Ashley hails from Dunmore East, and is a graduate from the Cork School of Music. She began learning piano at the age of seven, after it was clear that she would sing and try to make a sound out of anything to hand. At the age of fourteen she branched out to clarinet and sixteen to saxophone, while dabbling in many instruments along the way. Exploring the basics of each new instrument fed more information into how to approach the core instruments, and how to collaborate with others. Ashley took part in the Red Kettle summer programs and Waterford Youth Arts, which was a great approach to being on stage with or without music at a young age. By the end of secondary school she had completed grade 8 piano, grade 6 clarinet and grade 5 voice. She spent a year with the WIT orchestra before the move to complete her BMus.

Within the Cork School of Music, Ashley studied piano and clarinet in equal measure, with saxophone as a complement to woodwind studies. Fleischmann choir, CSM Wind Ensemble, and CSM Jazz Ensemble provided a great proving ground for the degree applied to practical musicianship. Following this, she taught in the Midleton Concert Band and Musica Fusion Charleville.

Ashley is also embarking upon a DipComm in Community and Group Learning with RIAM in the coming academic year. Outside of teaching, she takes part in the Barrack Street Concert Band, and has attended the South of Ireland Band Championships with the Midleton Concert Band and the Cork Philharmonic Winds. She is driven by music connecting people and inspiring creativity, and is always keen to find new and engaging ways for students to learn the craft of music.