry so Timmi called me in to style these girls in Metal Man...adding edge to their innovative hairstyles!

It was definitely an eventful evening! Having settled down to prepare for the show...our team (along with several others) were unexpectedly kicked out of the Fellowship building :o and ushered speedily to the local hotel lobby. We later found out that there were just too many people attending the show...in short...we were a fire hazard lol! Anyway...true professionals that we are lol...the preparations continued...:
Katie & Lizzy (Kennady stylists) get crimping:

Timmi doing his thing...

Once the girls were dressed and ready we were then ushered back to the Fellowship building in a bit of a hurry ready for the Kennadys slot on the runway! Tension was high as there was a lot of stiff competition from 6ft models with 3ft hair lol...but I caught this snap of the girls backstage (JUST before they went on) and I was confident they would stand the test of the fickle L'Oreal crowd!

And this is a snap of the girls doing thier thing on stage! Sticking to the BB camera for this it seems - I never did get the proper shots from the Kennady's camera man...(you know who you are lol)! I tell you the stage lit up like a Christmas tree the second the girls stepped out!


Team Kennadys after the show:

It was a fab February night guys! Metal Man meets the Kennady's meets L'Oreal...what a sexy combination! The Fellowship picked up on the hype too...a sneaky picture made it to print on page.11 of their monthly magazine! :D Click link below for a digital version!!

L'Oreal Fellowship Digi-Mag

Special thanx to Katie and Timmi for thinking of me ;D
@sh.x