Artist of the Week: Jenny Walker
Warwick Valley Middle School eighth-grader Jenny Walker has been singing her whole life.
“I have a very musical family,” said Jenny. “My dad’s a singer. Most of my siblings sing and do theater. So, I grew up around that. We’re just always singing.”
Music teacher and WVMS Ukulele Club advisor Shane Peters nominated Jenny for Artist of the Week honors for her dedication to her creativity and craft, her talents, and her willingness and ability to be a great communicator, imparting both her enthusiasm for and knowledge of music to younger performers.
“Jenny is immersed in music and always gives it her all,” said Mr. Peters. “She’s a leader in every group she’s part of, always reliable, and an incredibly hard worker whose skills are matched only by her daily displays of kindness.”
Jenny signed up for chorus in fifth grade. It was a testament to Jenny’s already awesome, go-for-it attitude, that she also decided to enroll in private vocal lessons that same year. Since then, she has participated in chorus every year, including as a member of the WVMS honors chorus. Jenny has also been in drama club at both Park Avenue and the middle school, and is active in both the Ukulele Club and the Guitar Club.
Outside of school, Jenny has been taking private piano lessons for three years. She is a member of the Broadway Collective at the Warwick Performing Arts Center, and she also performs with the Warwick Reformed Church (WRC) Theater Company.
“Technically, I’ve been acting since I was five, but I started doing real theater when I was nine, at the Reformed Church in town,” said Jenny. “It was a production of Willy Wonka, and I’ve been acting and all that stuff ever since.”
This holiday season, she is in the WRC’s cast of Elf the Musical, Jr. Last year, she played the titular lead in the Center for the Performing Arts’ production of Matilda the Musical. She was also in their productions of Curtains and Mean Girls. She’ll be involved with the center’s productions of The Nutcracker and Mary Poppins this year. Jenny was in the WVMS Drama Club performance of Newsies, and said she is really looking forward to their spring production of The Little Mermaid.
“And, I used to play viola,” she said. Even though she stopped playing viola to focus on singing and performance, Jenny never lost interest in stringed instruments. She joined the WVMS Ukulele Club last year.
“I really wanted to learn how to play ukulele because that’s like a big thing nowadays in a lot of songs,” Jenny said. “I have a lot of friends in the club, too, and I knew that Mr. Peters was in charge of the club, and he’s my favorite teacher!”
Jenny also joined Guitar Club last year as one of its lead singers, and has no plan to stop exploring and expanding her interests through co-curriculars! That goes for this year and next, at the high school.
“I’ve been doing drama clubs since fifth grade,” she said with a laugh, “but I guess I never really realized just how many clubs I could join – like, a lot! I’m definitely trying to do all the plays, all the musicals in high school, and just audition as much as I can. My sister did Drama Club in high school and it just always looked like so much!”
Good luck with this year’s productions, Jenny! We look forward to the many great performances you are sure to give us.
Remember, patrons of the arts…
Elf the Musical, Jr. at the WRC Theater Company this winter, The Nutcracker and Mary Poppins (spring `24) at the Warwick Center for the Performing Arts, and, of course, the WVMS production of The Little Mermaid, coming this spring.
