"Dammar"

I had the incredible pleasure of writing/singing Japanese for this piece, 

a story of a powerful dragon fallen from the sun 

who welcomes travelers to his cave for conversation and friendship. 

Click here to listen!

"Dammar" painting © Alector, music © Fox Amoore

"Home"

Support us on iTunes!

One of the best parts about being a musician 
is getting to learn and play with other artists and their styles.
This song was so fun to work on -- we had to hone our coordination skills!
Gerald had the kick drum, guitar picking, and vocal leads,
and I had to harmonize while playing the glockenspiel and tambourine.
Projects that push you to grow leave you the most satisfied.

{"Home" original © Phillip Phillips, cover © Hartley Road & Ashley Serena}

"Gaeta's Lament"

Bear McCreary is a god of stirring exotic melodies.

I wanted to keep this cover fairly raw and slightly off-setting

to show how my heart interpreted it.

FREE MP3 DOWNLOAD
{Instruments, Vocals © Ashley Serena}
{Lyrics, Original Concept © Bear McCreary}
{image © respective owner}

"Hush"

You are walking home alone. 

The trees groan as they reach for you, their branches strained by the wind... 

or mayhaps something more sinister? 

A chill follows you through the door, 

and even when you crawl under thick blankets,

it lingers beneath your skin. 

In the black of night, 

the hallway floorboards creak, 

rousing you from your restless sleep, 

inviting you to see exactly what has wandered home with you. 

真夜中に
In the dead of night
なんか物が
There are things
その目、満月のように開けてて
They open their eyes as wide as the moon
君を見つけて
And find you

I adore folklore and legends more than anything else in cultures.

This piece is influenced by wayward Japanese ghosts. ～(ヘ-_-)へ The obake.

Happy Hallowe'en!

{"Hush" © Ashley Serena}

{"The Ghost" © Sultan}

{"Lover, You Should've Come Over" © Danataur}

"Listen With Your Heart"

Certain songs touch you in certain ways.

"Baby Mine" was the lullaby that comforted me in Japan,

and now "Listen With Your Heart" is my song of strength and hope, in Florida.

With all the decisions in my life right now,
my heart needs all the courage it can muster. 

{"Listen With Your Heart" cover © Ashley Serena, original © Disney}

{images © respective owners}

"Safe & Sound"

Singing alone in my room last night. 

I like the imperfections the mic captured... 

I was trying to communicate how intimate these lyrics are.

I rarely upload raw vocals,

but I believe they can have a personal, heartfelt power of their own.

I also recorded an acoustic guitar cover.

Just something I needed to pluck out of my system.

Simple, short, and sweetly sad.

{"Safe & Sound" originally © Taylor Swift & The Civil Wars}

{images © respective owners}

"Raptors, Run!"

There's a fitness app called "Zombies, Run!"  
But my phone is decrepit and refuses to support it,
so I made my own version
with dinosaurs.


MP3 DOWNLOAD

You are journeying as a private volunteer for D.I.E.T.I.D.E.
Department of Investigative Exploration of Time and Inter-Dimensional Eras
when your Rover has a little bit of a hiccup in the Cretaceous Period.
But don't worry, if you follow the voice of your Guide,
you'll make it to a spare jeep without getting toothed by a T-Rex.
...Or any other dino.

Warm-Up (2:40)
"Time" by Antaeus
"Clear Blue Water" by Oceanlab

Running (29:50)
"The Signal" by Bear McCreary
"This Dark and Twisty Road" by Abney Park
"Roslin Escapes" by Bear McCreary
"Just Scarecrows to War" by BBC National Orchestra of Wales
"Evolution of the Daleks" by BBC National Orchestra of Wales
"The End of Days" by Abney Park
"Bushido" by Brand X Music
"Forgotten World" by Brand X Music
"The Doctor's Theme" by Murray Gold
"Exotica" by Brand X Music
"Flight Through Jerusalem" by Jesper Kyd
"503" by Hans Zimmer
"Gaeta's Lament (Instrumental)" by Bear McCreary
"Dethroned" by X-Ray Dog
"Titan Dune" by Two Steps From Hell
"Dragon's Breath" by Brand X Music

Cool-Down (1:38)
"A Future for the Krogan" by Clint Mansell
"Grand Old Lady" by Bear McCreary

Total (34:08)



This was an incredibly engaging project,
from music selection to scripting to voicing to improvising.
And, most importantly,
this will help keep my interest in running.
Give it a download and try the adventure for yourself! 

{music credited above and © respective owners}

{"A Bad Day" © Pygar}

{Velociraptor and Tyrannosaurus Rex © Steven Spielberg}

"Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)"

One of the blessings of delving into your interests 

is finding other people who share your passion. 

Chris Knorr can write for any genre, any type of mood, 

and I greatly love being the voice for his brainworks. 

I give you our latest:
a dubstep trance cover of "Sweet Dreams".

{Vocals, whispers, instruments © Elegarde}

{"Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" originally © Eurythmics}

{"Untitled" © Sofia Ajram}
{"Image 2" © Georgia Wigg}

"He's a Tramp"

Watching Disney's animated films in chronological order 

is a trip down memory lane, every evening.
Care for a little jazzy stroll, anyone? 

The classic humor, drawing style, and music of old Disney
led to this little impromptu recording.
Relationships sure are tricky when you've got puppy love! 

{"Lady and the Tramp" & He's a Tramp" © Disney}

"Impromptu FHE"

I am, what this area would call, a Mother.

Every Monday, with the Father in our group, 

I gather together apartments for Family Home Evening. 

