Ash Fischbein

Just a quick note to let you know the latest batch of Editor's Picks has
been posted at Indie-Music.com, and you are among them! Thanks for sharing
your talent with us! Awesome acoustic guitar!

- Indie-music.com

Attendants of the Taste of the Bearcamp were treated to background music by Ash Fischbein, a former student of Nancy Coville's at The Bearcamp Valley School. The dining event was held on Sunday evening, March 18 at the Whittier House in West Ossipee. Food was donated by many local restaurants, and the Boy Scouts volunteered to serve food and clean up between seatings. This was Coville's 15th annual Taste of the Bearcamp."

Carroll County Independent March 22, 2007 (Lori Lenart)

- Carroll County Independent

— OSSIPEE — For guitarist Ash Fischbein, the worst night of his life has inspired a newfound drive to pursue his passion.
Fischbein, 26, of Center Ossipee, has been playing guitar since he was 8 years old, yet he has just released his first CD, "Daydream," under the pseudonym or nickname, Nice Ash. His official CD release party is April 4 in Wolfeboro and has already sold out of the 150 tickets.
His parents got him a $40 Harmony guitar when he expressed interest in playing. He says they probably thought it was a phase and he would be disinterested quickly. Only, his interest continues to be cultivated almost two decades later.
He says his desire for a guitar stemmed from "the way music made me feel. I love emotions. I love when you get proficient with an instrument you can create those emotions for yourself and others. Music is unconditional."
This new direction — an album, more gigs, self-promotion — spawned from what he describes as a near-death experience.
It was little more than two years ago, Jan. 23, 2005, and Fischbein (pronounced fish-bine) and his girlfriend were still getting used to their new home — an old house he purchased. It was late, around midnight, during a blizzard, and he awakened to use the bathroom. After turning off the bathroom light, the house was pitch black and he was beginning to navigate his way back to the bedroom.
"I stubbed my toe on a stove," Fischbein recalls. "It hurt and I got mad at myself and slammed my hand down on the kitchen counter," which he says was clean of obstacles except for one cheap, thin bar glass, which shattered.
"I almost bled to death," he says. "I severed the artery in my wrist."
Due to the snowstorm, it took about two hours for Medstar to respond, provide some treatment and get him to Huggins Hospital in Wolfeboro, which is roughly 25 miles from his house.
"It was like in the movies, the way the blood was coming out," he explains. The first sets of bandages and gauze applied to attempt to slow the blood loss were in vain, quickly turning the white, sterile material red. He says he had thoughts and feelings he never had and thought he was going to die.
"It took two surgeons and an excruciating amount of pain," he says, adding that he told the doctors about being a guitar player and inquiring about that future to which they were uncertain.
Ultimately, he was transferred to Lakes Region General Hospital, where he was seen by one of the top hand doctors in New Hampshire.
The damage to his hand also affected the ulnar nerve. Fischbein ended up out of work for eight months, the first two of which he says he barely remembers due to the pain killers that were required. Today he still has no feeling in part of his right hand. The ring finger and pinky, palm side, from the fingertips to his wrist provide no sensation.
"I spent six months without playing music," he recalls. "I suffered serious traumatic stress disorder," fearing he would never play guitar again.
Finally, he underwent EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) therapy, "which helped big time" with his depression, stress disorder and nightmares reliving the accident.
As for physical therapy, doctors explained that no specific therapy was needed since humans in general use their hands for everything, which would be inherent therapy.
"I started playing when I could," Fischbein says, "but I dropped picks all the time."
He says it took time before he could pinch his index finger and thumb together and maintain dexterity.
"I play better now than ever," he exalts, "because of genuine appreciation of my talent and my life. I didn't know how much I took for granted. Every morning, I'm happy I woke up on the right side of the dirt."
His passion may be at a new height, but it has always been there. He took professional lessons for six years. Then, with a firm grasp of composition and theory, it was up to himself to get better, faster, more proficient. Fischbein says he took every music class at Kingswood Regional High School in Wolfeboro.
"I did independent studies. Modal scales and jazz composition," he recalls.
Buying equipment and computer software, he put together his own home studio, and began recording some early song-writing attempts. But he also used his knowledge and technology to give back to the Kingswood music department and the department's music director Bill Gibson.
"I learned quickly while in school that arts and music departments are first to get cuts from the budget," Fischbein says. "After graduation (in 2000), I recorded the school's pop concerts (in 2003 and 2004) and produced them."
Students would sell the CDs with the money going directly to help fund the music department.
"It raised $500 each year for two years," he says.
His fiscal awareness led him to taking continuing education financial and business courses. He owned his own financial services company when he was 23, and ran a heating and air conditioning company with his brother. Currently a sous chef at Garwoods in Wolfeboro, Fischbein's business savvy is now tackling the non-creative side of the music world, learning about how the music industry works, promotion, networking and such.
Ultimately, though, this lifelong Ossipee resident is humble and earnest. "I don't need to be famous. I just want a comfortable living with my guitar."
The album captures Fischbein's assorted styles and interests. It is all acoustic, and mostly recorded without overdubbing or needless editing. His songs range from country to acoustic pop to instrumentals that reflect his interest in guitar greats like the avant garde Michael Hedges and jazzy Pat Metheny.
Fischbein touts his playing live as the best part of being a musician.
"I feed off the energy (of the audience). It's true," he says. "The album doesn't do the live show justice. I like to get the audience involved. I'm trying to be unique, well, different."
While the acoustic guitar is his main instrument, he will wield an electric guitar and he's learning how to play fiddle. On stage he also has some tech tools that allow him to "loop," which is recording notes, a strum, the audience and having it cycle to create a rhythmic foundation to which he can play melody, whip off a solo, or simply improvise. This is a technique, also known as live phrase sampling, used by many artists such as Howie Day and Keller Williams.
Along with his own material, Fischbein can perform songs from dozens of artists, whether it's Nelly — yes, Nelly — or The Beatles or Charlie Daniels.
"I do a really sick version of 'The Devil Went Down To Georgia.' I really believe I can rip that one up."
Ash Fischbein's CD is available at Zeb's in North Conway as well as online at CDBaby and his niceash.net. It's also downloadable via digstation.com. People also keep clicking "play" on his songs at indie-music.com, where a few of his tunes have played enough to be listed on the site's top 10 list for adult contemporary.

