Jennifer Chase

Vita In 1995 Jennifer Chase arrived in Jacksonville’s music scene. By spring 1996 she had received critical acclaim in France and the U.S. for her debut original album kid jail. Jennifer’s highly anticipated second album Famadihana, released in 1998, features collaborations with songwriter and guitarist Gary Smalley. The album explored other themes ranging from racism, animism, mythology and ancestor worship. The album also includes the first of several originals recorded in French. Subsequent solo tours in France and study of the French language, heightened Jennifer’s interest in International Studies, specifically Francophone cultures. The albums received frequent airplay on public and college radio stations throughout the U.S and Europe.At home, Jennifer opened for such Grammy award winners as: The Doobie Brothers, The Rippingtons, and Lisa Loeb. She founded and spearheaded, j.a.n.e. (Jacksonville Artists’ Night of Entertainment), a non-profit project boasting two concerts and an original CD that funded child-care scholarships for single parents pursuing a college education. The project was the first and only of its kind in Florida. In spring of 1998, Jennifer was honored with the Annual University of North Florida’s Women’s Leadership Award for her service and accomplishments with j.a.n.e.In the fall of that year, Jennifer was awarded the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship in recognition of her academic, creative and humanitarian achievements. The scholarship sent her to Senegal, Africa for a semester to share her music and to immerse herself in the Wolof and French languages in the Islamic country. While there she wrote, recorded and performed with Senegalese folk group Les Freres Guissé. In 2000, Jennifer received her B.A. from the University of North Florida in International Studies and returned to Senegal. There she began to write Majigeen, the musical drama of historical fiction which explores the life of a 19th century Senegalese teenager, Anta Majigeen Njaay. In the summer of 2003 Jennifer completed writing the musical in France. Majigeen has enjoyed five successful runs on Florida stages.In 2007 She performed in, and wrote original music for, the P.B.S. documentary, In Marjorie’s Wake. Her album by the same title is now available.Recently, Jennifer spent two consecutive summers in Madrid, Spain. There she worked on her newest drama, Handmaid, while in residence to complete her M.F.A. In 2008 Jennifer received her M.F.A. from the University of New Orleans. She is a professor at Florida Community College teaching Creative Writing, English as a Second Language, English. She continues to write perform and travel.