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Jennifer Grassman is a Texas based recording artist who lives in Houston with her husband, Jason Greenberg, and two cats, Agatha Mittens and Mr. Charles Bingley.
Grassman composes ornate piano and vocal songs which embody her own haunting and idiosyncratic style. She calls her genre “Arabesque,” because her songs are typified by ornate, serpentine melodies, with heavy classical and theatrical elements. Her vocals are graceful and lissome, and her piano accompaniments are passionate and fanciful. Indeed, her lyrics are often derived from classical literature, and inspired by authors including William Shakespeare, Jane Austin, Lewis Carol, J.R.R. Tolkein, and George MacDonald.
The media has compared her music to that of Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos, Loreena McKennitt, and Enya, while fans have compared her to the likes of Sarah Brightman. But nothing quite sums up the music of Jennifer Grassman better then the songs themselves.
Born in Austin, Texas, in 1984, Grassman grew up with an avid love for music. A rather odd child, she was more interested in reading books and absorbing herself in music then collecting dolls or playing with friends. In fact, her piano was often her best friend, and she would daily spend hours obsessing over a new Chopin or Debussy piece. She particularly appreciated minor melodies from the romantic period, although she tributes Handel's Messiah as being her favorite work of all time.
In addition to Jennifer's strong classical influences, she also holds an affinity for U2, the Irish rebel band headed by social activist Bono.
"I was obsessed with Boy, War, and Unforgettable Fire when I was in my early teens," Jennifer said smiling. "Besides the fact that they were my first introduction to rock music, I was enthralled by their passion for a cause. There's just something nauseating about the millions of pop songs revolving around boyfriends and cattiness. I needed something to latch onto and believe in. I had no idea of the cultural or historical background behind their convictions, but I still got the anti-violence message loud and clear. I’ve always believed that it is important for us as individual human beings to have a cause. We need something worth dieing for. Otherwise, merely living is so hollow."
In the past and present, Jennifer has devoted her music to the promotion of various causes. In 2003 and 2005 she hosted fundraising concerts for Crime Stoppers, in honor of her late high-school friend, Rachael Koloroutis and her family. In 2007 she hosted several benefit concerts for Houston are no-kill animal shelters (including SMART and Adopt-A-Cat). In 2008 she organized a campaign of events to raise funds for The Rape Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) and awareness to the anti-abuse cause. She also works to promote local abuse victim resources such as HAWC, The Women’s Home, and Bridge Over Troubled Waters.
Grassman met her husband, Jason Greenberg, on a cool October morning in 2003 while she was attending The University Of Houston, Moores School of Music. Having canvassed school message boards for performance opportunities, Greenberg was the one and only musician who responded to an ad Grassman had posted for band members, which read, "got a band?" They met at a stone bench in front of The Moores School of Music, dated for three years, and were finally married on Saturday, September 30, 2006.
Since their marriage, Jennifer and Jason have been collaborating on several musical projects, including Jennifer's upcoming album, The Point Of No Return (June, 2009), and Jason's progressive metal project, Orisonata, which is comparable to the music of Dream Theater, Nightwish, Sespyre, Blind Guardian, and Falconer.
Jennifer's recent projects also include a music video for the song Pretty Girls, which was created by ZenFilm. The video will be released in early December, 2008 - just in time for Jennifer's birthday on the 8th!
With a new album in the works, a music video anticipated to make her career, a slew of upcoming concerts and tours, and new songs popping into her head on a weekly basis, Jennifer is excited that her music career is on the verge of becoming something truly amazing. "I've worked so hard for the last six years to develop my song writing style and hone my performance abilities. I feel like this is my time. So many doors are opening for me, before I even knock. People often say, 'You get so much done! You must never sleep!' In reality, I am very blessed to have wonderful friends and fans who make so many opportunities available for me. My career has indeed picked up momentum. In fact, at this point, I'm just hanging on for dear life! Big things are happening very quickly, and I can't wait to see what the next couple years hold."
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- Name:
- Jennifer Grassman
- Joined:
- January 2009
- I am:
- Female and Taken












