We call it the “Jennie Walker Effect” now – it is the feeling you get when you’ve interacted with a musician who you know – know – is going to do something big.
We sat around, in our usual way, to generate ideas for this interview and the words just started popping from the editorial staff – serious, sultry, intelligent, hard-working. Then the words for her music – foreboding, sultry, fatalistic, engaging, comfortable, motivated.
Talking with Jennie Walker and sharing tweets with her almost daily on twitter.com, I got to see another side of Jennie Walker – she is an exceptionally nice, helpful and caring person. You can immediately understand why Jennie Walker is involved in so many projects outside her music career.
IRM: Can you tell us a little bit about who Jennie Walker is?
JW: Outside of my music pursuits, I have been blessed with a long term career in the non profit sector, which has included staff positions with Former President Jimmy Carter and his Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia, where I was head of Research for a $60 million capital campaign in the early 1990s. In addition, as my non profit career grew, I worked with Peggy Dulany, David Rockefeller’s daughter, and her non profit called Synergos Institute, where I was part of the team responsible for creating the Global Philanthropists Circle (GPC). While working with the GPC, I led philanthropists on international tours through Mexico, South Africa and Mozambique. Ms. Dulany knew I sang, and asked me to perform on all of the trips. I sang for South African teenagers at the Love Live Center in Johannesburg, South Africa, for teenagers at the Salvation Army facility in Soweto, South Africa, for rural women in Mozambique. During a musical performance for philanthropists on the tour, which included Nelson Mandella’s wife, Graça Machel, I can still remember the guards with machines guns along the beach front of our hotel in Mozambique.
I remember a young South African girl asking me, after my performance, if I was famous. I told her I was famous in my family. I was struck by the posters of American pop stars on the walls of their modest rooms at the Salvation Army unit. Britney Spears as well as Farrah Fawcett were on proud display.
Basically, I have had a duel career in the non profit sector as well as with my music. The entire time I pursued my music, it was as a side pursuit, as I worked with my regular career. I was one of the original members of the Atlanta Songwriter Association (ASA) now named the Georgia Music Industry Association (GMIA), and served on their board for over 15 years, eventually becoming Vice President, before leaving Atlanta for New York in 2000. During my volunteer service with the GMIA, I hosted songwriting showcases, song critiques, workshops, and raised awareness for the organization on Radio and TV outlets.
I became a fundraising consultant in 2002 which gave me greater flexibility to pursue my passion for music. When I met my Producer in 2003, it was the turning point in my music career and I found the missing piece to my musical puzzle.
IRM: Jennie, how does the life of a military kid help a songwriter?
JW: I think growing up in the military, having to move and uproot our lives an average of every two years, makes you find ways of adapting and being accepted in each new city and school. The ability to be outgoing, make friends was a necessary component of my upbringing. My skills as a singer helped me to make friends easily and be accepted more quickly. I also believe being uprooted allowed me the ability to be creative and very flexible, which helps me in the music industry. I think a lot of uprooting makes you introspective and also a bit insecure. The insecurity I felt could have shut me down, but instead it fueled me in a strange way to find an outlet that would make me feel more secure and accepted. Music was a grounding force in my life that I did not have externally.
IRM: You’re close to releasing your debut album – how did you find the recording experience?
JW: Some of the best times of my life have been in the studio, writing and recording with Tommy Faragher, who is a 12-time Grammy nominated and platinum selling producer. The studio is a place where you can isolate yourself from the rest of the world and focus totally on the creative process. It is a place you can let go, be vulnerable and communicate openly and honestly about the message you are trying to convey through the music. I have cried more than once in the studio while tying to communicate to Tommy the origins of a song. The process of recording is a long but really fulfilling one. Take after take after take on vocals until you get it just right can be challenging. But, the moment I could nail some really difficult harmony part, it would be really satisfying. It is hard work in the studio and I have spent five years completing this recoding project. We took our time, met once a week on Saturday at his Brooklyn studio, and just let it take its natural course. There was no time line.
IRM: Can you tell us a little bit about what working with producer Tommy Faragher (Taylor Dayne, Elvis Costello, Robbie Nevil, Keli Price, Brenda K Starr, O’Jays, Hall and Oats, Eternal, Bardot) was like?
JW: Tommy Faragher is really amazing to work with. He is such an accomplished musician, not to mention singer. He has had his own recording career as part of the Faragher Brothers and also as a solo artist, with his big break coming with the follow up movie to Saturday Night Fever called Staying Alive. Several of his songs were on the soundtrack to Staying Alive and they were also used in the movie. There is also this unbelievable early video of Tommy performing on Solid Gold one of those songs from the movie on YouTube that is a must see! In addition, I have numerous videos of my own on Youtube, and my channel is Jennieroxon.
As a producer, Tommy is really seasoned yet totally laid back. He is open to any and all suggestions I might have about the songs we are writing and recording. My suggestions are not just about lyrics or melody, but actual production direction as well. Occasionally I feel really strongly about a music point I want to make and he listens and accommodates me 100%. We have only had a conflict of opinion once in five years on a production point and in the end, my suggestion stood and he agreed not only to make the change and acknowledged the change was an important improvement for the song. We have great writing and recording chemistry together. And, over time, I gave become really comfortable working with him.
