Hi there!

I am a songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist from Perth, Australia. I lead an original trio, sing and play with a range of bands, teach music and conduct vocal ensembles.

Then

Music has been part of my life for as long as I remember. Growing up, my parents filled our home with folk and classical music, and I started playing piano at a young age – that’s me above playing alongside my younger sister on clarinet.

I picked up double bass in primary school, later moved into bass guitar and contemporary ensembles, and picked up guitar while studying teaching at university. I discovered while performing in a successful duo, when I began playing it for an album we were recording. It soon became another love.

Since then, music has taken me touring around Australia and Europe several times. I often travelled with my electric cello – partly because I loved playing it, and partly because the case was big enough to fit my clothes, so I didn’t need a suitcase!

I have always written songs and loved poetry. My mum was a talented wordsmith who published several beautiful books of poetry, so perhaps it runs in the family!

My songs explore a wide range of topics, often with a social justice perspective – from Western Australian history and figures like Moondyne Joe and Yagan to the surprisingly inspiring world of healthy vegetables. My song ‘Warrior‘, about Yagan, has been performed by many thousands of children, including at the OneBigVoice Festival, and ‘Time’ was nominated for a WAMI Award in 2018.

Now

I perform my own songs, often alongside Ashley Wheeler on double bass and Emily Beard on violin, as the Jenny Gaunt Trio.

I am also the lead singer of Junkadelic Brass Band, and recently had the honour of performing in Dr Richard Walley’s Six Seasons concert.

When I am not teaching music at a primary school, I teach and conduct as part of the Studio Choir Program team.