Violinist Ashley Rewolinski Goes Digital with AirTurn
We found Ashley Rewolinski on Twitter discussing her AirTurn DUO pedal and recommending it to others. We reached out to say hello and this was her response.
I was very excited when you reached out to me on Twitter today! I am a very passionate AirTurn user!! As a violinist, I use my AirTurn in almost every performance and in every single one of those performances, I always get asked by audience members and fellow musicians what "that black thing on the floor is" I use. When I tell them about it, they always get very intrigued, and want to get one of their own! I am very proud to say that since using my AirTurn, I have recruited over 20 musicians (fellow graduate students, professors, theater musicians, chamber musicians, and more!) to use digital music and buy an AirTurn.
My AirTurn and I have been on quite a journey these past two years - I got my AirTurn during the first year of graduate school, used it in my final graduate recital (I graduated with my Master of Music degree this past May!), have traveled with it to music festivals (I have some funny stories about its encounters with TSA!), and am excited to see what the future holds for my AirTurn and I!
I will admit, when I first heard of people converting over to digital music a few years ago - I was strongly against it. A turning point for me was seeing one of my favorite violinists, Giora Schmidt used it in a recital when I attended the Starling-DeLay Symposium on Violin Studies at the Juilliard School. I thought, if Giora Schmidt can use it without a problem, then so can I! I then patiently waited for the new iPad to be released that October and then made the switch to digital music. In just a couple of weeks, I will have officially been using digital music and my AirTurn for two years, and can't imagine life without it! I now use it for as much music as possible, and when I'm in a situation where I have to use paper music, I find myself tapping my foot and confused why the page isn't turning!
Many Thanks,
Ashley Rewolinski
Ashley's BIO
Violinist Ashley Rewolinski is an active soloist and chamber musician based out of the greater Milwaukee and Chicago areas. She has appeared as a frequent soloist with the North Park University Symphony where she held the concertmaster chair for four years. Her solo performances with the NPU Symphony included: Otono Porteno from Piazzolla's Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, Bach's Double Concerto for Violin and Oboe with Naomi Bensdorf-Frisch, and Louis Spohr's Violin Concerto no. 8 in a minor. She has also appeared as a soloist with the North Park Chamber Soloists performing numerous Vivaldi concerti including Summer from the Four Seasons, and the Concerto for Three Violins where she collaborated with David Yonan.
Ashley is the reigning Miss New Berlin, a local title within the Miss America Organization. As Miss New Berlin, she advocates for music education and making music accessible to all through her personal platform, Music Matters! She has partnered with the Manilow Music Project in a year long sheet music drive, where at the end of her reign in February 2017, she will donate cases of sheet music to local schools in need. Throughout her reign, she gives numerous appearances in her community, and loves inspiring the next generation of musicians with her performances.
Additionally, Ashley has received many honors including: two String Fellowship awards from the Miami Music Festival (2015, 2016), First Prize (2014), Second Prize (2012, 2013) and Viewer's Choice Award (2012) at the North Park University Chamber Music Competition, Academic Excellence in the School of Music at NPU, The National School Orchestra Award, Dean Potokar Award from the Milwaukee Youth Symphony, two exemplary soloist awards from the Wisconsin School Music Association, among others.
Ashley often steps out of the classical genre to give some very unique performances. In August 2014, Ashley worked with fashion designer Timothy Westbrook (Project Runway, Season 12) on a fashion show titled, #HipstersOnSafari where she walked the runway in a piece from Westbrook's 2014 Gala collection and also provided music for the show performing with DJ Jason Samonik of FAUX NOIR.
Ashley earned her Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance Summa cum Laude from North Park University, and her Master of Music in Violin Performance from Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts. She has participated in the 2011, 2013, and 2015 Starling-DeLay Violin Symposia on Violin Studies at the Juilliard School. Important teachers include: David Yonan, Dr. Michael McBride (composition), and Ilana Setapen. She has participated in both solo and chamber music master classes given by Gary Levinson, Andres Cardenes, Yuriy Bekker, the Ying Quartet, Roger Chase, Mathias Tacke, Bernard Zinck, Hans Jorgen Jensen, pianist Stewart Goodyear, among others.