About | Musician, Educator, Writer & Entrepreneur

To be a musician is to
choose a life of creativity.

This I know to be true.

We know what it’s like, don’t we?

That spark of ingenuity, that problem-solving streak, that desire to rethink or reinvent a familiar process or approach.

Creativity is inherent in the process of learning and making music, but sometimes it gets lost or forgotten in the study and analysis of music—the structure and context and form, the logging of practice hours, and striving for that elusive perfect performance.

The same is true in teaching.

It’s easy to fall into the pattern of teaching the same way you remember learning or doing things the same way you’ve always done them, to find yourself running on autopilot and lose that spark of creative inspiration.

That’s where I come in.

Hi, I’m Ashley —

I share creative and pedagogically sound teaching ideas and resources for music educators and church musicians to help you rediscover the creative side of music teaching and learning and develop the skills you need to lead, teach, and inspire others with confidence.

With a Ph.D. in Music Education from the Eastman School of Music and over 20 years of music teaching experience in church, community, studio, and college settings, I’m dedicated to sharing what I know and what I'm learning and creating valuable, practical resources to help you do your best work.

Ashley Danyew - Church Music and Music Education

Manifesto

I believe we’re at our best as musicians and educators when we are curious, creative, innovative, and constantly learning.

Bio

Ashley Danyew, Ph.D. is a musician, educator, writer, and entrepreneur. She is the Founder and Editor of Musician & Co., equipping classical musicians with the tools and education they need to be small business owners.

A graduate of the University of Georgia and the Eastman School of Music, Ashley has over 10 years of experience running an online business and 15+ years of curating a portfolio career. Her website AshleyDanyew.com includes a blog, resource library, and courses for music educators and church musicians, and between that and Musician & Co., she serves an email list of 25,000 and had a combined readership of 344,000 people last year.

At Musician & Co., Ashley is dedicated to providing educational tools, resources, and services to support self-employed musicians and music freelancers so they can build and manage a music career that’s as diverse and unique as they are—one that’s financially secure, artistically fulfilling, and made to last.

A dedicated music educator, Ashley manages a private piano studio of K-12 students and hosts the podcast Field Notes on Music Teaching & Learning. She has presented her work at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy and the College Music Society Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference, taught over 2,600 students through her online courses and workshops, and is a featured artist in the book, The Savvy Music Teacher. Her work has been published by Piano Magazine, Oxford University Press Choral Blog, NAfME, Colla Voce Music, Peake Music Publishing, and Growing in Grace.

Ashley lives in Rochester, NY with Steve and their lab-greyhound rescue, Rory.

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“Ashley’s insights on music teaching and learning are pedagogically sound and delivered with a generous clarity that respects the value of traditional practices while investigating new approaches that can be incorporated into your teaching toolkit.”

— Dr. Jason Sifford, NCTM

“I greatly value Ashley’s approach, knowledge, and gifts as a teacher and as a mentor. Her heart for excellence in teaching is evident in what she provides.”

— Course participant