Artist description ASHLEY'S BIOGRAPHY Don't be surprised the first time you hear Ashley Garland on your radio! That is, unless you're Ashley Garland! "It was really shocking!” says the 16-year old singer, songwriter and former gymnastics maniac. " I was sitting in my kitchen and listening to my radio and suddenly I heard, "Coming up next, Ashley Garland". I was like, "oh my gosh!” We ran and got the video camera and started taping the radio. Hearing Ashley's soulful voice should be a requirement for anyone interested in great pop voices and out-of-the-box originality. Her debut album, Gotta Getcha, is the result of hard work, fresh ideas and the multi-faceted talents of a teenager who towers over the current army of prefab idols. A songwriter at 13, a Broadway musical veteran before she learned how to drive, Ashley has grown into a vibrant performer who doesn't want to limit herself to just making music about schoolyard romance. Gotta Getcha is one girl's vision of the world unveiling before her - in these songs she sees the struggles of commitment, the laughter of friendship and has the clarity it takes to see there's truly nothing funny about peace, love, and understanding. "I think that as I'm growing up, my ideas for what makes a song are changing. I used to write a lot about relationships, but lately I have been writing a lot more about God and war, " she says. "I feel like I'm evolving." A teenage artist who already receives major spins on Chicago radio and sang the National Anthem for major events at The Allstate Arena, Ashley has readied herself for this moment her whole life. ("From the time she was in diapers, everyone in the family knew she'd do something big", her mom says. "She dominated a room, always." Her breakthroughs have been so seamless, it's hard not to see fate's heavy hand. She first cast her eye on gymnastics, and after winning state honors, moved to music. A pianist and choir leader, she started earning featured roles for major Off-Broadway musicals receiving their Chicago premieres. In the meantime, she booked time at a local studio and started working on demos that inevitably leaked to a Chicago area radio station without her even knowing it. With local hits under her belt, she quickly became a cult hero in her neighborhood, which boosted her confidence and fueled her songwriting even further. Then entered Jamie Principle. A songwriter, producer and performer responsible for selling over a million records worldwide, Principle was a crucial player in Chicago's House music scene in the 1980's. He later evolved into a producer in demand. Tipped to Ashley, Principle was bowled over. "She reminded me of a little me," he says, laughing. "It was just an instant attraction, musically. We just blended the first day we met. I really thought she was a godsend." Principle immediately got Ashley into the studio. Or more accurately, he brought the studio to her. "When we were doing stuff back in the '80's, we lived at the studio. But technology is so far out there now, I think you get your best work done at home because you're most comfortable there, " he says. Ashley credits Principle for pushing her to find her own voice. "He's my idol. He really wants me to develop as an artist and do my own thing," she says. "She's grown a lot," Principle adds. "She's like that diamond in the rough and all the rough edges are starting to come off." One of the reasons that Ashley is a teenager with adult longevity is that she's calling the shots. Writing the melodies and lyrics, the mixed bag of pop, techno and rock songs on Gotta Getcha are perfectly focused snapshots of the world through her own eyes. Already performing (with a troupe of singers and dancers in tow), Ashley can see her hard work paying off. "I love taking your feelings and sharing them with so many people. I love seeing people's faces when they connect with your emotions," she says. "Most teen singers don't write their own material, and that plays to a lot of them sounding alike. By the time they're willing to express themselves, they're already out of their teens," Principle says. "An artist's strength is not just in the artistry onstage but it also has to do with making their own music. Ashley's very spiritually grounded, she has her head on and that's very rare with teen artists. She's not going to be just a performing force, but a production force as well." She was soon noticed by Buddy Sokolick, Vice-President at Jam Productions, Ltd. and President of Best Stars Entertainment, Inc., bringing her team full circle. "She is a remarkable young lady with extreme talent!” says Sokolick. "She really impressed me the first time I heard her and her drive and commitment in a very demanding and competitive industry really stood out beyond what I have ever seen in many other young new artists. Keep an eye out for this young lady, ........she's going to make it!” Ashley's parents add, "We had numerous offers for management for Ashley, but we were searching for the best management possible for our daughter. We wanted her surrounded by reputable and caring people. People who believed in her as much as we did. Buddy is all of those things and more." Big dreams are bought and sold every day, but when a young stars natural gifts bloom, no salesmanship is required. Devoting her off-hours to schoolwork, where she continues to maintain honors each year, volunteering at a local center for the handicapped and watching sunsets color the sky from outside on her back porch, Ashley is opening a door to a new world and stepping out, beaming! No blueprint got her this far. She's just going to shut her eyes and jump in. "I don't want to set goals right now," she says, smiling. "I just go day to day and hope!”

Location Chicago, Illinois - USA

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