Entertainment Editor William A. Huffman can be contacted at bill@conwaydailysun.com.
- Bill Huffman- The Conway Daily Sun

Local Artist “Nice Ash” Releases New CD “Daydream”
Song “Something Strange” Wins #3 Editors Pick
At Popular Musician’s Website “Indie-Music.com”
#2 Overall in “Adult Contemporary” Genre (as of 3.22.07)
Ash Fischbein, singer/songwriter/guitarist, using the stage name “Nice Ash” has
recently released his debut CD “Daydream”, now available on CD Baby and
Digstation, and soon to be available on iTunes and Napster.
From this new CD, the song “Something Strange” has just been chosen #3 by
Indie-Music.com in the latest batch of Editor’s Picks. According to Suzanne Glass
of Indie-Music.com, “Just a quick note to let you know the latest batch of Editor's
Picks has been posted at Indie-Music.com, and you are among them! Thanks for
sharing your talent with us!” …… “Awesome acoustic guitar!” Within days
“Nice Ash” has moved from #10 to the #2 spot overall in the category of “Adult
Contemporary”.
A dream come true for this Center Ossipee native, Ash started playing guitar at the age of 8 when his parents bought him a $40.00 Harmony acoustic guitar. Falling in love with this instrument, plastic strings and all, he began his journey. He had about 6 years of professional lessons and in high school became active in the Music Dept. taking every music course available. And then he went out on his own.
But as any musician knows, the road is a rough one. One evening in January 2005, Ash severely injured his right hand; a freak accident, but one that left him with major nerve damage. Even after surgery and rehabilitation, it was doubtful he would play again. But after more than a year of recovery and determination, dropping many guitar picks along the way, he was able to scale the walls of disability and once again was able to perform-better than ever. Playing at benefits, private parties, weddings, many local bars and clubs, headlining and/or just doing open mic nights, he felt blessed to be playing again.
A life changing event, Ash’s music composition and guitar playing has become more creative and adventurous using alternative tuning and tapping. His instrumentals are described as “making a guitar sing”. Over the years his main influences have been Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Phish, Keller Williams, Bela Fleck, Michael Hedges and Les Claypool to name a few.
In 2003, Ash, a graduate himself of Kingswood Regional High School in Wolfeboro, NH, recorded the Music Department’s Christmas Pops concert and produced in his own studio (The Falls Productions, Wolfeboro, NH) a CD for the students to sell as a fundraiser for a trip to New York City. This resulted in a donation of more than $500.00 helping the students meet their fund raising goal. According to Music Director William Gibson “The KRHS Music Dept. wishes to salute Ash Fischbein for his dedication to his alma mater, and we look forward to working with him in the future.”
(The Granite State News March 20, 2003)
In 2004, Ash once again recorded and produced the KRHS Music Dept.’s Christmas Concert, raising an additional $500.00 adding to the students fundraising goals.
Ash also performed for the American Cancer Society's Walk-For-Life in the summer of 2006.
And most recently, on March 18, 2007, Ash performed at the Whittier House Restaurant for the 15th Annual “A Taste of the Bearcamp Valley Food Festival”, a benefit to support the Bearcamp Valley School and Children’s Center of Tamworth, where Ash was once a student. His new CD was available with $5.00 of every purchase donated to the school.
He has opened up for such headliners as The Don Campbell Band, Amy Dalley, Kristy Jackson, Tom Dean, Chuck Nash and Amanda Williams.
To contact Nice Ash:
www.myspace.com/niceash603
www.niceash.net
603.244.8828
Email: niceash603@aol.com


