Ashley Faye to sing anthems in Fil-Am youth summit

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

Yes, this “chinita” looking girl is going to sing the American and Filipino anthems again for the Filipino American Youth Summit scheduled at the Asian Library on Sept. 16.

Ashley Faye frequently sings these two anthems—the US “Star Spangled Banner” and the Lupang Hinirang of the Philippines--everytime there's an event sponsored by the Filipino American community here in Charlotte. 

And she will again be called to sing these two anthems during the Filipino American Youth Summit sponsored by the Filipino American Youth Summit is sponsored by the Filipino-American Community of the Carolinas Inc. (FACC).

When Ashley sings, her back is usually turned to the audience so while they can only see her long black hair, her voice reverberates across the stage.

Three months ago Ashley turned 17 and this self-confessed fan of Philippine pop stars Yeng Constantino and Sarah Geronimo is beginning to sound and look like them. 

Right now though Ashley is into K-Pop or Korean Pop and when asked why she said “in music the language doesn’t matter at all, what matters is the feelings and messages that's being portrayed to the audience.”

Ashley also said music is a universal language that the world understands. A student of Rocky River High School under the Charlotte Mecklinburg Schools, Ashley used to dream of becoming a nurse.

But she dreamed bigger and now wants to become a doctor. Ashley started singing young when she would go with her cousins to sing carols in the Philippine neighborhood. 

She gets extra money but that's not her only benefit. Ashley said she really gets a kick out of singing songs with feelings. She remembered climbing on top of the table and singing her favorite songs whenever her mother or aunt plays them. 

Ashely remembered the delighted expressions of family whenever she grabs the hair brush and sings with it like a microphone, her voice filling the room she's in. 

Young and patriotic, Ashley remembered that students like her sing the national anthem during the flag-raising ceremony.

She's quite familiar with the two anthems and in fact knows them by heart because of the stories they tell about their respective countries. 

“In singing the anthems the whole experience is memorable because I represent the country's voice in that song—their story, their hope, their dreams and hopes for the future,” Ashley said.

She has a long way to go, but based on what she can do, Ashley has a bright future ahead of her.