Bellingham High student finds her voice at open mic nights

ZOE FRALEY

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Not many high schoolers have the chance to spend the evening at a bar without a fake ID.

But Ashley Douglas isn't there for the drinks; she's there to sing. The 17-year-old will soon start her senior year at Bellingham High School, but you can catch her outside of class playing gigs and open mics at The Wild Buffalo and Three Trees Coffeehouse.

Douglas speaks with The Bellingham Herald about her hopes of combining school and music.

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Question: How would you describe your music?

Answer: The sounds that come out of me when I have an instrument are what I'm feeling but in a musical form. It's acoustic but a little jazzy and sometimes folky and soulful.

Q: Who are your influences?

A: I would say Norah Jones and Jack Johnson, Janis Joplin and Billie Holiday. Those are my biggest influences.

Q: How do you balance being a high school student and performing at bars?

A: It's a full schedule. I'm not going to school full time, so I just have two classes. I practice a lot; I have performance lessons and voice lessons, and I have a band I practice with. I do a lot of open mics. I just want to get out of high school so I can get to music school. I'm just going for it.

Q: What are your plans after high school?

A: After I graduate I'm definitely going to go to school, and I really want to study music because I taught myself how to play the guitar and I just got into it. I hadn't had any professional help until recently. I want to learn everything. I want to go to school and learn playing and writing and setting up stages.

Q: What role does music play in your life?

A: Besides my friends and family - and they're incorporated in it - it's one of the major roles. It's music, friends and family. It's been really awesome. They're so supportive, so I don't have to choose one or other. It's been a big help.

Reach Zoe Fraley at zoe.fraley@bellinghamherald.com or call 756-2803. Visit her blog Style & Error at TheBellinghamHerald.com/blogs.