{"id":21745,"date":"2016-11-04T00:27:44","date_gmt":"2016-11-04T07:27:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=21745"},"modified":"2016-11-03T10:56:37","modified_gmt":"2016-11-03T17:56:37","slug":"gasoi-is-one-class-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2016\/11\/04\/gasoi-is-one-class-act\/","title":{"rendered":"Gasoi is one class act"},"content":{"rendered":"

Singer\/songwriter Jennifer Gasoi, seen here in a promotional shot for her new book, was back in her hometown last month. (photo by\u00a0Philove)<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Jennifer Gasoi\u2019s new book, Blue and Red Make Purple<\/em>, is both a hardcover children\u2019s book and a CD collection. It was released to immediate acclaim, winning the 2016 Parents\u2019 Choice Gold Award and a National Parenting Product Award.<\/p>\n

\"CD
Jennifer Gasoi\u2019s new book, Blue and Red Make Purple, has already won awards.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Illustrated by Steve Adams, Gasoi\u2019s songbook has a vintage feel with a touch of Chagall. It is vibrant and surreal, full of movement, as a group of animals get up to all sorts of musical capers. \u201cI love the illustrations for this book,\u201d Gasoi told the Independent<\/em>. \u201cI feel that Steve accurately depicted the joy, love and depth of my songs. He offers a brilliant visual representation of the music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gasoi has local roots and, 15 years ago, she was performing at Rossini\u2019s jazz bar in Kitsilano. She studied music at Capilano University\u2019s jazz program and took part in community choir events around town before she decided it was time for a change and moved to Montreal. There, she taught music to young children and parents. Her debut album, Songs for You<\/em> (2004), garnered awards and nominations, as did her second CD, Throw a Penny in the Wishing Well<\/em> (2012).<\/p>\n

Among the honors for her second recording was a 2014 Grammy Award for best children\u2019s recording. An unusual compilation, the CD introduces children to a wide range of genres, including bluegrass, calypso and klezmer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWinning a Grammy was a life highlight,\u201d said Gasoi. \u201cIt was something I had been dreaming of since I started my music career \u2013 and having Cyndi Lauper present the award was pure gold.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gasoi\u2019s lyrics are deceptively simple. The song \u201cHappy\u201d from Wishing Well<\/em>, for example, starts gently in a voice that sounds as natural as exhaling, were it not for the jaunty, syncopated piano accompaniment. This brief \u201cditty,\u201d as she calls it, is written for children but models a spirit of resilience and self-acceptance that could be a mantra for any age. A chorus of \u201cI feel happy\u201d follows lines such as, \u201cWhen I jump, when I fly, when I feel, when I cry.\u201d Likewise, this song teaches generosity and compassion: \u201cWhen I laugh, when I live the life I want to live, when I take a little less than I give. I feel happy\u2026.\u201d And, \u201cWhen I dance the way I want to dance. When I step out of the box and take a chance, I feel happy\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gasoi\u2019s voice brims with a mix of confidence, mischief and kindness. Asked if she\u2019s aware of this last quality, she laughed, \u201cI do hear that. I hear that I\u2019m soothing. Even when I was in jazz clubs and I\u2019d be thinking, \u2018I\u2019m rocking this, I\u2019m digging it!\u2019 people would come up and say, \u2018I\u2019m so<\/em> relaxed right now!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

As an artist, Gasoi is working to a plan. Her goal is to reach children deeply, authentically, as both an educator and a musician. This drive has long been apparent, said singer Christie Grace, Gasoi\u2019s contemporary at Capilano. \u201cShe was always extremely self-disciplined.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a soul connection with children,\u201d said Gasoi. \u201cI see their light and their beauty. I pray that, through my music, I can inspire them to tune into what they feel, what they love, what they are good at.\u201d<\/p>\n

With an eye to the greater good, the singer wants her music to motivate children to be active and empowered citizens working for \u201ca world that is based on peace, compassion and love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gasoi also recognizes that dialogue is part of any educational experience. The adults may be the ones who have laid out the agenda, but the lesson goes both ways. She speaks of the rich education she gained during the 15 years she honed her voice and performance style \u201cteaching music in daycares and community centres, a lot of mom and baby groups.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked about what keeps her motivated, Gasoi describes a visit to an inner city school in Montreal. \u201cI performed my songs to the most enthusiastic audience I\u2019d ever seen,\u201d she said. \u201cThe kids were beaming with excitement. They knew all the songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a population that doesn\u2019t usually have a chance to attend concerts, the experience was all the more poignant. The singer described the group as \u201cjubilant and receptive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the teachers told me that one of her students, a boy with autism, had never sat still for more than five minutes during any other concert,\u201d said Gasoi. \u201cDuring this show, he was engaged for the full hour. It\u2019s moments like these that keep me going.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"photo
Singer\/songwriter Jennifer Gasoi with one of her fans, Joel Harrington, the writer\u2019s youngest son. (photo by Shula Klinger)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On stage at the Vancouver Writers Fest last month, Gasoi was utterly in her element. She addressed the audience of hundreds as if it were an intimate group of a few children, gathered around her knees. Her experience as an educator was apparent, as she asked questions and engaged the crowd in conversations, responding to the children as they called out answers and praising them for their unexpected gems. In the middle of \u201cLittle Blue Car Trip,\u201d she asked the audience for another form of transportation. The first answer fired back, \u201cCamel!\u201d got a laugh from audience and band alike.<\/p>\n

Gasoi\u2019s band members \u2013 Jody Proznick (double bass), Joel Fountain (percussion\/vocals), Chris Gestrin (piano\/melodica) and Ralph Shaw (banjo) \u2013 are no less engaging. Shaw doubles as the Purple Man from the song of the same name, leaping across the stage to the strains of this energetic, multi-genred song, which culminates in a fiery rendition of \u201cHava Nagila.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s nothing like a hometown reception for a returning artist and this show was no exception. \u201cThis week was absolute magic. Vancouver welcomed me with open arms!\u201d said Gasoi, who continues to deliver songs packed with rhymes, wordplay and colorful imagery.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am constantly amazed by kids,\u201d she said. \u201cThey are so pure, honest, innocent and in touch with their instincts. I see their potential and I am doing everything in my power to support them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shula Klinger<\/strong> is an author, illustrator and journalist living in North Vancouver. Find out more at niftyscissors.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Singer\/songwriter Jennifer Gasoi, seen here in a promotional shot for her new book, was back in her hometown last month. (photo by\u00a0Philove) Jennifer Gasoi\u2019s new book, Blue and Red Make Purple, is both a hardcover children\u2019s book and a CD collection. It was released to immediate acclaim, winning the 2016 Parents\u2019 Choice Gold Award and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[784,788],"tags":[4946,6515],"class_list":["post-21745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","category-music","tag-childrens-books","tag-childrens-music"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21745"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21745\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}