As a triplet coming from a family with little musical background, Ashley Fister was given a rare chance to follow her dreams over spring break of last year. The junior in LAS and member of Delta Gamma had the opportunity to record with Tyler Ward Studios in Nashville with her longtime friend Stephen Murphy and to work with Jeremy McCoy, touring bassist for The Fray. 

After starting to pursue music professionally in college, Fister and Murphy submitted one of their demos to Tyler Ward Studios in November 2012. A month later, they were then invited to visit and record at Tyler Ward Studios for their upcoming spring break. They ended up also recording with Scotty Rausch, senior in LAS, whom they met upon arriving in Nashville. 

“We didn’t know each other before, so we each recorded an individual song and we also recorded a song together,” Fister said. 

Fister’s first single, “Still Believe You Do,” will be coming out Nov. 1 via Tyler Ward Studios. She wrote and recorded the song while in Nashville. 

Fister’s expertise is in pop music, but she describes her single as “pop with a country side to it.”

“Originally, we had three songs we planned on recording in Nashville, but when we got there we decided to start from scratch,” Fister said. “Jeremy McCoy helped a lot with the songwriting and the structure of the song.”

Fister has a long history in music and also participated in musical theater at a young age. Since then, she said she has just “never stopped singing.”

“I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember,” Fister said. “At a very young age, I started dance and piano. I’ve always had an interest in music.” 

Although singing keeps her very busy, Fister manages to balance working on her music, pursuing her major in communications, sorority life in the Delta Gamma house and extracurricular activities.

“Time management is definitely one of the things I’ve learned most in college,” Fister said. “I’ve learned to balance my singing, my sorority, all the extracurricular activities and academics pretty well.”

Fister also enjoys volunteer work. Along with volunteering with the Delta Gamma House for their philanthropies, Fister is on the executive board for Illini Dance Marathon, an event held in March that raises money for Children’s Miracle Network and benefits St. John’s Children’s Hospital in Springfield, Ill.

Despite her busy schedule, Fister values the time she spends with her house and the company of her sisters.

“Joining Delta Gamma was the best decision I possibly could have made when I came to (the University),” Fister said. “My sisters are the ones who are most supportive of me … I’m so lucky to have them as my friends and my sisters.”

Alyssa Giovannoni, a member of Fister’s pledge class in Delta Gamma and junior in ACES, has seen Fister develop professionally within the music industry. She said she feels proud of her accomplishments and how far she’s come.

“All of us are so proud to have a friend who is so talented and so humble. She works really hard,” said Nicole Polanco, another Delta Gamma sister and junior in Business.

Fister showed her dedication to singing during Formal Recruitment when she performed every round despite having strep throat. Even while sick, “she sang and everyone got goosebumps every time,” according to Polanco. The gesture greatly impressed Polanco, who said that Fister “sang perfectly.”

“She deserves everything, and I know she is going to do great things,” Polanco said.

While Fister does not have any immediate plans for future recording, she said she is positive she will continue singing, whether it is professionally or not. 

“Music will always be a part of my life,” Fister said. “Nothing brings me greater joy, and I couldn’t imagine my life without it.” 

Abby can be reached at [email protected].