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Wednesday, December 6, 200 I - Page 10 FEATURES Ashley Marie and Silver Run take music biz by storm JESSICA WATSON was only seven years old. She didn't start Co-News Editor making money with her talent until around While talent is abundant here at WMC, age eleven. It was at this age when she started sometimes it is hidden or not noticed, kind booking local bands. of like finding a diamond in the rough. Be- When Ashley first started singing, she hind every smile on this campus lies a story. said, "Nothing discouraged me not to. 'think This particular smile can be found behind I liked the attention and 1 wanted 10 be fa- the circulation desk of Hoover Library, help- mous." ing others check out books. She is a fresh- She said that she's always wanted to be man English major, who loves attention and like a rock star, and at such an early age that change. She is Ashley Marie Szymanski, was because "they got to wear cool clothes." known for her beautiful voice and original- She grew up listening to country music, so ity. that was the first thing she tried. You can find herCD in the college book- Throughout the whole process of climb- store, but there's still a lot that you don't ing the stairs to stardom, "My mom is like know about her. She already has her foot in my number one fan and my best friend. She's the door in the music industry. She has definitely encouraged me and supported me opened in front of large audiences for na- and told me that I could do anything I want. tional acts like The Dixie Chicks, Mila Ma- But she always encouraged me to have a son, Charlie Daniels, Chad Brock, Martina back up plan because you can't major in McBride, Jeff Carson, John Anderson, and Rock Star." COU~TF.SY OF ASHLEY MARJE Shenandoah. " I have an analogy for it," Joking, Ashley remarks, ''I don't have Ashley performs with her harmonica player Rob Hughes (left) and Scott Underwood on Ashley said. "The way I see it the more one." She smiles; currently Ashley is a En- keyboards (right). people, the better. I mean, its cool enough glish major. "I was thinking about reporting Ashley got her current band from plac- everything. He is incredible. We haven't had that you get to associate yourself with names for like CMT or VH I, but that's like an ideal ing an ad in the paper for a band when she him for that long but we've always wanted like that." job, of course. I want something with report- was fourteen. "There was an inconsistency him." The old members didn't feel as if the She feels that it's more embarrassing to ing. Being a English major is good for me, because one band had a keyboard player and group could afford another player. There was sing in front of a small group of people than where as I am uncertain about it and it is my the other didn't and people would be like always the concern that they would lose in front of a large audience. "It's because back up plan, its good because I can go to well 1 like it better with the other band." It money. "You only need guitar, base and the likelihood for acceptance is greater with grad school and do all sorts of things with was hard for her to adapt to each situation. drums to have a band. He's an accent player, a greater amount of people. Would you it." "We decided that I needed a band of my own, so he's considered and extra. And usually the rather jump into a little puddle or a great She has had her own band for about four a solid band, one that could support me." lead singer plays an iristrument, which I big ocean?" years now. If you are interested in knowing What they got is why she is reluctant to say, don't. But [ think it's worth it." At only ten years old she was published the band's name, "It depends on what day of "I love my band." The Family, or Silver Run, Being the lead singer of a full time band, in the Carroll County section of the Balti- the week it is." or whatever name you want to go by, is made going to and keeping up with school, main- more Sun. "My mom has a scrapbook with "We change our name every gig as ajoke. up of six members, including Ashley. taining a part-time job, and trying to have all that stuff in it." Ashley said that being We had the name Silver Run for a long time Her bass player is Dave Staccone. Dave some resemblance of a normal life is a lot to published helped to raise her self-confidence and that's Just because one day somebody persistently called claiming, "I'm the bass juggle. The college life definitely presents and belief 10 herself that she really did have was like 'what's your band's name' and my player you need! We're like 'Itm sorry sir, some new challenges, but none that Ashley talent. base player was like 'hey its Silver Run' be- but we already have a bass player, thank you isn't ready to take head on. At age fourteen, she was a finalist in an cause that's the town that we're from. And anyways and we didn't even acknowledge "1 love the pecpleLplay with the best. East Coast talent search. That led her