Those who know her well understand the awesome musical talent Hillston’s Jennifer Mahar has, and her renown is sure to spread after spending a week with Peter Northcote.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Jennifer, only 16-years-old and already a musical power-house, has just returned from a trip to Sydney which has only taken her further.
She took part in a week of learning and behind-the-scenes experience in the life of a professional musician as part of being awarded the Joel Abernethy Advantage scholarship through the Australian Children's Music Foundation (ACMF).
One award is given each year to provide support and encouragement to a young ACMF music student who displays outstanding personal and musical attributes, and it’s clear to see why Jennifer ticked all those boxes.
Jennifer is a singer-songwriter, and plays bass and acoustic guitar as well as piano, and enjoys all kinds of performances whether it be singing, playing or acting in musicals.
In the first week of February, Jennifer honed her songwriting and guitar skills learning from Peter Northcote, one of Australia's most recorded guitarist who has performed with a range of Australian artists and has recorded background music for Oprah and Dr Phil shows.
She even had the opportunity to work with Ciaran Gribbin, who performed well over 50 shows as front man for INXS.
She came away with a renewed passion for her music, not that it was dwindling at all, but now she has a clearer idea of what she’s getting into by working towards a career in music.
“One of the things that stayed with me was his advice to not play anything I don’t know why I am playing it. Not only in the music but in the words as well,” Jennifer said.
She has covered ‘Imagine Dragons’ song Radioactive, and the performance is enough to send goosebumps down your spine with her powerful vocals and her own acoustic guitar accompaniment. Listen to the audio version of her cover in the video below:
Watch her play Bohemiam Rhapsody by Queen and Fur Elise by Ludwig van Beethoven on the piano at Hillston Central School in the next video:
Her parents say she was a singer from the moment she was born, and her natural talent has been enhanced with self-taught and driven learning.
Despite the fact her musical education has been somewhat interrupted, this hasn’t stopped her from moving forward and is taking every opportunity that presents itself as a chance to grow.
“I did a year of lessons and then my teacher left, and then another teacher came for a year and now she’s left as well, so I’ve been teaching myself a lot,” Jennifer said.
“I’m still motivated, and the facilities here at school are really great, there is about three pianos here at school I can practice on.”
While the only musical member of her family, she derives inspiration from other talented and famous singer-songwriters.
“I take a lot of inspiration from a wide range of artists, for example I love Queen and Freddie Mercury, and then at the other end of the scale with Ed Sheeran. Just people who are exceptionally good at the singing songwriting thing.”
For her song writing, anything and everything draws out her imagination and allows her to connect to the music.
“I love being able to express myself in my own personal matter, not in other ways that people express themselves.”
And as for her musical muses, anything goes.
“Everything resonates with me and if I think about it I can write a song. Everything is material worth writing about if you make it.”
RELATED:
No stranger to the stage either, Jennifer recently played The Mad Hatter in her school’s musical production of Alice in Wonderland.
“I’m mainly into music and performing, not really into theatre, but its really good to use what the school can give me and extend my skills and experience all kinds of performing.”
The first time she performed in front of a crowd she was only seven years old, singing at an Australia Day Talent Show in Hillston.
“I definitely got the taste for performing then, and I think that's where it all stemmed from.”
She still continues to perform, and regularly busks at the local markets, and says she hopes people like her music, but she always does very well at busking.
Currently finishing Year 12, Jennifer hopes to take a gap year touring around and performing, before going on to study music.