Originally from the Blue Ridge region of Virginia, Ash’s music and work as a community based teaching artist is influenced by her upbringing in a small college town nestled the central Appalachian region, her studies with acclaimed folk musicians, and by international travels with health care activist M.D. Patch Adams. 

From 2007 to 2014 Ash Devine traveled internationally with activist Patch Adams, M.D. to perform in medical facilities, orphanages, social service centers, and nursing homes. Inspired by Patch and the Gesundheit! Institute, Ash designs and facilitates therapeutic Interactive Music Programs in retirement communities, homes for disabled persons, and other care settings.

In 2015 Ash Devine starred as the legendary Maybelle Carter and musically directed the play Esley: The Life and Music of Leslie Riddle. From 2016-2018 Ash Devine studied Appalachian traditional folk songs from the Western, NC area with Smithsonian Folkways Award winning ballad singer Sheila Kay Adams. In 2018, Devine accompanied a group of WNC Appalachian song carriers to perform at the Library of Congress at the American Folk Life Center in Washington, DC.

Ash has a B.A. in Theater and Community Arts from UNC Asheville. In 2017 Devine studied Gerontology from Appalachian State University, with aim to deepen her ability to provide meaningful music programming for older adults, and inter-generational groups. Over the past fifteen years, Devine has developed a number of inter-generational programs, bringing together youth and older adults for community arts activities. For example, the adult day community folk choir was one such program that successfully engaged older adult participants living with advanced dementia related conditions in meaningful group music activities and performance. Another program, Youth Clowns to Elders, 2016, brought school aged youth to elders living in the institutional setting in order to share in music, arts, and celebratory arts based activities.