to the we just never got around to changing it. him." Once they started talking she realized The best part is getting money to do some- Battle of the Bands at what is now a Six We're always looking for cool new names that they had a lot in common and he lived thing that you love. Like at the end of the Rags theme park in Largo, Maryland. so any ideas? For a while we called it dose by. He still insisted that the position night its like 'God, [can't believe we get She was the only girl in the competition Chicken Wing, Different Way, and we called was for him. paid to do this." and the youngest. "And this was before the it Third Degree for a long time." Soon after that the band started having Thanks to experience, and growing up femaJe movement got really big with coun- With a name that changes so often, it's problems with their bass player. "He had along the way, Ashley's music has changed try with artists like Faith Hill and Shania hard to keep track. "Now we're going to call like a really bad temper and at the practices over the years. "1 used to sing what 1 thought Twain .. .1 didn't think I was gonna win." our band The Family." This is after a com- he would get really irate. So, we had to get people wanted to hear but now I sing what I At the last minute she was going to ment made by her guitar player because at rid of that guy and this guy was just there want to sing. I used to imitate other artist on change her act to something more tradi- one of their gigs he commented that the band and he was like 'told you so.' And he's been the radio, but now its like 1 have a motto, tional, but then decided, "I'm not gonna to was just like a family. The name just stuck, the only one that's been the original mem- classy not trashy. Now I'm doing what 1 want do that because I'm never gonna-ger the which really is more of an accent than a ber that's been with me for four years." to do and not just what I see on TV." chance to do this again and I don', want to hassle. Stacconeclaims, "I'm in it for the long haul." Ashley's new CD entitled 'Nothing is represent myself improperly because what "Bands should always change their styles Rob Hughes is Ashley's cousin. He took Better" is due to hit stores in less than a if I do win?" And she did. "I couldn't be- and reinvent themselves," Ashley said. It's harmonica [also known as the harp] lessons month. On this CD "Everything is different; lieve it!" how you keep your audience and your fans from the band's old player. The old harp every song could be marketed in a different She started singing in public when she involved player was originally a blues player. He even- genre. It has country, rhythm and blues, to- tually left the band because he decided that tal rock, and country rock." She also got to he wanted to pursue the blues a little bit more record a song that she wrote. and start writing more of his own material. "I wrote' Amnesia,' the bonus track. It's "Rob just stepped in because he was ready a sad song, but it just turned out so good." to go by then." Picture yourself a few years from now break- Their drummer, Mike Purdum, used to ing out an old photo album of the good times; drum with a lot of local country bands. "He that's what this song is all about. "Like when would fill in with us whenever our old drum- you look back at your prom pictures you're mer was sick," Ashley said. "We loved him like yeah, we were meant to be and you don't so much that it just became eventually that remember all of the [arguments and] fights." we started calling him more and stop calling Definitely something everyone can relate to. our old drummer." He is very talented and Throughout her music, "J try to avoid the has a real passion for music. predictability factor as much as possible. Chris Bell is the guitar player and he Keep it simple, tell the story like it is." graduated from the University of Maryland. The life of an artist doesn't get any easier He's the newest member of the band. "And along the line. There are no stop signs along he's really funny. He auditioned for an ad in this road. "I plan to do it as long as people the paper when our old guitar player stepped keep buying my CDs, as long as people keep out." The group books gigs for every single telling me I'm good, as long as it's fun." weekend and Friday night. "Most people that Charlie Daniels, a former keyboard play can't catch up with that; they have fam- player, "once told me its not about how good ily lives too and they don't want to take away you are, its not about how pretty you are, from their family." and its not about who you know, it's about On keyboards they have Scott what you have different and what you feel." Ashley Marie poses for a shot with her band. In the back are Dave Staccone, Chris Bel/, and Mike Purdum. Rob Hughes and Scott Underwood are down in front. Underwood. "We call him the ladies man," She enjoys her job. she's never felt better, Ashley said. "This boy can do anything and and she's without a doubt one in a million.