2008 Woodie Awards
MU student, aspiring country singer to perform in Nashville
Monica Bolyson
Issue date: 10/16/07 Section: Campus
Determining a career choice can be difficult, but for some, there's no question about it.
Ashley Brandenburg, a sophomore at Miami University, has always had dreams of becoming a country singer and she hopes that her dreams will someday become a reality.
She just may have her chance.
Brandenburg will be performing Nov. 9 at Tootsie's Wild Orchid Lounge, a famous bar in Nashville, Tenn. that has seen the likes of Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and many others.
Brandenburg's background is one that is rich in musical history. She has been playing the piano since she was 10 and first started singing in the eighth grade. She also taught herself how to play the guitar in her junior year of high school.
"Country is all I ever listened to," Brandenburg said. "I don't know how to read music so I went online and learned the hand positions for the guitar. I started listening to the songs I liked and I played them by ear."
However, it wasn't until the summer 2005 that Ashley got her big break. She competed and won Fairfield Idol, a singing competition with 25 contestants in Fairfield, Ohio-earning her two free hours at a local recording studio where she created a demo CD containing five songs that she wrote and performed.
She sent her demo to B-105, a local Cincinnati radio station, to try and land a spot in the Colgate Country Showdown, a national competition for bands and singers, and she was accepted.
"I was so excited. I started screaming," Brandenburg said. "I was part of the top seven of Cincinnati."
Brandenburg competed on the B-105 stage at the Taste of Cincinnati this summer with judges in the music business present.
"I had to step it up for the competition," she said. "It helped me with my stage presence. I wasn't worried … here's what I have. Accept it or hate it."
While Brandenburg did not win, it didn't stop her from pursuing
her dream.
"I've had doors shut before," Brandenburg said. "Every time I've had something shut, something better has come along."
Ashley Brandenburg, a sophomore at Miami University, has always had dreams of becoming a country singer and she hopes that her dreams will someday become a reality.
She just may have her chance.
Brandenburg will be performing Nov. 9 at Tootsie's Wild Orchid Lounge, a famous bar in Nashville, Tenn. that has seen the likes of Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and many others.
Brandenburg's background is one that is rich in musical history. She has been playing the piano since she was 10 and first started singing in the eighth grade. She also taught herself how to play the guitar in her junior year of high school.
"Country is all I ever listened to," Brandenburg said. "I don't know how to read music so I went online and learned the hand positions for the guitar. I started listening to the songs I liked and I played them by ear."
However, it wasn't until the summer 2005 that Ashley got her big break. She competed and won Fairfield Idol, a singing competition with 25 contestants in Fairfield, Ohio-earning her two free hours at a local recording studio where she created a demo CD containing five songs that she wrote and performed.
She sent her demo to B-105, a local Cincinnati radio station, to try and land a spot in the Colgate Country Showdown, a national competition for bands and singers, and she was accepted.
"I was so excited. I started screaming," Brandenburg said. "I was part of the top seven of Cincinnati."
Brandenburg competed on the B-105 stage at the Taste of Cincinnati this summer with judges in the music business present.
"I had to step it up for the competition," she said. "It helped me with my stage presence. I wasn't worried … here's what I have. Accept it or hate it."
While Brandenburg did not win, it didn't stop her from pursuing
her dream.
"I've had doors shut before," Brandenburg said. "Every time I've had something shut, something better has come along."
Be the first to comment on this story