The Next Evolution

When I first started bringing my work outside my own music classroom and across the country, I knew that my goal was to help reimagine music education through a culturally responsive and equitable lens.

I knew that there was a greater demand for this work and I was ready to jump in.

As I began working with schools, districts, and organizations all across the country, I started hearing whispers that there was still more to come.

Many of those whispers have come in the form of feedback from my clients and attendees of my keynotes who’ve said things like:

“I wish all my arts teachers were here, this is so applicable to them, too.”

“This goes beyond just the music classroom, principals, district leadership, and parents need to hear this, too.”

Even my videographer said to me last month after a keynote, “this wasn’t just for music educators, this message was for everyone.”

In the past year or so specifically, those whispers have become a nudge in the form of the makeup of my clients: almost all fine & performing arts teams including visual arts, theatre, dance, and music educators.

And that’s when I had a thought: 

This work isn’t just about making music education stronger—it’s about reimagining arts education as a powerful catalyst for leadership, innovation, and team culture across all sectors.

The truth is, the arts—whether it’s music, theatre, dance, or visual arts—hold a unique place in developing the skills that are essential for success in today’s world. 

Creativity, adaptability, and collaboration are the foundation of strong leadership and high-performing teams. These are the skills that the world needs right now, and the arts provide the perfect vehicle to cultivate them.

When I look around at all the issues facing our world right now, I keep going back to something I’ve been saying in my keynotes, workshops, conference sessions, and webinars for years:

 “Now more than ever, ensuring a well-rounded education for every learner is key to student success not just inside the classroom, but also outside the classroom

Now more than ever, our learners must be prepared with the tools to engage in a global society:

• Emotional intelligence
• Interpersonal skills
• Creativity & Innovation skills
• Critical thinking
• Seeing diversity as an asset, not a threat”

Music & the arts are the vehicle for this kind of learning, but for me, I see how music has also become the vehicle for a bigger conversation I want to have.

We’re in a pivotal moment in society where we’ve got to be more urgent about creating the kind of world we can all be proud of.

Music builds the critical skills our workforce and leaders need, but we see that these skills are also built in visual arts, theatre, and dance as well.

At first I thought it was about expanding the conversation beyond music, to the arts. Arts as the Vehicle. 

There was even a terrifying moment last summer when the manuscript of my first book, “Music As a Vehicle: A Practical Guide to Implementing Culturally Responsive Teaching in Today’s Music Classrooms” was headed to the interior designer and negotiations with printers were beginning, where I realized my first book could’ve also been “Arts as the Vehicle.” 

But more recently, I keep coming back to the fact that arts educators and advocates already know the power of the arts. We’re literally “preaching to the choir” when we have this conversation amongst ourselves.

For real change to happen—real policy change, real systemic infrastructure change in education—this conversation has to go bigger.

The vision is still coming into clear view.

My super power lies in being able to take complex ideas and theories and creatively translating them into actionable, practical strategies.

And I don’t say that to brag, that’s literally the feedback I get from teachers, leaders, and my clients all the time.  It’s the reason why school districts that already work with DEI consultants still bring me in, because of how I can break down the concepts and make them actionable and applicable to music and arts educators.

What if I could use my super power in an even bigger way? What would it look like to expand my work to help organizations, educational leaders, decision-makers, as well as schools, harness the power of the arts to build stronger teams, more adaptive leaders, and more inclusive learning and working environments?

These are the questions I’m working to answer, but for now I know it’s time for a bit of a shift.

My background as a music student, musician, and educator helped me build these skills, and I now see how music has always been my vehicle—not in all the ways I’ve expected, but in ways I’m still discovering.

I didn’t always see it, but so much of the music and arts-based strategies for equity and culturally responsive instruction I’ve brought to schools and districts, can be the very same arts-based strategies to drive innovation, strengthen team culture, and prepare the next generation of leaders to thrive.

This feels like a natural evolution of my own skills, and I’m excited to keep pushing the boundaries of my own mind, as well as others, in regards to what we think the arts can do, not just in classrooms, but in workplaces, leadership teams, and beyond.

So what’s next? 

Short answer: I don’t fully know yet! 

But here’s what I do know:

• My work supporting music & arts educators to reimagine arts education through an equity & culturally responsive lens will always continue. Up until now, I’ve taken fine & performing arts teams on a case-by-case basis, but as more and more of my clients reflect this, it’s time for A. Cuthbertson Consulting to fully step into the fine & performing arts consulting space. I want to lean more into my skills for strategic partnership; expect me to talk more about strategy and development and less about PD and training.
• There will be less “direct to teacher” services. Recently, I’ve had to wind down the virtual workshops, courses, and coaching that teachers could self-register for in order to respect my capacity. I was originally planning to get back to that this year by holding a summer planning workshop and opening my coaching program up this fall – and I’d still love to do that! But here’s the deal: I have to have a strong interest now. Reach out to me now if you want me to keep these on my calendar.
• My work is expanding into other sectors. I’ve been doing some writing about arts as the catalyst for building life skills, and strengthening workplaces and leadership. I’m excited to start sharing that soon, and for what this will look like! Stay tuned…

I also realize that this shift may no longer align with where you are, and that’s okay. I truly thank you for being a part of this journey so far. You can unsubscribe/unfollow at any time, and I wish you all the best.

If you’re sticking around for what’s next, I want to hear from you

What are your thoughts on the arts as a vehicle for developing skills for success in school, life, career, and leadership? Comment below and share your thoughts—I really do read every message and I’d love to hear you.

Until next time,

Ashley