Rachel Ashley is an award winning 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Manitoba whose No Time For Bullying Tour came to students and staff at North Battleford Comprehensive High School last Tuesday morning.
With original compositions such as No Time For That, Out of the Blue and Wouldn't That Be Nice, Rachel describes her own journey from a severely bullied teenager to a strong young adult, standing up for herself and helping others through her music.
In her home province of Manitoba, Ashley has received two prestigious awards, both this past June. She was given the MCIC Global Citizen Award on June 12 and the Premier's Healthy Living Award on June 14. Much Music has posted her original song The A Team on their site, http://bit.ly/ZVj1Q, and viewers are asked to rate the piece and share it with others.
Her father, Kenny Byrka, accompanies Ashley on guitar and vocals. Although not part of the student presentation, Kenny had some interesting advice to parents after the show.
"If your kids are blocking you from their social media, there's a reason and you need to talk about it."
So much bullying now takes place online that parents need to bridge the technological divide between teenagers and adults, says Byrka. "Pay attention to what your children are doing. They won't just tell you what's going on. You have to be involved."
He's encouraged Ashley to use her music to help others who are going through some of the same bullying issues she experienced.
Rachel's No Time for Bullying Tour continues in Western Canada, and later this month in the Atlantic Provinces. Many of her music videos are on her site, rachelashleymusic.com, as well as available through iTunes.
