Ashley Shabankareh (she/they) is a queer Middle Eastern musician, arts administrator, and music educator from New Orleans, LA. Ashley serves as the Director of Operations and Programs for Trombone Shorty Foundation, and also works as an Adjunct Professor at Loyola University, New Orleans, Xavier University, and Tulane University. Ashley is a curriculum writer and recently wrote the curriculum for Take Me to the River New Orleans (Berklee PULSE) and Embracing Arabic Popular Music in the Music Classroom (F-Flat Books). Ashley has worked with numerous arts organizations in their career, including Preservation Hall Foundation, Artist Corps New Orleans, New Orleans Jazz Museum, New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, and Upbeat Academy. Ashley is the Board President of Folk Alliance International, At-Large Trustee of the Recording Academy, Board Member for Decolonizing the Music Room, and Board Secretary for Second Line Arts Collective. Ashley has previously served as Vice President for the Jazz Education Network, Chapter Governor for the Recording Academy Memphis Chapter, and Board President for the Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans. Ashley is a trombonist and vocalist and has performed with notable musicians including Aretha Franklin, Allen Toussaint, Jimmy Buffett, and Theresa Andersson, and in her own projects, Marina Orchestra, The Asylum Chorus, and Bra’s Band Brass Band.
