Dream! You'll have to try harder, and find different ways to accomplish things, but never give up!

PennyBJ: Artist Bio

Since age 8, I've played piano
My soprano vocal ranges over 3 octaves.
1998, Taught music in the Music for Young Children Program for 20 years. Presently I teach a few students privately.
All my life, I've felt driven to learn and develop as a musician, so adding guitar and fiddle playing to my daily devotion and concert repetoire

1998, registered with the CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind), "legally blind", due to degenerative process of retinitis pigmentosa.
2006, released CD "Soulmates Forever" Producer, brother, Jason Buhr from Wpg, MB.
2006, changed career, focusing on concerts, performing soloist on keyboard. performing originals and favourite covers like "Those Were the Days My Friend", "Comes Love", "Feels Like Home to Me", "The Unicorn Song", "Be Thou My Vision", and more...

2006 - 08: Mexico! A few trips to the Baja, began my serendipitous music journey. "V ision" CD was released, Producers, Milton P. Sanders & Stefen M. West, La Paz, , Baja Sur, Mx. I was privileged to open for Eddie Woolsey Band, (well-known praise and worship band thru Mexico Mainland), at La Paz, El Centro Ciaudad Theatro, to sold-out audience of 1,500

2007, discovered CGMA (Country Gospel Music Association), received many awards since:
Canadian Silver Heart Awards for Songwriting, Instrumentalist, Female Vocalist, Children's Ministry, Female Entertainer, Bilingual, Favoutie Artist of the Year
International gold Heart Awards for Bilingual Artist, Instrumentalist, Female Favourite Artist of the Year
2011, released "Growing Deeper" CD, recorded in Branson, MO, USA, Producer, Billy Hale, CGMA President
2010, started a community children's choir: "JIREH KIDS CHOIR". We sing to fund raise for the Jireh Orphanage Cause (please my "Jireh" page for more info)in Kenya, AFRICA.
2011 CD released by the JIREH KIDS CHOIR "We'll Be His Symphony" Producer, Eric LaFrance
2011, GMAC (Gospel Music Association of Canada) Nominee for Children's Song of the Year, "He Knows Your Name"
2011, Top 10 Finalist in CNIB iFactor Star Search Mega Fund Raiser, in Muskoka, ON
2012, continue to write and record. Christmas Album in progress! To be released Christmas of 2012
2012, Top 10 Finalist in Golden West radio "Star Seeker Project".

Before I could walk or talk, my mother says I was singing on pitch. At 8 years old I started piano lessons. In church and school, I was involved in every musical thing possible, singing, playing piano or violin. From age 12, I was accompanying and performing regularly. Music has always been my passion. I can't get enough of it! I love all styles of music. It gives me great joy to see my children and my music students catch the passion for it too. I thank God for the amazing gift of music.

LOVE + MUSIC = LIFE

Her music has been said to have movie theme quality, including ballads, blues, soft jazz, and traditional sounds. She grew up in a loving Christian home where music was always enjoyed. Penny loved to sing in school choirs, playing and singing frequently in church and fundraisers. After an 8 year career in nursing, Penny became certified to teach the Music for Young Children program, so that she could be a stay-at-home, very busy mom of 6 children. After a very fulfilling 19 years of teaching young and advanced students, received "Teacher of the Year" Award 2004, from the S. Okanagan & District Arts Council. But, a visual handicap was taking its toll. It was becoming increasingly difficult to teach. Now legally blind, due to retinitis pigmentosa, a gradual vision loss genetic disorder, Penny and her family seriously considered a change of pace. June 2007, they moved from the S. Okanagan of BC, to the prairies of SE Saskatchewan. The timing was perfect to bring out the dream of performing her own music, which had taken a quiet back seat in her life.

"If life is a road, then...

It was a 2005 spring trip to Mexico that brought this dream to the forefront. While visiting La Paz, Baja, California, she volunteered to help with a fundraiser concert for a senior's home. She arrived at the venue, expecting to share the stage with several local artists, only to find that not only was she to be the only performer, but that the university had purchased a beautiful brand new Yamaha grand piano for the event!

... music is the scenery!"--Steve McPhee, my son's drumming teacher

This music teacher was treated like a celebrity and returned to Canada motivated to make a CD. She had written songs while teaching and preparing lessons for her students. The CD, entitled "Soulmates Forever", released December 1, 2006. It was recorded by her encouraging brother Jason Buhr, of Winnipeg, MB, in his home studio. The magic feeling of the Mexico experience inspired Penny to make the effort to begin learning Spanish, with a new motive to sing and write in this beautiful language of love.

Penny discovers Mexico

February, 2007, Penny and her husband returned to La Paz, Baja. They left a CD as a thankyou gift for their Casa Buena B & B hosts, Milton and SuSu Sanders. Immediately she was offered an opportunity to perform for a local church group. This began the chain of events that lead up to Penny becoming the warm up artist for Eddie Woolsey's concert, a very popular praise band in Mexico. The event took place at a sold out concert hall with 1,500 guests in attendance.

Mexico discovers Penny

Unknown to "Penny, a Canadian Recording/Mastering artist, was in the audience. When he heard Penny, he offered her an opportunity to work with him on a project to make a professional-quality CD. Grateful to God for blessing her with opportunities and wonderful new friends, she is especially appreciative of the genius work of Stephen M. West. Projected release TBA mid 2012!

The Serendipitous Journey Continues

The rural folk of Saskatchewan towns, Wawota, Moosomin and Carlyle, were wonderfully responsive to Penny's concert series over the winter of 2008. It was a Sunday in late may, when Randy King, a CGMA award winner, came as a guest singer to the Wawota Methodist Church. After a time of chatting, Randy invited Penny to the CGMA Convention taking place in Saskatoon the following week. She made it, and made many new artist friends as well. At the end of the week, she was surprised with the award of 2008 Silver Heart Award: Female new Artist of the Year. that was the beignning of a loving network of artist friends who KNOW how to encourage and enjoy each other's music! Sine, then she's been awarded over and over, inspiring her to grow and develop as a person/friend/ambassador/musician..."a musicianary"...

The CNIB has been monumentally instrumental also. Being invited to enter the CNIB iFactor Star Search, found her in the Top 10 performers at the Mega Gala Fund Raiser for the CNIB in the Muskoka, ON. An amazing understanding and acceptance of each other and new ideas and inspiration in facing the challenge of blindness was faound there with insightful counsellors, in the beautiful setting of Camp Joe, Lake Joseph...one full week, all expneses paid, what a reward! Life long friendships established, Penny came back rejuvenated and re-inspired to keep on singing and playing.

The story continues, as Penny has begun working on new music and new recording for a Christmas album, Producer, Eric LaFrance of Jaw Bone Studios, in Moose Jaw, SK. This exciting album will be a collaboration with several other incredibly gifted artist friends, whom Penny has gotten to know over the years, thru the CGMA and the iFactor CNIB experience. Goal for release , fall of 2012!