Mezzo-soprano Ashlee Bickley performs and teaches various genres across the classical singing medium. Ashlee, a Heartland Sings Vocal Artist, has appeared as a soloist with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Ocala Symphony, Bach Collegium Fort Wayne, Delaware Valley Opera Company (PA), and Concordia Theological Seminary. An avid recitalist and new music advocate, Ashlee has performed on recital series’ at several churches and schools. She holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and Florida State University and was a Resident Artist Fellow with the Atlantic Music Festival from 2014 to 2016. Ashlee is on faculty at the new Purdue University School of Music in Fort Wayne.

I believe that my primary role as a teacher is to encourage students to live up to their full potential. For me, this involves addressing flaws and encouraging good practice habits while still highlighting their strengths. Each student has a different voice and a different learning style, so I am prepared to present new ideas to students using both clear-cut anatomical explanations and a wide variety of images, so as to find the language that resonates the best with them. As my students hear me say often, singing leads us on a life-long journey of learning, and it is extremely rewarding to see my students making progress while at different places on this journey.