Post-Toronto Life Update
Hello, all! It’s been a while.
I’ll get right to it: this blog has been an itch at the back of my mind for the past year as I’ve dealt with some heavy-hitting Life Events, and I’m raring to get back on here and yap like my life depends on it. First, though, let me provide a quick update on everything that’s been going on. 2024 started inauspiciously when I got let go by my job at the Vancouver Symphony on my first shift of the year. Eager to hand me another curveball, life decided to then hand me acceptance letters to DMA (doctoral composition) programs at UBC and U of T. I decided on going to U of T, then moved to Calgary to stay with my parents for the summer so I wouldn’t have to pay Vancouver rent right before a cross-country move.
During my stay in Calgary, my parents and I figured out that we could get the cost of an ADHD/autism diagnosis subsidized by insurance if we finagled the appointments correctly, so I got assessed and - surprise! - I was diagnosed with both ADHD and autism, with the weird upshot that my IQ was also assessed unbeknownst to me and it turns out I’m in the 98th percentile of that metric, which I only mention because I love shoving it in the faces of people who believe IQ is real. Afterwards, I shifted my attention to a commission for flute octet by the lovely Mark MacGregor of Vancouver’s Queer Arts Festival, then to the dreaded cross-country move and beginning a new degree after two years spent outside of academia.
Fortunately, the move went well, and I’ve been having a blast here in so-called Toronto. It’s truly been a fresh start for me with a bigger (and private) living space, plenty of room to roam around, and some neat courses on pop songwriting and Renaissance counterpoint. Having access to some accommodations at U of T has helped A TON, as have my own efforts to create a lifestyle more conducive to success with my disability. I’m doing better than I have in years, and I’m immensely grateful to all the people in my life who have supported me through this journey.
So that’s what I’ve had going on these past months, and now I want to talk about the future. I have some cool ideas for more writing on this blog that I want to get started on before the year ends, and I have some pieces cooking that I’m excited to share. I’m most excited for the fully staged premiere of a new micro-opera this coming January, with libretto by Prof. Michael Albano and music by yours truly. This work came about as part of an opera-writing course - I and three colleagues at U of T are each writing a 15-minute piece, all of which will be performed at the beginning of 2025. I’ve also been diving into pop music production and would like to get some synth-y EDM tracks out there at some point, and I’ve been working on a piece for string quartet and electronics in my lessons with Christos Hatzis. Also coming up is the premiere of my new work for flute octet early next year in Vancouver. Oh, and - lest I forget - the film cancer szn recently premiered at We Make Movies Festival in LA, directed by my fabulous friend Zach Green and with music by yours truly.
Thus, all you Ashley-heads have a great deal to look forward to in the coming months, and I’m intent on putting my head down and getting to work on new essay-style content for you guys as a welcome distraction from the recent US election. I also need to start writing new works for a recital in the third year of my doctorate. I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts with you all once again, and - in case I don’t see you - I hope everyone reading this has a fantastic winter holiday season.
Love to you all,