Well, today being a holiday, 

that did not happen.

Instead, I spent my Monday evening playing with the Knorrs. 

They make mighty fine singing partners. 

Come Thou Fount (w/Kristenfer)

"Every River" (new iTunes release!)

Working with the masterful composer, Fox Amoore, has been such a treat.
And one of our collaborations has made its way to iTunes -- check it out here!
Thanks to Fox for the orchestration,
to Stephen Cumberworth for his flute,
to AlectorFencer for her photographs,
and to Steve Flavin for the video editing.
More tracks to come -- but first, Kami-Con!

{"Every River" © Runrig}

"The Root of Fear"

There are many different shades of fear, 
and people react to shocking situations in strange, and altering ways.
How do you handle things that frighten you?

{"The Root of Fear" © Ashley Serena}

{image © respective owner}

"Veni, Veni & I Wonder As I Wander"

Two Christmas songs! 
I wanted to prove to myself that I could still sing, with a cold.
{But now my body is dead.}
The first song, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"
in Latin and Japanese:

Veni, Veni by ashleyserena

Veni, veni, Emmanuel

Captivum solve Israel

Qui gemit in exilio

Privatus Dei Filio

Hisashiku machinichi
Shu yo, toku kitarite
Mitami no nawame wo
Toki hanachi tamae!

Shu yo, Shu yo
Mitami wo
Sukuwase tamaeya!

Ashita no hoshi naru
Shu yo, toku kitarite
O-guraki kono yo ni
Mihikari wo tamae!

Shu yo, Shu yo
Mitami wo
Sukuwase tamaeya!

Second, a straight run-thru a cappella version,
sung in 4 different keys,
of one of my favorites, "I Wonder As I Wander":

I Wonder As I Wander (A Cappella) by ashleyserena

I wonder as I wander out under the sky 
How Jesus, the Savior, did come for to die 
For poor ornery people like you and like I 
I wonder as I wander... 
Out under the sky



May we all take a breath, as we prepare for the holidays,
and reflect when the Lord touched our lives, this year,
or sent His angels to hold us. 

{"Veni, Veni" MP3 Download HERE}

{"I Wonder As I Wander (A Cappella)" MP3 Download HERE}

{images via WeHeartIt & Tumblr}

"Metal and Flesh"

I'm half of a two-man music group called, Elegarde.
Chris composes lovely melodies,
and I mesh on lyrics and vocals.
Here's a preview of our newest project, "Metal and Flesh":

I am metal, you are flesh

My fingers, cold against your chest

Nuts and bolts, bones and blood

These must never mingle, no, they never should

Find a spark to share between

They said we would never make a team

Spark-boom-rocket, circuit to your heart

You have veins, and I have a chart

{♫ "Metal and Flesh" © Elegarde}
{"Beautiful Robot" © Muh Ihsan}

"Shine the Light"

My friend, Fox Amoore's, newest piece, "Shine the Light" 

with Lanovran on flutes, JarisWolf on acoustic guitar, 

and me singin' along. :)

To work with such a talent as Fox...
I'm fish-mouthed and absolutely honored.
More collaboration pieces to come, soon, m'dears~!

{MP3 Downloadable HERE}

{song artwork via Peritian}

"Melty Kiss"

Touch my lips... 

with a melty kiss. 

Melty Kiss by ashleyserena

May you have many melty kisses,
my lovely listeners. 

{MP3 Downloadable HERE}

{♪ "Melty Kiss" © Yoko Kanno}
{Instrumental played by Yyrkoon}

{Image via WeHeartIt}

"Isn't It Wonderful? (Suteki Da Ne)"

Requested in English by Bryan from Kami-Con. 

They've suggested this as one of the songs I sing during the Con, 

so I've been practicing a bit.（＾Ｏ＾☆) ♪

Isn't It Wonderful (Suteki Da Ne) by ashleyserena

Yay, for fantasy kissing. 。ｏ♡
I absolutely love this scene:

Special thanks to my "little" brother
for letting me use his microphone and compressor.
{I'm totally making you my sound engineer, when I grow up, Ali.}

Suteki da ne ~ Isn't it wonderful? (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

{MP3 Downloadable HERE}

{"Suteki Da Ne" © Nobuo Uematsu}

{Images via "Final Fantasy X"}

"My Heart Will Go On"

A sweet YouTube user requested I sing this in Japanese. 

永遠の愛が今 "Eien no Ai ga Ima" 

永遠の愛が今 by ashleyserena

Also, 

my Scottish composing idol, Fox Amoore, 

has asked me to do the vocals for one of his songs. 

CAN'T-CONTAIN-MYSELF-EXCITED.

I'll be posting it soon!

{MP3 Downloadable Here}

{images via WeHeartIt & Felicia}

"Facebook Page"

{shameless self-plug!} 
I have a Facebook page now, 

where I post covers & original music. 

Here's a little taste
{something I wrote before bed last night}:

"Ambrosia in Her Veins"

For music updates,
and my work with Kami-Con and others,
press the "like" button on the right side of this site -->
or go here: Ashley Serena
♪ヽ( ⌒o⌒)人(⌒▽⌒ )v ♪

"Tears To Shed"

Probably not a dishwashing song, 
but I was singing it to myself anyways.

Tears to Shed by ashleyserena

Corpse Bride explores the notion
that those who are still alive
are more dead
than the dead.

I love this film,
because it gives me
a gentle reminder
to live.

{MP3 Downloadable HERE}

{♪ "Tears to Shed" © Danny Elfman}
{images © their respective owners}