Music Style Easy Listening, Spiritual

Group Members Ashley Foot, Beverley Medford

Instruments Voice, Piano

Albums A Moment in Time

Press Reviews WANT ASHLEY FOOT TO CREATE MUSIC? JUST LET HIM SLEEP ON IT FOR AWHILE By Peter Rusland, The Cowichan News Leader Duncan, BC Vocalist Ashley Foot was born with songs in his heart, but tunes don't really enter his head until he's in bed. For some reason I hear my songs when I'm sleeping and when I wake up I've learned the song over night. It's like magic," the alto-tenor said. Results from Foot's musical memory bank have been deposited on his debut CD, A Moment In Time, that's being released during Sunday's concert in the Mercury Theatre.He and pianist Bev Medford--his accompanist on the disc--will be joined during the 2:30 p.m. show by the Island Boys' Choir, the Medford Singers and soprano Katie Hicks."We recorded the CD over the past year at Upward Audio Works in Zack Cohen's converted garage," said Foot.The 19 track album contains songs spanning everything for Cat Steven's' Morning has Broken to Broadway songs like Bring them home for Les Miserables, and Where is Love? For Oliver. Folk songs and classical arias, including one from Handel's Ptolemy, also grace A Moment in Time. "It's really tough doing a CD", said Foot. "You go in with expectations of how it well end up and things change in the studio, but I think they changed for the better in my case." The Edmonton native has maintained that upbeat attitude since he was a tuneful toddler. "I started singing for people when I was two years old then graduated to public singing with solos at seven," he said. He and his family moved to the valley when Foot was four and he began singing in a choir at age 5. Piano lessons with Beverly Halasz followed when Foot was eight. He's now working on Grade 9 level piano courses through the Royal Conservatory of Music. The Grade 9 Maxwell International Baha'i School student--whose favorite subject is English--also active in acting and speech arts. "I'd like to go to university and get a degree in English and be involved in the arts," he said, returning to talk about his first love: singing. "I was brought up listening to Welsh boy--soprano Aled Jones. I'd hear his voice and think "Maybe I'll sound like him someday. "The Medford Singers' member describes his own voice as a cross alto-tenor. My voice isn't expected to change for a long time. I can reach notes higher than a tenor and much lower than a soprano. "A lot of boys just stop singing, or don't start, because they think they have no voice."I sing because I just like seeing people's reactions," he said. "I don't sing for personal gain--I do it because I know it brings joy to people who hear it. "His favourite vocalists are opera singer Cecilia Bartolli and New Zealander Kire Te Kanawa. "I'd love to sing on Broadway or as a classical singer but so few classical singers make it. "Foot also depicted Daddy Warbucks during director Phil Newns's recent production of Annie. He furthered his stage training during the summer course Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance taught by Parry Erlich at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver. Cowichan Music Festival 2000 will see the budding virtuosos sing in The Earl King in German with Medford accompanying. Foot will also enter CMF piano and speech arts' competitions while planning his next CD set for 2001 release. "We'd like to be more jazz oriented and want a lot more instrumentation," he said, noting numbers may include standards such as Mac The Knife. Foot fans can hear him perform two solos with Duncan United Church's senior choir on their new Christmas CD called A Child Is Born. Tickets to Sunday's CD celebration are $5, $14 including his new disc. Reprinted from THE COWICHAN NEWS LEADER, November 17, 1999 TEEN SENSATION RELEASES FIRST CD By Scott Stanfield Cowichan Valley Citizen Following a conversation with Ashley Foot, one wouldn't know the singer is only in grade 9. The self-assured student at Maxwell International Baha'i School recently released his first CD, A Moment in Time, on which he was co-producer. And the 15-year-old has plans for another CD in 2001. "I did my own business planning with help from Zack Cohen," (co-producer and mixer) said Foot, who will appear in concert, Sunday, Nov. 21 at Duncan's Mercury Theatre. Foot will sing a number of tracks from A Moment in Time, which includes renditions of Morning has Broken, Where is Love? From the musical Oliver and the title track from Beauty and the Beast. A soloist at age seven, Foot has also found time to work on his grade nine piano and to appear on another CD entitled a A Child is Born, by the Duncan United Church Choir.A self-proclaimed "control freak," Foot has said he has been fortunate to receive a lot of support and encouragement from both his parents and Bev Medford of the Medford Singers, his voice teacher of eight years who produced and plays piano on A Moment in Time. After Sunday's performance, the teen singer will be gearing up for an appearance at the Cowichan Music Festival in February. Foot will headline Sunday's card, which also features The Island Boy's Choir, The Medford Singers and Katie Hicks. Showtime is 2:30 p.m. and tickets are either $5 or $14 with the CD. Reprinted from Cowichan Valley Citizen Wednesday November 17, 1999

Location Duncan, BC - Canada

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