A Prayer of Faith

Naiah: Jenny, it’s so neat to have this chance to find out more about you, your life, and your music. Thanks for taking the time to correspond. I have absolutely fallen in love with your album, and I know that there are a lot of sisters out there who will love it, too. At Time Out for Women (TOFW), I was so relieved to hear that your voice is just as great in person as it is on the album. In this day and age of hyper-produced albums and studio tricks, it’s downright refreshing to see someone of true, profound natural talent releasing music.

You’ve been recording since you were 17; your voice has been on over 100 albums at this point. How did you decide that this point in your life–married with three children and one on the way as you went into the studio–was the time to come into your own professionally and record for yourself?

JJF: People ask me that all the time. I have been asked ‘where’s the album’ for at least the last 10 years! In all honesty, I just never felt that it was ‘my time.’ I have had some incredible musical opportunities in and out of the studio the last 10 years that I think really prepared me to break out and do my own thing. I never could have written and produced it without those experiences. I also feel that I am at my best right now. I listen to things I recorded even five years ago and I feel my voice and writing have come a long way since then. I’m also a perfectionist! I dragged my feet on doing an album thinking that I could never live up to everyone’s expectations and even my own expectations - that it would never be good enough. As I started writing and recording for this album - it was so much easier than I thought it would be. The songs came pretty easily. And even though I was in my third trimester recording the vocals, it was a lot of fun and not as scary as I though it would be. I’ve had to let the perfectionist thing go just a little bit!

Naiah: As you touch on in your song “Slow Down,” life can really pull us along if we let it. I had a look at your website (jennyjordanfrogley.com), and it looks like you’re booked right up with gigs–everything from private events to that spectacular-sounding Carnival Cruise. I know you’ve also been touring with TOFW. Clearly, the new album has you hopping around a lot. Given your roles as mother, singer, and producer, how do you keep everything in balance?

JJF: The wonderful thing about music is that is can be pretty flexible, especially studio sessions. I try to schedule them ‘in the cracks’ of my family life. If I’m working on an album (whether for myself, or producing someone else), I’ll keep it in the evenings when my husband is home, or when the kids are in school. There is a lot of things that I can accomplish at home. Songwriting and working out arrangements can all be done at home, which really helps.

When it comes to live performing, I bring my kids along as much as I possibly can. There are some times when I can’t, but most of time, it’s possible–and they love to come along. They look forward to ‘when mommy has a concert.’ I try to make those things as fun for them as I possibly can. Ice cream on the way home….

I couldn’t do what I do without the support of an incredible and incredibly cute husband. Scott is so supportive and does whatever he can to accommodate my schedule. I’ll never book myself out more than my family can handle. They are my first priority - and I love being home with them more than anywhere else. Four kids under age 9 is a total blast!! I firmly believe that when I keep my priorities in place, I am blessed. I know Heavenly Father knows my desires and I have been so fortunate to have been given so many great opportunities!

Naiah: Forgive me for being tabloidish, but on the subject of roles, I’m dying to know: With everything else going on in your life, what calling have you accepted in your home ward?

JJF: I team teach the 8- to 9-year-olds in Primary with my husband, Scott. We love it! I feel being a Primary teacher is the best calling in the church. I also accompany for the ward choir and the Senior Primary singing time, and have been the Senior Primary chorister for about the last 6 months, subbing for the regular chorister who was ‘on maternity leave.’

Naiah: I see that your album is officially referred to as ‘inspirational pop.’ It’s really something of a new sound, a new voice for LDS music. I noticed on DeseretBook.com that two or three listeners had rated your album poorly–based on their feelings about the inspirational pop genre in general, and not on the album itself. It’s clearly been a bold, if not downright risky move for you to pursue such a sound. As thankful as I am that you took the risk, I have to ask what prompted you to ‘break the mold’ as far as LDS music goes?