IRM: What was the inspiration behind “Simon”?
JW: Like many songs of mine, the inspiration is complicated and layered. The song “Simon,” which I am really proud of, is a combination of two major elements. The first element of the song is the tragic Tsunami event in Thailand which happened during Christmas 2004. It was a top news story and received constant media play on the news channels. One of the key stories of the Tsunami was that the British fashion photographer, Simon Atlee, had gone missing during the event and that he was the boyfriend of Super Model Petra Němcová.
The second element is that at the same time I was being pounded with the images of the disaster and the question of loss of what had happened to Simon Atlee, I was also thinking about someone I was very close to named Simon who had also gone missing, but for different reasons. I did not know what happened to him and could not get in touch, and was devastated as the thought of that loss. My personal feelings combined with the empathy I was feeling for Simon Atlee’s loss came together in the song “Simon.” I put in a specific reference to Simon Atlee which is the lyric “Photos are reminders of your essence through the lens.” When the song was finished I made sure that the Agent for Simon Atlee knew of its existence. Then, I let it rest.
“Simon” is currently a single on iTunes.
IRM: Where do you see yourself in 5 years – what’s your goal?
JW: In 5 years, I would like to be signed to a recording contract, have released my first album, have produced several number one hits and been on national and international tours, looking forward to my second and third very successful CDs and enjoying several major acting roles and a very successful branded fashion line. In 5 years I plan to become one of the singers who have been able to branch out into other areas of the entertainment and fashion industries and successfully brand themselves like Boyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, and Gwen Stefani. Somewhere in there I would like to experience a vacation and participate in some international travel to places such as Italy, France, Australia, Greece, and Egypt.
IRM: As an independent artist, what do you find to be the most useful aspect of the internet?
JW: The internet is the single most important outlet for independent artists to promote and sell their music. It is easy to use and there are services to promote your music with free basic accounts. The tools are sophisticated yet easy to use. You can reach a global audience and you can access people you may not have been able to get to otherwise.
The internet provides a level playing field. Major artists and independent artists can both use it to promote their music. Those who are able to understand the strategy behind tools like Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and other services, can have as much opportunity as anybody to get noticed.
IRM: What challenge posed by the internet would you select as the most important to solve for musicians?
JW: I think musicians are challenged to find a way to stand out in a very crowded field. The internet is an amazing tool, and so easy to use that an artist can get music up and available in literally minutes. That said, so can every other artist. So, the field is crowded on the internet. You have to constantly find ways to differentiate yourself and your music from everyone else. I also think you have to commit the time resources needed to fully utilize the tools that exist, especially social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook. I spend countless hours daily utilizing my Twitter , Facebook (where I have a regular page and artist fan page) and Myspace, as well as maintaining my own website and many other sites on which I have posted my music and videos. The results have been pretty amazing. Promoting my music using Twitter has already resulted in two radio shows, a weekly podcast of my own, a regular Friday slot on a UK radio show, the use of my song “Simon” in a podcast, two magazine interviews, an opportunity to be on a Twitter related TV show, and a pro bono artist website. In addition, someone who heard my music through Twitter, is now volunteering their time to promote my music as far and wide as they can. These results are after only 3 months of consistent usage.
The internet allows you an opportunity to show who you are, your personality, and what you are interested in as well as what your music is about. These factors converge to create an image of an artist as they work to brand themselves in the marketplace. This is what makes each artists stand out in the crowd.
IRM: What else would you like to tell your fans?
JW: In March 2008 I launched a panel series called The Connective for the purpose of helping emerging artists learn about the music business. The panel series brings in music industry executives and other professionals in the business to help artists learn through a panel discussion and Q&A on rotating topics each month. I found a way to incorporate my love of charity work by highlighting a music related charity at each event and giving them 100% of the profits from the event. The Connective Series also has an online community where artists can promote their music, videos and blogs as well as gain access to music industry resources and opportunities.
The Connective Series has covered topics such as Vocal Health, Indie Record Lables, Music Publishing, Entertainment Law, International Bands and much more. Panelists have represented such firms as Cherry Lane Music Publishing, Shaprio Bernstein Publishing, Greenberg Traurg, LLC, The Orchard, and Music South Wales to name a few. We even had legendary concert promoter Sid Bernstein at our publishing event, and he left the crowd inspired and amazed. The Series has been most active in New York City, with one regional panel in Atlanta, Georgia and plans for panels in other major music markets such as Los Angeles, Austin and London, England are underway.
I am having a great ride and an absolute blast with wrapping up the album. I am looking forward to the release and finally getting my music into the international marketplace. In addition, I am looking forward to the airing of the films, TV shows and commercials in which I have been a Background Actor. These small parts have been a wonderful learning experience and I have enjoyed greatly working with such actors as Jennifer Lopez, Joseph Fiennes and TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Nip Tuck and Glee, as well as commercials for R.E. Sports and Toyota.
Lastly, I would like to tell my fans to please support my music through purchasing my songs on itunes and sharing my music with their friends and family.
Website - http://www.jenniewalker.com/
Connect on Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/jenniewalker
Connect on Twitter (we did!) - http://twitter.com/msjenniewalker
