Ashley Leasure
Troy,OH
Summary
Professional vocal coach with expertise in vocal techniques, repertoire selection, and over 40 performance credits as a staging and vocal director. Strong focus on team collaboration, adaptable to changing needs, and reliable in achieving results. Skilled in vocal health, staging/costume design, and effective verbal and written communication. Known for fostering a supportive atmosphere and a motivating learning environment for all students.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Vocal Coach
Troy City Schools
12.2025 - Current
- Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief-March 2026
- Collaborated with faculty to integrate music education across academic disciplines.
- Mentored emerging musicians, providing guidance in technique and performance skills.
- Developed musicians'' skills through focused rehearsals, ensuring high-quality performances.
- Developed and maintained relationships with artists, producers and other music professionals.
Vocal Director
Vandalia Youth Theater
07.2012 - Current
- 5 Junior High shows for students in grades 4-8th throughout the Miami Valley.
- One Full length musical with two running casts of students in grades 3-12th. Students totaling over 130 students in 35 different school districts.
- Utilized contemporary music production techniques for studio recordings.
- Determined voices, instruments, harmonic structures, rhythms, tempos and tone balances required to achieve effects desired in each musical composition.
- Designed and implemented performance assessments to evaluate student progress.
- Fostered a positive rehearsal environment, promoting open communication and constructive feedback among musicians.
- Oversaw auditions, recruiting talented musicians to expand the ensemble''s capabilities.
- Built strong relationships within the community by organizing outreach programs and educational workshops.
- Scheduled and coordinated auditions to select performers for musical presentations.
- Attended regular practices and private lessons to hone skills.
- Collaborated with faculty to integrate music education across academic disciplines.
- Led music programs, enhancing student engagement through innovative curriculum development.
- Streamlined rehearsal processes, improving overall efficiency and student participation rates.
Vocal Director
Jackson Center Local Schools
Jackson Center, OH
03.2024 - 03.2025
- The Sound of Music-March 2024
- Freaky Friday-March 2025
- Led music programs, enhancing student engagement through innovative curriculum development.
- Designed and implemented performance assessments to evaluate student progress.
- Streamlined rehearsal processes, improving overall efficiency and student participation rates.
- Led live music performances and rehearsals, directing musicians to achieve top-notch performances.
- Planned and scheduled rehearsals and performances and arranged details such as locations, accompanists and instrumentalists.
- Fostered a positive rehearsal environment, promoting open communication and constructive feedback among musicians.
Vocal Director
Dayton Live
10.2022 - 04.2023
- Rike's Holiday Spectacular-December 2022
- Sally Sells Seashells and So Can You-April 2023
- Coordinated community outreach initiatives, fostering partnerships with local arts organizations.
- Built strong relationships within the community by organizing outreach programs and educational workshops.
- Directed groups at rehearsals and live or recorded performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance dynamics, rhythm, and tempo.
- Evaluated musician performance regularly, offering guidance on areas requiring improvement or adjustment in technique or interpretation.
- Promoted upcoming concerts through social media campaigns, increasing audience turnout at events.
- Collaborated with musicians for seamless coordination and optimal execution of live events.
- Attended regular practices and private lessons to hone skills.
Stage Director
Troy Christian Schools
01.2022 - 06.2022
- Tuck Everlasting-April 2022
- End of year substitute
- Coordinated complex stage setups, ensuring seamless transitions between scenes.
- Managed technical rehearsals, optimizing lighting and sound integration for performances.
- Oversaw backstage operations, maintaining organization and safety protocols during events.
- Trained and mentored junior crew members, fostering skill development and teamwork.
- Developed and implemented efficient scheduling systems for rehearsals and performances.
- Oversaw successful execution of technical cues during live performances, ensuring seamless transitions between scenes.
- Managed resources effectively, ensuring timely setup and breakdown of stage equipment.
- Ensured continuity in performances by maintaining detailed records of blocking notes, prop placements, and costume changes.
- Facilitated conflict resolution among cast members and crew, fostering a positive work environment throughout each production.
Vocal Director
Troy Christian Schools
01.2022 - 06.2022
- Tuck Everlasting-April 2022
- End of year substitute
- Developed strategic plans for long-term growth of school music programs and ensembles.
- Organized seasonal programming schedules that catered to varied audiences preferences while considering performers availability.
- Oversaw auditions, recruiting talented musicians to expand the ensemble''s capabilities.
- Studied scores to learn music in detail and develop interpretations.
- Scheduled and coordinated auditions to select performers for musical presentations.
Stage Director
Oakwood Lumberjack Theatre
10.2019 - 03.2022
- 4 Junior High Plays with grades 7-8 and 3 High School Musicals with young students incorporated into the story from 2019-2022.
- Evaluated production processes, identifying areas for improvement to enhance efficiency.
- Enforced safety measures due to potential stage equipment hazards.
- Organized rehearsals schedules, maximizing productivity and minimizing conflicts among cast members and crew.
- Supervised set construction crews and coordinated with designers to develop functional stage sets that met aesthetic requirements.
- Contributed creative input during pre-production meetings, helping shape the overall direction of projects from inception to completion.
- Prepared rehearsal studio by gathering set furniture, props, and costumes.
- Enhanced production quality by implementing efficient stage management techniques and processes.
- Distributed production scripts to cast members.
- Conducted thorough script analysis to identify potential issues or challenges before they arose during production.
- Established excellent relationships with local theaters and arts organizations, expanding networking opportunities for future productions.
- Enhanced audience experience with meticulous stage setting and timely cues.
- Facilitated effective communication between directors, actors, and technical teams, ensuring alignment with production goals.