JJF: Great question! My goal with the album was to offer something that was fun, positive, uplifting and a little different. I wanted it to reach the youth, the kids, and be something that the whole family could enjoy together. I love pop/rock music and really wanted to be one of the first LDS artists to offer this sound, with encouraging and happy lyrics. I think we get so serious sometimes and forget that life is supposed to be joyful and happy. This is one of the qualities that I love so much about President Hinckley. He is always encouraging us to be positive. I wanted to create music that was inspirational, but also upbeat and just fun–music you can dance to, clean the house to, and celebrate the great values we live and the faith that we believe in. I also really wanted this album to reach outside of our own church and be something that people of other faiths could embrace as well. I have had some great opportunities to sing this material at interfaith events and have so enjoyed sowing seeds of friendships with our brothers and sisters of other faiths.

Naiah: With this new sound, you’re really pioneering a new paradigm of the role model for young women. In American culture at large, pop divas (of which you most certainly are one!) are almost revered. They are mimmicked in dress and style–which all too often leads to immodesty and other inappropriate influences. Here you are, though—a pop diva with values.

JJF: Pop diva!! You should see me clean the bathrooms! Actually - as this ‘pop diva’ is sitting here at my computer, I just laugh at myself. I’m holding onto a wiggly one-year-old trying to type as my three-year-old daughter is behind me brushing my hair. There are three keys on the keypad that are sticky because my five-year-old spilled root beer on in it yesterday. Never a dull moment as a mom!! I love it!

Naiah: How do you hope to impact the lives of your younger listeners?

JJF: The role-modeling out there for the young women is just plain scary!!! I don’t know if I ever planned on being a role-model for young women - but… the young women I get to meet everywhere I go are so incredible, and if anything, I just want them to know that striving for ‘righteous’ things is cool!! Being married in the temple is amazing and being a mother is the best thing in the world!! These things are the way to true joy and happiness. The world tells them so differently!! I hope to reach them through my music by offering the same sounds they are hearing on mainstream radio.

Naiah: As I’m sure you know, it’s not just younger people who are influenced by your music. While everyone’s experience of the album will be unique, please tell us what you hope it will speak to listeners of all ages.

JJF: I really set out to make an album that the whole family could listen to together. I hope that this album gives the listener a lift, a smile, encouragement to get through the day with a optimism. I hope listeners will be inspired to make the most of their lives, their relationships, and their beliefs.

Naiah: Over time, listening to the album, I noticed that there are several tracks that really do play off better both individually and within the context of the album as a whole. I had a look in the liner notes, and it turns out that those tracks are the ones that you either wrote yourself, or co-wrote. Can you share with us why you chose not to author the whole album?

JJF:While I love writing songs, I also love other people’s songs! My goal was to record great songs - no matter who wrote them. I wanted to do an updated hymn for sure. I love the hymns! “I Need Thee Every Hour” is one of my very favorites. I’m a huge ‘Earth, Wind and Fire’ fan and love the song “Shining Star”. I think that is such a great song! I tried to give it my own personal spin. There are a couple more that I found from some great writers in Nashville, and really wanted to record. The song “Never” is such a beautiful song and I believe so strongly in the lyrics.

Naiah: Yours is a total “follow your dream” story. What would you say to others around you who have dreams of their own?

JJF: I meet people all the time who have dreams of pursuing music. This is a worthy goal! I want to stress that it’s important to follow your dreams.

Create the vision for yourself, and give it all the energy and emotion and work that you can give it. The world needs good music. Shooting for the stars is awesome, but don’t forget that your ward and stake and neighbors, friends, family - they will benefit from your music, too. My big soapbox is: prepare, be good, do your very best. I hear demos all the time that are so poorly done! Hearing children play or cry in the background is not good (although sometimes reality, I know). Work hard and produce something that you can be very proud of. If you don’t know where to go or how to accomplish your goals, do a little research. Ask questions, call studios in your hometown and they can direct you to writers and musicians and singers who can help you make your music. Best of luck to all you music-makers out there! We need you! (But don’t forget to get supper on the table!!)

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 21st, 2006 at 9:27 am and is filed under All Good Books. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.