Jen hails from Northern Michigan, where jacked-up Ford trucks and loud AC/DC are still society’s mainstays. Born into a fertile maelstrom of family musicianship, she cut her teeth on everything from Beethoven to Bluegrass, teaching herself piano, flute and guitar at an early age. She was raised on folk music, dragged from one music festival to another, routinely awakened at 7:00 a.m. by her dad’s morning fiddle-playing.

Inspired by the Brit-folk likes of Nick Drake, Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson, Jen began writing her own music in college.She began performing in East Lansing, Michigan, and soon became student president of The Ten Pound Fiddle, a non-profit music booking organization of 20 years’ running, among the premier folk clubs in the U.S. She played in numerous venues and festivals, honing the craft and rubbing elbows with hardcore touring folk performers.

Jen moved to Oregon in 1994, and released an independently produced album entitled “Losing My Skin.” After working hard at promotion for 9 years, she has carved out a self-sustaining musical life, balancing music instruction with concert promotion, wedding music, club gigs and kids’ concerts with her sister Wendy. She’s a sought-after collaborator in both live and studio settings, and shares a rich musical community with such wonderful friends as Lara Michell, McKinley, Nicole Campbell, Pete Krebs, Little Sue, Sattie Clark and many others.

Jen is an avid concert organizer and promoter. Among her most notorious exploits is the long-running “Night of the Murder Ballad,” an annual event featuring a bevy of local artists singing exclusively death ballads in honor of Halloween. She founded and manages The Ariel Consort, a hardworking wedding music ensemble, and keep busy in the summer doing kids’ music concerts with her sister Wendy Bernard. Jen also plays in Carmina Luna, a haunting gothic chamber folk group and spin-off from the rock group Carmina Piranha. Her latest project, The Stolen Sweets, revives early vocal jazz traditions and features many remarkable Portland talents. It’s sure to hold you spellbound!

Buy Jen's CD Losing My Skin from CDBaby.com.

ariel consort | jen & wendy | jen bernard | audio | contact

Jen Bernard: 503)231-1423 | info@lazybullmusic.com

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