Ash Devine with participants in Youth Clowns to Elders (Photo by Richard Eugene)
Ash Devine Blends Folk Music & Fun Through Clowning
By Calie Brummer
Since age 14, Ash Devine has been using music as a method of self-expression and a way to connect with others. “I like to write about life, people, and the world surrounding them,” she says. “I believe that expression and collaboration are pathways to social change, community building, and peace.”
In addition to performing near and far at festivals and other events, Ash has produced and recorded two albums and won several awards. She plays acoustic guitar and ukulele, and also sings, often with her group called The Ash Devine and Friends Band. Inspired by artists like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Pete Seeger, Ash blends activism with art and healing through her folk tunes and clowning, emphasizing the power of love through human connection.
Ash specializes in spreading joy through the art of clowning. She learned this craft from the revered Patch Adams, an American physician, social activist, clown, and author who founded The Gesundheit! Institute in 1971. He led groups of volunteers dressed as clowns to the darkest corners of the world in an effort to bring love and laughter to those who needed it most. Ash joined Patch on a trip to Haiti while she was attending college and witnessed the happiness the group spread in just a short time. They visited distressed regions where people live in isolation and engaged them in play, music, and art.
After seeing the success of the work done by The Gesundheit! Institute, Ash was inspired by the potential for changes in society’s treatment of the disenfranchised. Over the years, she took similar trips to other countries, including Vietnam, Costa Rica, and Mexico, and visited hospitals, nursing homes, and prisons. Upon her return, she began visiting nursing homes around Asheville, integrating her folk tunes with clowning. She saw the incredible amount of joy these activities brought to participants locally. It wasn’t long before she realized the value of teaching children this transformative art
Last spring, Ash began an after-school group called Youth Clowns to Elders at Isaac Dickson Elementary School in Asheville where she taught lessons on compassion, character building, and the philosophy of humanitarian clowning. After seven weeks, Ash brought her group to a nursing home for an afternoon of music, costumes, and dancing. The room lit up with smiling faces and laughter from people of all ages. This experience was a moment of clarity and from then on she has dedicated her talent and energy to the healing relationship between youth, music, and interaction through clowning.
Ash is currently building a group of artists called Creative Companions who act as encouraging assistants to the elderly. This initiative focuses on community engagement and improving the lives of those in their later years, encouraging their creativity through art, gardening, and/or musical projects, depending on what the individual desires.
Ash’s vision for Creative Companions is to foster relationships based on care. She says, “We don’t see this as charity; we see it as a relationship.” It is evident that Patch Adams’ living legacy continues in Western North Carolina with Ash’s work. She says that this care is reciprocated. It isn’t just the audience that finds joys in clowning; we can all gain something by caring for others.
Ash Devine is available for performances, educational programs, and as a creative companion. Email ashdevinebooking@gmail.com and visit ashdevine.net for more information.