Vocal Director
Oakwood Lumberjack Theatre
10.2019 - 03.2022
- 3 High School Musicals and One JH Play where lead actors were asked to sing songs specifically written about their historic characters.
- Handled requests for specific musical selections.
- Spearheaded fundraising initiatives to secure financial support for program expenses and equipment purchases.
- Established partnerships with local schools, providing performance opportunities for young musicians in the community.
- Built strong relationships within the community by organizing outreach programs and educational workshops.
- Scheduled and coordinated auditions to select performers for musical presentations.
- Enhanced concert performances by selecting diverse and engaging musical pieces.
- Attended regular practices and private lessons to hone skills.
Stage Director
Dare 2 Inspire Productions
07.2018 - 07.2019
- 2 Full length musicals for young actors in 5-8 grades.
- Creation of a new youth theater experience for children in the Miami Valley.
- Collaborated with directors and production teams to align vision with execution.
- Collaborated with directors and producers to achieve desired artistic vision for productions.
- Streamlined communication between departments for smoother rehearsal and production processes.
- Orchestrated successful load-ins and strikes for each production, maintaining schedule adherence.
- Implemented feedback mechanisms for cast and crew, fostering continuous improvement.
- Oversaw inventory management of props and costumes, ensuring availability for all productions.
- Cultivated relationships with local schools and community groups to encourage participation in theater education programs.
- Managed budget allocations for set design and costumes, optimizing resources.
- Remained highly composed and calm in very fast-paced, stressful and constantly changing environments to provide optimal leadership and achieve desired results.
- Directed work of lighting and sound crews to coordinate efficient production operations.
Vocal Director
Dare 2 Inspire Productions
07.2018 - 07.2019
- 2 Full length musicals for students in 5-8th grades.
- Creation of a new youth theater opportunity for students in the Miami Valley.
- Transcribed musical compositions and melodic lines to adapt to particular group or create specific musical style.
- Assigned and reviewed staff work in such areas as scoring, arranging and copying music.
- Positioned members within groups to obtain balance among instrumental or vocal sections.
- Collaborated with faculty to integrate music education across academic disciplines.
- Developed musicians'' skills through focused rehearsals, ensuring high-quality performances.
- Developed and maintained relationships with artists, producers and other music professionals.
- Led music programs, enhancing student engagement through innovative curriculum development.
- Streamlined rehearsal processes, improving overall efficiency and student participation rates.
- Led live music performances and rehearsals, directing musicians to achieve top-notch performances.
- Planned and scheduled rehearsals and performances and arranged details such as locations, accompanists and instrumentalists.
- Directed groups at rehearsals and live or recorded performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance dynamics, rhythm, and tempo.
- Evaluated musician performance regularly, offering guidance on areas requiring improvement or adjustment in technique or interpretation.
Stage Director
Vandalia Youth Theater
07.2012 - 07.2017
- 5 Junior High Musicals for students in grades 4-8th throughout the Miami Valley.
- Implemented effective time management strategies during rehearsals, optimizing productivity while adhering to strict deadlines.
- Developed comprehensive show reports, providing valuable feedback to improve future performances.
- Maintained a safe working environment through proper implementation of safety protocols and procedures.
- Collaborated with technical crew and cast to safeguard presentation of artistic vision.
- Maintained reference copies of production designs and distributed.
- Customized lighting and sound plans for each performance, enhancing atmospheric effects.
- Developed and enforced safety protocols for all stage activities, ensuring safe working environment.
- Improved team efficiency by implementing streamlined rehearsal schedules, reducing preparation time.
- Ensured seamless execution of live performances by coordinating all backstage activities, enhancing show quality.
- Remained composed and highly professional in fast-paced and constantly changing environment, effectively handling challenging situations and difficult individuals to achieve objectives.
- Observed tight deadlines and strict budgetary controls to avoid waste and streamline costs.
- Alleviated issues between actors on set to keep projects on track and avoid delays or budget overages.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Vocal Music Education
Wright State University
06.2012
Skills
- Verbal and written communication
- Client relationship building
- Proficient in Voice and Piano
- Live performance preparation
- Vocal health maintenance
- Breathing exercises
- Special events
- Rehearsals
- Emotional expression coaching
- Costuming
- Vocal range expansion
- Private voice lessons
Professional Dev/ Continued Education
- Broadway Teachers Workshop-2021
- ~feat. Josh Groban, Alan Menken, Christian Borle, Andrea Martin
- ~20 hours of Continued Education Training & 3 Graduate Hours
- Arts Integration with STEAM-2021
- ~feat. Julie Andrews, Laura Benati
- Broadway Teachers Workshop-2022
- ~feat.Ben Vereen, Cecilia Keenan Bolger, Alex Brightman, Danny Burstein
- Broadway Teachers Workshop-2023 (Registered)
- ~feat.Beowolf Borritt, David Loud, Eric Cornell, and more
Timeline
Vocal Coach
Troy City Schools
12.2025 - Current
Vocal Director
Jackson Center Local Schools
03.2024 - 03.2025
Vocal Director
Dayton Live
10.2022 - 04.2023
Stage Director
Troy Christian Schools
01.2022 - 06.2022
Vocal Director
Troy Christian Schools
01.2022 - 06.2022
Stage Director
Oakwood Lumberjack Theatre
10.2019 - 03.2022
Vocal Director
Oakwood Lumberjack Theatre
10.2019 - 03.2022
Stage Director
Dare 2 Inspire Productions
07.2018 - 07.2019
Vocal Director
Dare 2 Inspire Productions
07.2018 - 07.2019
Vocal Director
Vandalia Youth Theater
07.2012 - Current
Stage Director
Vandalia Youth Theater
07.2012 - 07.2017
Bachelor of Arts - Vocal Music Education
Wright State University