She's got talent

Arriving as a new student at Dal in September, Ashley Hill remembers waving to her parents as they drove away and thinking, “I don’t know a soul here.”

That didn’t last long. As a first-year pharmacy student, she became part of a tight-knit group who travel from class to class in pack formation. And then she signed up for the student talent show competition, Dal’s Got Talent, and was introduced to a whole other crowd.

“It’s been so good for getting to know people on campus,” says Ms. Hill, 20, from Huntsville, Ont.

Grawood shows

Dal’s Got Talent got rolling in October with shows held monthly at the Grawood.

“It’s been a fun way to keep doing music when you’re in a different program,” she says. She adds that her classmates have been big supporters, coming out each month to cheer her on. Two friends in particular, Katie Lines and Dionne Deagle, helped her move her heavy keyboard out of her apartment and into the Grawood before each show.

After the last show earlier this month, votes were tabulated and, much to her surprise, Ms. Hill was deemed the winner. The other finalists included the band IGA, beat boxer Kind of a Big Deal and magician Magic Mike. (See photos by first-year student Marti Marien)

She thought IGA—whose Student Poverty Song has attracted thousands of views on Youtube—had the competition sewn up. “They’re loved by everyone,” she exclaims. “They’ve become such good friends of mine.”

An outlet

Dedicated to her pharmacy studies, she’s nonetheless grateful for an outlet for her music. She plays the fiddle and the piano and she sings.

“I never wanted music to be my career. I thought if I had to rely on it for an income, it would take away the joy,” says Ms. Hill. Besides singing her own compositions, she likes to sing covers of songs by Alicia Keys, Corinne Bailey Rae and Sara Bareilles.

“This way, I’ll always keep playing music. I’ll never stop.”

To see Ashley Hill in performance, including her appearances at Dal’s Got Talent, check out her YouTube channel.