Granite State News, March 22, 2007
- The Granite State News

Ash Fischbein (AKA Nice Ash), like many aspiring musicians, started at a young age. He was given a cheapo guitar at eight but stuck with the task of learning it and even took professional lessons for six years.

Fischbein’s dedication paid off, because his obvious skills can be heard throughout this CD. I love the guitar playing on “Haggard Man." It’s like a one-song lesson in how to play blues acoustic guitar. There’s plenty of moody picking, as well as cranking slide work that will remind you of Led Zeppelin. Guitar playing is what Fischbein does best, because there are all kinds of wonderful acoustic guitar sounds emanating out of this disc.

“Haggard Man” also features Fischbein’s best vocal on the disc. You can just feel the urgency when his voice goes all rough to sing, “I don’t know where I’m going, you don’t know where I’ve been.” I’m not sure if this track’s title is a tip of the hat to Merle Haggard, but its lyric could just as well describe The Hag. He may be one of the most popular country artists of all time, but I doubt that many know him well. I can just hear him reprimanding someone by saying, “You don’t know where I’ve been.” And at that point, you best just leave the icon alone.
“Haggard Man” is not the sort of country music Merle Haggard makes – it’s much closer to acoustic blues, instead. “Over The Ledge," however, is the straight country stuff with just a taste of bluegrass. This one features Lance MacLean’s mandolin and Meredith Akerley’s supportive backing vocal. It’s the sort of song that makes you feel like you’re relaxing on a camping trip. In fact, the CD’s back cover pictures Fischbein wading in a lake on just such a camping trip.

None of this CD’s first three songs prepare the listener for “Is This Fate?” Unlike the Americana elements that drive the opening tracks of Daydream, “Is This Fate?” finds Fischbein singing in an affected vocal tone and performing a song that owes much of its influence to Seattle’s grunge movement. There is a psychedelic guitar solo and the sound effects of people chattering in a bar.

The track “Is This Fate?” acts as a mood shifter because both “In A Pill” and “All Awake," while less electric musically, also follow the unhappy mood of “Is this Fate?” But then again, this man knows a little bit about pain. He severely injured his right hand in 2005, causing nerve damage. But Fischbein applied the same determination he used to learn the guitar, to his recovery. It’s hard to imagine he’s disabled at all after listening to this CD.

Nope, this is no daydream. It’s surely a dream come true for Ash Fischbein to play so beautifully once again.
- Dan MacIntosh -- Indie-Music.com

"...great tunes looking forward to hearing the CD..." - Don Campbell

"...It was an Amazing performance!!!
With loops and effects Ash created layers of music that fitted seamlessly together.
A wonderful set all in all.!! Great job Ashe come on back!!..."
- Ernest Whaley -- The Stone Church