Music has a profound impact on our lives. It provides a universal language that helps us to articulate our thoughts and emotions when we cannot and gives us a common ground. It provides healing and support to us in times of need, helps to tell the stories of the past, and build culture. Music also serves as an economic driver all over the world, including here in Asheville.

When Jessica Tomasin had her first studio experience at the age of 16, singing back up vocals on a hip-hop track in Detroit, the seed was planted for her career in music. Her wide and varied background in music has involved everything from studio management to co-founding Asheville Music Professionals. In 2018 she launched Connect: Beyond the Page, a festival that uses film, music, and literature to explore how art can influence change.