Jennifer Birmingham_January 2014

While many people say their life has always involved music, Jennifer takes it a step further. Hers was built of not only performing, but sharing music with the previous generation. Her mother was an opera singer and is a music teacher who also taught piano and gave voice lessons. Her father is a high school band director, music consultant, professional trombone player and music arranger. She spent summers first listening to and then joining in evenings of song with her great grandfather, a fiddler/violinist, and her great grandmother, a pianist, and an uncle who plays every instrument.

Jennifer acknowledges that “Naturally as a child I was in choir and band. As I grew older my interests turned to sports. I wish now, more than ever, that I would have capitalized on the teachings of my parents. Music put food on the table, so I guess I missed its other values, as well.”

After moving to the New Braunfels area Jennifer found her place in the musical family tree. According to Jennifer, “That’s where I fell in love with music.” While in New Braunfels she engulfed herself in the budding musical scene. Alan Voight gave her a chance to sing and write songs. He gave her a guitar and showed her the chords to Bob Dylan’s “She Belongs to Me” and said if she learned it in a week she could keep the guitar. A couple of days later she played and sang that song along with one she had written. From then on she played every singer/songwriter night she could, and was a part of many late night song swaps with those who are in what is now “The” Texas Music Scene.

Jennifer also befriended, wrote and had music published with legendary songwriter Clay Blaker. Clay has penned hits for such artists as George Strait, Barbara Streisand and Tim McGraw, to name a few. Per Jennifer, “He was a great mentor. He believed in my writing. Clay gave me the confidence that I was as good and belonged just as much as everyone else.”

Jennifer left New Braunfels after receiving a music scholarship to The Victoria College. While in Victoria she started writing with Jarrod Birmingham. While her song catalogue continues to grow, so does the number of people who push her to perform.

Jennifer Martinez Birmingham Reverbnation