About
Justin Ashley is a teacher and musician from Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science in Music and is currently studying to earn his Master of Arts in Teaching in Early Childhood Education. He has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City and Orchestra Hall in the Chicago Symphony Center.
In addition to performing, he enjoys composing music as a hobby. To entertain himself when he’s not practicing or composing, Justin is a photography enthusiast and blogger.
Justin enjoys working with kids and teens of all ages. Currently, he works as a teacher assistant in a special education kindergarten classroom. He also works as a Youth Services Advisor at a library where he designs and presents programs for the youth in the community.
Favorite classical piece
"Gaspard de la Nuit" by Maurice Ravel and "The Frozen Cathedral" by John Mackey.
How I got into app development
I was always interested in technology. I think there's something so cool about writing lines and lines of code that translate into an app on your phone. One night I decided to design an app for fun and before long, I was teaching myself how to code it.
How I am making the world a better place
By spreading kindness and love to all people, regardless of who they are. I want people from all walks of life to feel accepted and loved.
Favorite band or artist
Anomalie. He is a virtuosic jazz pianist. The strong grooves and heavy electronic funk will reel you in and you can't help but be caught by the flow.
Favorite jazz musician
Jacob Collier. Jacob is a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. He writes and produces all of his music in his bedroom. You just need to give him a listen.
First piece of music that had a profound effect on me
Chopin’s "Polonaise" in A-flat major, Op. 53, played by Vladimir Horowitz. I remember heading to bed, popping in the new CD I had gotten for Christmas (2008) and being mesmerized by those eerie first notes. Hearing that piece at that moment was the beginning of my strong passion for playing piano. Also, "Kingfishers Catch Fire" by John Mackey—the piece that made me fall in love with band and sparked my interest in going into music in college. It was the opener to the marching show my freshman year of high school (2010). I specifically remember rehearsing it as a full band for the first time in the band room and how emotional it made me.