Jennifer Gasoi (born ) is a Canadian children's musician, noted for her albums ''Songs For You'' and ''Throw a Penny in the Wishing Well''.

Early life

Born and raised in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Gasoi graduated from

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...

with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work in 1996. While at McGill, Gasoi joined a jazz choir led by

Ranee Lee Ranee Lee, CM (born October 26, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York City) is an American jazz singer and musician who resides in Montreal, Quebec. She is also an actor, author, educator and television host. Referred as “''Montreal's Queen of Jazz,''� ...

. After graduation, Gasoi further developed her jazz skills at

Capilano University Capilano University (CapU) is a teaching-focused public university based in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, located on the slopes of the North Shore Mountains, with programming that also serves the Sea-to-Sky Corridor and the Sunshin ...

's jazz program.

Career

During her post-graduate years in Vancouver, Gasoi sung in local jazz concerts with

Linton Garner Linton Garner (March 25, 1915 in Greensboro, North Carolina – March 6, 2003 in Vancouver) was a jazz pianist. He was Erroll Garner's older brother. Biography As a youngster he was keener to play cornet than piano, but due to problems with ...

. She appeared at the

Vancouver International Jazz Festival The Vancouver International Jazz Festival is an annual summer event in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The festival grew out of a local jazz scene that centred on Vancouver Co-op Radio ( CFRO-FM), a community radio station, in the early 1980 ...

from 1999 to 2001. She moved to Montreal in 2002 and two years afterwards released her first children's album, ''Songs For You''. In late 2012, she released her second children's album, ''Throw a Penny in the Wishing Well''. The album was nominated for the Children's Album of the Year at the 2013 Juno Awards. It was also nominated for the

56th Annual Grammy Awards The 56th Annual Grammy Awards presentation was held on January 26, 2014, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT and was hosted for the third time by LL Cool J. The show was moved to January to avoid comp ...

in 2014, winning the award for Best Children's Album. Gasoi is the first Canadian to win a Grammy in that category.

Discography

* ''Songs for You'' (2004) * ''Throw a Penny in the Wishing Well'' (2012)

Awards and recognition

* 2005:

Juno Awards of 2005 The Juno Awards of 2005 were held 3 April at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba and were hosted by comedian Brent Butt. Avril Lavigne and k-os won three awards each, while Billy Talent and Feist (band), Feist won 2 apiece. Nominations were anno ...

, nominee, Children's Album of the Year, ''Songs For You'' * 2013:

Juno Awards of 2013 The Juno Awards of 2013 honoured Canadian music industry achievements in the latter part of 2011 and in most of 2012. The awards were presented in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, during the weekend of 20–21 April 2013. The main ceremony was hoste ...

, nominee, Children's Album of the Year, ''Throw a Penny in the Wishing Well'' * 2013: 9th Canadian Folk Music Awards, nominee, Children's Album of the Year * 2014:

Grammy Award for Best Children's Album The Grammy Award for Best Children's Album (from 2020: Grammy Award for Best Children's Music Album) is an honor presented since 2012 at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honor ...

, winner Archived page url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064734/https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/Montreal+based+Vancouverraised+Jennifer+Gasoi+wins+first/9432121/story.html

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gasoi, Jennifer Living people 1970s births Canadian children's musicians Grammy Award winners McGill University School of Social Work alumni Musicians from Vancouver Capilano University alumni