DOCTOR ASHLEY McBRYDE: GRAMMY-AWARD WINNER AND GRAND OLE OPRY MEMBER RECEIVES HONORARY DOCTORATE OF MUSIC FROM ALMA MATER ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Ashley McBryde joined Arkansas State’s Spring 2025 Commencement Ceremony, Saturday May 10, to receive her Honorary Doctorate of Music, with Chancellor Todd Shields recognizing that her “determination and contributions to American Music is a testament to the opportunities that higher education can open and inspire for generations of Arkansas State University alums.”

“Earning a degree in music has always been something I’ve placed a lot of value in. It was something I felt I needed to accomplish. In my time here at A-State, I found my passion not only for performing, but for creating other musicians. The music education program is priceless. I’m so thankful for educators that pushed me to strive for excellence: Greg and Hope Bruner, Robin Dauer, Ed Alexander, Doctor Ken Carroll, Doctor Tom O’Connor and so many more. While my path to music education wound up looking a little different than a traditional one, I never lost my passion for music education, and I work alongside music educators every chance I get. Thank you for shaping me into the advocate I became, the musician I am today and the entrepreneur I didn’t know I was going to have to be.

There are doctors in my family, Doctors of Medicine, so I know that when you address someone by that word, you’re acknowledging their rank. You’re acknowledging a lifetime – time, money, effort, everything they’ve got that they’ve spent in pursuit of excellence in their chosen field. The residencies, internships, fellowships, the many accomplishments and the many failures it takes to accomplish them. I have dedicated my life to the pursuit of and the magic of making music, and hopefully I will inspire others to do so.

This stage became my classroom. Board proficiencies were in rooms of tens and then one hundreds and then thousands – those are hard to pass. I’ve been judged on late night TV shows, morning talk shows, award shows. Those are especially hard to pass because all of social media is there to give you a pass or fail grade on the spot. The people making remarks are the icons and legends of my field, and they just so happen to be names you’re familiar with: Wynonna Judd, Vince Gill, Hank Williams Jr. My classmates were Luke Combs, Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton, Jon Pardi – it sounds like I’m name dropping, but these are the people I went into the trenches with.

I left this campus as a broke, guitar playing, songwriting chick who played in bars for a living, and I stand here today as a GRAMMY-Award winning songwriter. A member of the Grand Ole Opry. And I look forward to being introduced on that sacred stage this week as Dr. Ashley McBryde. Thank you so much.”

McBryde performed at Opry 100 Honors: Loretta Lynn on Tuesday, May 13. She’s set to perform at CMA Fest at Nissan Stadium; Country Thunder Wisconsin and Alberta; WE Fest; and more festivals this summer among headlining dates. She will also join Little Big Town in West Palm Beach, FL and Orange Beach, AL in August.