Author | Keynote Speaker | Founder & CEO

Ashley Cuthbertson, M.Ed, NBCT (she/her) is a nationally recognized author, keynote speaker, and the founder & CEO of A. Cuthbertson Consulting, a national educational consulting firm specializing in culturally responsive practice and equity in arts education.

She is the author of Music As a Vehicle: A Practical Guide to Implementing Culturally Responsive Teaching in Today’s Music Classrooms and the architect of the Music as a Vehicle® and Arts as a Vehicle™ frameworks, which anchor her writing, speaking, and consulting practice. Her work is built on a single belief: the arts are a powerful vehicle for success in learning, career, and life. Her next book, expanding the work across arts disciplines, is currently in development.

Through A. Cuthbertson Consulting, Ashley partners with schools, districts, and organizations nationally to develop equitable program policies, cultivate affirming learning environments, and design culturally responsive curriculum and instruction. Her work makes culturally responsive and equity-centered practice visible and measurable, giving arts leaders concrete evidence of student impact they can point to. Her professional learning programs have served thousands of music and arts educators across the U.S. and internationally, with attendees consistently describing her sessions as engaging, practical, and immediately actionable.

Beyond her consulting practice, Ashley serves the field through national and state-level leadership. She is a returning member of the NAfME Equity Committee, a member of the NAfME Music Education Policy Roundtable, and chair of the DEI Council for the Virginia Music Educators Association.

Prior to founding A. Cuthbertson Consulting, Ashley spent 12 years as a PK-12 general music, choral, and band educator and served as a district teacher leader and adjunct professor at Loyola University Maryland and the University of Maryland Baltimore County. She is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher and holds a Master of Education from Loyola University Maryland and a Bachelor of Music from James Madison University, with additional certifications in Arts Integration and the Kodály approach.

Born and raised in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, Ashley enjoys attending concerts and shows, trying new restaurants, and traveling—especially anywhere with a beach.

(Photo credit: Mitchell Media Marketing)