Jennifer Grassman - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Jennifer Grassman is an American independent music and recording artist.

Early years & education

In 1986, Grassman's family moved from Austin, Texas to Memphis, Tennessee, where she began classical piano training at the age of 7. She spent her junior high and high school years in Austin, Texas and Santa Clarita, California while being home schooled by her mother, Lori Grassman. In 2002, Grassman composed the patriotic song, "Where The Wind Blows" which was dedicated to the American troops overseas and aired on The Soldiers Radio Network. Grassman was acknowledged by President George W. Bush

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

for her "kind gesture."

In 2003, Grassman majored in Opera at the University of Houston

University of Houston

The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...

under the tutelage of Joan Gibbons in the Moores School of Music

Moores School of Music

The Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music is the music school of the University of Houston. The Moores School offers the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts in Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in music performance, conducting, theory and composition, music history...

. Grassman held her first benefit concert for Crime Stoppers on the University of Houston campus in honor of her late friend, Rachael Koloroutis who had been murdered earlier that year. Grassman and Koloroutis became friends while working summer jobs during high school. Further concerts to raise money for Koloroutis' Crime Stoppers reward fund followed at such venues as Six Flags

Six Flags

Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...

AstroWorld. In 2008, Grassman participated in an ABC 20/20 documentary about the case. Grassman left the University of Houston in 2005 to pursue her career as a full time soloist performer.

Professional career

Grassman released her debut album, At The Back Of The North Wind, produced by MD Thomspson of The Ivory Tower, of Houston, Texas, in 2006. The album featured the single Pretty Girls, which was later made into a music video, directed and produced by ZenFilm. The video went on to win a Silver ADDY Award and first place at Dances With Films in 2009.

Grassman's Christmas CD, Keep Silent; A Collection of Ancient Carols, produced by Dan Workman of SugarHill Recording Studios

SugarHill Recording Studios

SugarHill Recording Studios is a recording studio in Houston, Texas. The studio was important in launching the careers of such artists as Lightnin' Hopkins, The Big Bopper, George Jones, the Sir Douglas Quintet, Roy Head, and Freddy Fender. It is renowned for its collection of vintage regording...

released in 2007 on the independent record label, TLM Productions. Grassman performs a "Christmas Tour of Texas" nearly every year, which includes stops in Houston, Austin

Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

, Dallas, and San Antonio. Grassman broke ties with TLM Productions soon after the completion of her Pretty Girls music video.

On her third album, Serpent Tales & Nightingales, Grassman returned to work with MD Thompson of The Ivory Tower. Serpent Tales & Nightingales released on Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day

Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...

, February 14, 2010, and was financed largely by Grassman's fans who donated money and hosted house concerts to help raise funds.
Grassman has appeared on live television shows, including ABC's 20/20 (in connection with her benefit concerts for Crime Stoppers), Great Day Houston on KHOU (TV) and Houston PBS's late night show The After Party with Ernie Manouse

Ernie Manouse

Ernie Manouse is an American television host, radio personality, writer and producer. He currently hosts the interview show InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse, produced by HoustonPBS...

Journalism & Writing Career

Grassman writes a music industry column titled The Business Of Being Diva, for The Washington Times

The Washington Times

The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...

Communities. She has interviewed Imogen Heap

Imogen Heap

Imogen Jennifer Jane Heap is a Grammy Award-winning English singer, composer and songwriter from Havering, Essex. She is known for her work as part of the musical duo Frou Frou and her solo albums, which she writes, produces, and mixes...

, Natalia Tena

Natalia Tena

Natalia Gastiain Tena is a British actress and musician. She sings and plays the accordion in the band Molotov Jukebox. In her acting career, Tena is best known for playing Nymphadora Tonks in the Harry Potter film series, and Ellie in the movie About a Boy.-Life and career:Tena was born in...

, Brian Ray

Brian Ray

Brian Thomas Ray is an American session musician, musical director, guitarist and singer–songwriter. He is best known for his work as a guitarist and bassist with Paul McCartney, though he has worked with an extensive list of artists in addition to his own solo career.-Early life:Brian Ray grew up...

, Aimee Mann

Aimee Mann

Aimee Mann is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist.-Early life:Aimee Mann grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, graduated from Open High School in 1978 and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes...

, Larry Klein

Larry Klein

Larry Klein is a music producer, songwriter and bass guitar player, commonly known for being the frequent musical collaborator, and ex-husband, of Joni Mitchell....

, and other notable figures in the music and entertainment industries. She also documented SXSW in March, 2011.

Philanthropic events

Grassman is reputed in the greater Houston area for organizing philanthropic events to raise funds and boost publicity for non-profits such as no-kill animal organizations, women's shelters, anti-crime and anti-abuse organizations such as Crime Stoppers and RAINN

RAINN

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is an American anti-sexual assault organization, the largest in the United States. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline and carries out programs to prevent sexual assault, help victims, and to ensure that rapists are brought to justice.RAINN...

(The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), and victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake

2010 Haiti earthquake

The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...

. In 2009, Grassman was commended by Tori Amos

Tori Amos

Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...

for her work on behalf of rape

Rape

Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...

and domestic violence

Domestic violence

Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...

victims.

Personal life

On September 30, 2006, Grassman married Jason Lee Greenberg, in Conroe, Texas

Conroe, Texas

Conroe is a suburban city 40 miles north of Houston in the gulf coastal plains/piney woods region of southeast Texas.It is the seat of Montgomery County and falls within the metropolitan area.As of the 2000 U.S...

. She and Greenberg met at the University of Houston

University of Houston

while Grassman was seeking band members to back her up during public performances. Greenberg plays bass, electric, acoustic and classical guitar on Grassman's albums and during live shows. Grassman and Greenberg currently reside in Houston, Texas.

Discography

At The Back Of The North Wind (2006)

1) At The Back Of The North Wind
2) Truth Is Fulfilling
3) Time
4) Much Like Dreams
5) The Mockingbird
6) Pretty Girls
7) I Waited So Long
8) For Always
9) Once More
10) Heavenward
11) Mourning Star
12) Jonna McLane
13) The Sweet Wind
14) White Roses
15) With You
16) One Last Time
17) Michaella's Song

Reviews:
http://www.blog.collectedsounds.com/?p=1327

http://www.childrensmiracleministry.org/AllArtists.htm

Keep Silent; A Collection Of Ancient Carols (2007)

1) Keep Silent
2) O Come, O Come Emmanuel
3) Angels We Have Heard On High
4) O Holy Night
5) Carol Of The Bells
6) Away In A Manger
7) God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
8) Silent Night
9) Lo, How A Rose E're Blooming
10) John's Song
11) What Child Is This
12) Can This Be So
13) What Wondrous Love

Reviews:
http://www.29-95.com/music/bands-and-artists/jennifer-grassman

Serpent Tales & Nightingales (2010)

1) The Search
2) Guildencrantz
3) Red
4) Praying To The Walls
5) Blackbird
6) The Haunting
7) Avuncular
8) Mercy
9) A Chance to Die
10) Glass
11) Little Bird
12) Foundling
13) The Mad, Mad March Hare Acoustic Exposition
14) The Bedroom Door
15) The Promise
16) Snake

Guest vocals

Mathias Blad of the Swedish metal band, Falconer (band)

Falconer (band)

Falconer is a Swedish power metal band from Mjölby, formed in 1999. Founded by the former guitarist of Mithotyn, Stefan Weinerhall. Falconer carry on many of the traditions set by Weinerhall's previous band and play a style of power metal that utilises folk instrumentation and melody to create a...

, guest sang on "Blackbird," on the CD, Serpent Tales & Nightingales.

External links

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