Jenny Barnes

Jenny Barnes is a vocalist, performer, English language teacher and playground worker in Melbourne. Jenny achieved a Masters Degree in Applied Linguistics and a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance. Play instinct took Jenny into a practice of extricating vocal sounds from linguistic meaning. She examines and mimics youtube recordings of mammals, domestic pets and birds to achieve an extensive and diverse vocal capacity. Jenny then studies the rhythmic cadences and pitch modulations of languages and applies her findings to improvisatory contexts.

Jennyʼs work has featured alongside that of Meredith Monk (USA), Jaap Blonk (Netherlands), Fatima Miranda (Spain) and Amanda Stewart (Australia). Jenny features on a recent ASTRA release on New World Records and in 2017 was commissioned to compose two pieces for ASTRA. She performed with the Australian Art Orchestra’s ‘Ecstatic Voice’ at the 2017 OzAsia Festival and is about to embark on Dybbuks, a new work from Chamber Made Opera, conceived and directed by Samara Hersch, that evokes the many ways that the dead inhabit female bodies through language, voice, memory and desire.

Jenny continuously strives to exercise her body, voice and presence in each context she places herself. Her social, economic and geographical freedom of movement is extraordinarily precious and something she holds deep gratitude for. It offers Jenny a sense of safety to playfully explore borders, boundaries and frameworks in a wide variety of contexts. Jenny is a devoted listener who offers a rigorous output of energy with deep sincerity, kindness and respect.