BIO:
Mother, Singer, Composer, Producer, Teacher, and Activist - Jennifer (Tuscarora, North Carolina) comes from four generations of Seven Singing Sisters through the maternal line, and has been singing since she was young. She is known for her fierce vocals and soaring range. Her lilting, breath-taking harmonies will delight your ears.
Jennifer has been singing with the critically acclaimed Native women's Trio ULALI since she was seventeen. Her voice has perfectly woven the high strand of Ulali's renowned harmony with incomparable skill, and grace for over seventeen years, helping to create a new sound in Indian Country. Adding to the group, her sharp wit and stage presence infused Ulali’s shows with strong vocals, humor and camaraderie with the audience.
Jennifer was a Master Teaching Artist for the State of Connecticut Commission on the Arts for over four years. She is frequently called upon to guest lecture and conduct vocal workshops at universities, schools, Native communities and at festivals throughout the United States and Canada. She has done background vocals for various groups and voice-overs for commercials some of which feature her own compositions and highlight her production skills.
Jennifer made a guest appearance as Salmon Girl in Sherman Alexie's film The Business of Fancy Dancing. The film features her singing the Deer Song which she composed in 1997 for the Aboriginal Women's Voices project in Banff (subsequently featured on the Grammy nominated DVD "One Giant Leap"). In addition, she also contributed to two other tracks; Amazing Grace, and Osinilashatin--for which she composed the melody and produced the track, singing with renowned Native Actor and longtime collaborator Michelle St. John.
Jennifer composed, produced and performed the acclaimed song Have Hope for the film Unnatural and Accidental. Her rich and haunting voice can be heard throughout the soundtrack as well. Michelle St. John is featured on Have Hope doing background vocals. Jennifer also composed a song that she and Soni Moreno sang for a Nickelodeon TV public service short about September 11th. She and renowned Native Storyteller and Activist Dovie Thomason, founded The Native American Scholarship Fund at Lynchburg College in Virginia. Jennifer is also a Core Advisory member of the First Nations Composers Initiative and is a recipient of the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism Artist Fellowship Grant for 2007, for music composition. She has also been blessed to be a recipient of a Native Arts @ NEFA fellowship as well as A First Nations composers Initiative Grant both for 2007. Jennifer also just received a First Peoples fund Cultural Capital Grant. In February 2007, The Genie Awards (Canadian Oscar) awarded her with the Achievement in Music-Original Song Genie for her song Have Hope (which also received a New York Times "Critic's Pick"). In October Have Hope was also honored with a NAMMY (Native American Music Award) for Song of the Year. Jennifer is also a finalist (for Have Hope) in the Independent Music Awards, winners to be announced Dec. 15th. She sings a song in the upcoming PBS/National Geographic children's production Momma Mirabelle. Jennifer is also featured alone and with Ulali on the soundtrack of the upcoming Canadian television film Elijah.
Her work with Ulali has carried her all over the world and extensively throughout Indian Country. As part of the group, she has contributed to many soundtracks including the TBS series The Native Americans and subsequently contributed to two songs on Robbie Robertson's album of the same name. Some television appearances include: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show (London, UK), Egg The Arts (NYC), Keeping Time: New Music from America's Roots I (Sundance Channel), and the Joe Suarez Show (Brazil). Over the years Jennifer has been a recipient of the Eagle Spirit Achievement Award from the American Indian Film Institute in San Francisco; and a winner of the Native Women's Recognition Award from Ganondagon, NY; along with the Key to the city of Greensboro, North Carolina. As co-writer and vocalist, Jennifer also contributed to the Soundtrack of the Miramax Film Smoke Signals, with the song Wah jhi le yihm.
Jennifer has happily shared the stage with such performers as Buffy Saint-Marie, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Ritchie Havens, Sting, Floyd Westerman, Charlie Hill and many others. In addition, she has performed at such venues as Woodstock 94, the Smithsonian Institute, NMAI, the 1996 and 2002 Olympics, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, New Orleans Jazz Festival, and the Hollywood Bowl (for the Dalai Lama). She has also performed for V-day in Madison Square Garden and in the Vagina Monologues film.
She is currently working on her much anticipated debut solo album titled Wah Thye Yeh Rak (She Mixed It Tuscarora language) due out this winter. Jennifer is collaborating with Tuscarora (NC) Activist, Actor, and Artist Christopher Lowry for the Tuscarora language translations on her upcoming album. She is also teaming up with renowned Creek/Cherokee/Seminole painter Dana Tiger for the album cover artwork.
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