Ashley Leyva Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Ashley Leyva is a fantastic singer whose debut single "Change With You" is definitely one you need to listen to right away. I was so excited that she wanted to visit with us and discuss her music, future goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll enjoy everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Ashley Leyva visits Section 36 Music!

I absolutely love your recent single “Change With You”. What can you tell me about it?

Thank you! I wrote this song a few months back, and it was picked up by my now producer on tiktok. The song was a slow guitar ballad however my producer had the idea that we can speed the song up and give it a more pop/rock feel. 

What was your favorite part of the recording process?

I had so many ideas for this song when we decided to change the feel, but my favorite part was recording all the different harmonies for the chorus and pre chorus. I don't know why but harmonies are so fun for me and probably come the easiest. It was just so cool listening to everything come together!

You are currently studying at Berklee College of Music. What made Berklee the right choice for you?

I'm in my freshman year at Berklee so I have just picked my major which is Pro Music with a performance and songwriting track. I auditioned for Berklee on guitar and I immediately knew I loved it from my first week here. Although I consider myself a better songwriter, studying guitar at Berklee has been so fun and challenging. It has also definitely made my songwriting better because I write all my songs on guitar. 

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

This is such a hard question to answer. Songwriter wise, I really adore Adrianne Lenker, Phoebe Bridgers, Stevie Nicks, Taylor Swift and so many other admirable female songwriters. However, my favorite band of all time and my usual answer to this question is always Paramore. They have gotten me through so much and have been my favorite since I was probably like 10 or 11. 

What would you say is your biggest challenge with your music career?

The biggest challenge that I have faced so far is social media. I love posting and making content and things like that but the algorithms are so hard. To get any sort of a following these days it's like you have to already BE famous on tiktok or instagram. In today's music world record companies, agents, and managers won't even consider looking at you without a huge following which is not as easy as it seems to obtain. It's also very discouraging as a musician to try so hard with social media and not see immediate results, but like anything else, it's another grind and I'm here for it.

What are your immediate music goals?

I've been making music since I was like 4 years old and the answer to this question has always been the same. My only goal ever with music is for my songs to make people feel something. Whether it's 1 person or 1 million people listening to my music, if I can make one person smile, one person cry, or just help someone who's in a dark place with my music then I feel like I'm doing something right. Success for me does not equal fame or fortune, while of course that does sound nice. If my music can make people feel something, I have done my job as an artist. 

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That is definitely the perfect goal!  

As always, I want to thank Ashley for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview.

I'm sure you’ll all want to follow her and see what she has going on. I would follow her on Instagram and Spotify to make sure you don't miss a thing. 

Thanks again Ashley, and good luck reaching your goals!