Last year my daughter was very ill I had to bring her back to Somerset to live at home to help her recover. People locally were concerned that a young women should be struck down by a mystery illness. Jenny was very stoic in dealing with being ill especially as it has affected her eye sight. This certainly affected her singer song writer ambitions, she did write a few songs while at home.
She returned to Brighton to try and get on with her life, not easy as she had no idea what was wrong with her. I have to admire her determination not to let it get her down especially as her eyes had been effected and day light caused her problems with her vision. I think she used her music to help write away her fruitions. Life got a little better when she was fitted with a new type of contact lens that is like wearing sun glasses and gives a strange view of colour in her life but as usual Jen took it all in a positive way as it gave her relief from the torture of daylight. (thank you Nike for the development a life saver!) At last they have diagnosed her problem and with the treatment she is nearly back to normal apart from her eye sight.
What has all this to do with Axbridge? Over the time we have lived in Axbridge Jenny has become known for her changing hair styles and colour and people were concerned whe she became ill. She decided that she would come and perform at the local fun day in July, this event has a stage for local bands a popular local event.
Jenny was given a 45 min slot to perform some of her own work and covers. She arrived on the field guitar slung over her shoulder bright scarlet and brown hair blowing in the breeze. She followed a band on stage and looked quite lonely up on the stage a little girl with a mike and guitar. It certainly made me think how stoic she had been in the last few months and how her music had helped her to cope with what life had thrown at her.
She soon had everyone's attention as she belted out her numbers which were well chosen for the diverse audience. She even gave a rendition of Aint no sunshine a favorite of mine, I was in tears at this special song for me but also to see this accomplished songstress up on the stage engaging with the crowd who were loving her. It was a great moment when she received an encore and they begged her for more. I saw her look of total amazement at how well she had been received. When we walked home people stopped and said how much they enjoyed her and for weeks after her Dad and I had people stopping us and saying what a great singer she is.
She was asked by the local butcher, a keen guitarist, if she would perform at a local charity event, the next thing she knows she is headlining the event. She was so delighted to think that her music ability was so valued by the local community that they would give her such a great write up in the paper and to more so to headline her at the event.
Phil "the butcher" Reaney and Paul Ambrosius, who was in a famous b
and in the 60/70's, provided a backing band for her to do two cover numbers and she did two of her own acoustically. They went down really well and Jen was so bowled over by the help and support Phil and Paul gave her.Ian another local who has a love of music and in his spare time is a DJ and enjoys recording music has promised to help Jenny record her EP. She went back to Brighton yesterday a very happy girl as she feels she is at last getting some where with her music. The support she has found in Axbridge is astonishing.
She has lived in Brighton for six years and in four months since her performance in Axbridge she has had more success, than in Brighton, people seem to love her music and performances in Axbridge. She is now hopefully going to move to Bristol in the next few months she did an open mike night at the Bunch of Grapes in Bristol that went down very well there as well.
It is so easy when you are down or get knocks in life to just give up. I am so proud of Jenny she could have sat in a corner and let things get to her and certainly it has not been easy in so many ways in the last year. When she has had a few black days we have talked on the phone and tried to re- frame things. Just reaching out and talking always helps and just looking at things from a different perspective can help to see things in a different light.
I can't thank the people in Axbridge enough for the help and support they have shown Jenny both musically and personally. They are so pleased to see her health improved especially when they see her perform. The town has helped to boost Jenny's confidence so she was able to give the polished performance she gave on Saturday. It is not always one person who helps a person towards their goal but in this case a community has and still is helping this singer song writer.
Check Jenny out and the video is there http://www.myspace.com/jennferinbox
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