Question and Answer Audio:
Book Review:
Inez Biography:
Inez Jasper is an award winning Pop artist with powerhouse talent and universal appeal. As one of Canada’s top Aboriginal musicians, her blending of traditional native sounds with a love for contemporary Pop music brings the best of her culture to the mainstream world.
When Inez Jasper lets loose on stage you can’t help but see she has the pipes, the moves and the drive to become a genuine superstar. It’s a dream of hers, she says, one she hopes to make a reality with her new album, “Burn Me Down”, set for release in August 2013.
The 2009 release of her first solo album, “Singsoulgirl” garnered a lot of attention, notably taking home four Aboriginal People’s Choice Awards for Best Album Cover, Best New Artist, Best Pop Album, and Single of the Year. Later the album was also nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award and a Juno. Inez has performed for the live broadcast of the 2009 & 2010 Aboriginal People’s Choice awards, 2010 & 2012 Aboriginal Day Live! , and 2012 Indspire Awards. She has been featured on CBC Radio, Winnipeg’s “Streetz FM” and has hosted the television show, “First Tracks” on APTN for 3 consecutive years.
But though you may be tempted at first listen to attach the prefix ‘Pop star’ to Jasper’s name and call it a day but there’s far more to her than that. She’s also a registered nurse, mother of 2 and a nationally recognized role model; as dedicated to realizing her own dreams as she is to inspiring others to reach for theirs. An artist whose ability to interpret the music she sings through the lens of her own life and experience is compelling in an industry filled with manufactured pop stars.
Despite all the attention, she maintains an endearing humility and commitment to inspiring youth. Inez travels extensively to urban centers and indigenous communities to share inspirational messages of higher learning and healthy living. “I love to connect with my fans and share my story with them. My favorite workshops are Healthy Sexuality and Health Careers but that’s just because I’m a nurse!”
Inez Jasper is coming to a community near you by airwaves, stage and speakers. Are you ready?
Links:
Skowkale First Nation, Chilliwack
Listen to Inez’s music here
10 thoughts on “Different Is Good by Inez Jasper”
Inez,
It was an absolute pleasure to listen to you share your story, “Different Is Good.” I particularly liked the way you introduced yourself using your traditional language in the beginning of the story. I used to work in the Chehalis pre-school and so I remember some words in Halq’eméylem – such as spá:th.
I really appreciated the way you paced your story. It’s obvious that you are a master storyteller, and you have told many stories in your life. You slow down your rate of speech and soften your voice when sharing meaningful moments, and speed up your voice when you are excited. These are some of the skills we are teaching our students when they share their stories.
One of the most meaningful parts of your story for me was when you talked about the value of money. You explained that your father once told you that you may not be rich in money but you were rich in family, culture, and friends. This resonates with me because I will be starting my own family very soon and I think it’s an important way to raise children. Sadly, our society place a huge, misguided, importance on the accruement of wealth, but our true wealth lies in the relationships we have with others.
I don’t think I embrace ‘different’ with the quite the same kind of enthusiasm as you do, but I certainly think life would be incredibly boring if we were too similar. Thanks for sharing your time and your story, and above all thank you for helping to educate the next generation. I look forward to hearing your music cycling through the playlist of the major radio stations nationwide.
Regards
Mr. Lister
Christopher Lister
Inez:
The story “Different is good.” was very interesting to me.
My favorite part of the story is the part about your middle school experience. I found the part about using your whole budget on a pair of shoes funny.
I thought it was interesting how you mixed jokes into your story. One of the jokes I liked was the one about freezing yourself at the bus stop.
I made a connection to how you said culture is important. My heritage is European mostly German, my dad lived in Germany for a short time in his childhood.
I won’t forget your story or the lessons in it.
Avita Zein
Jason
I think it was cool that you grew up in Chilliwack and that we went to the same school.
I have a connection that you want to visit Europe well my mom’s family back ground there so I visit there every few years.
I thought it was also cool I actually met a famous singer.
My wrap up sentence is that thank you for visiting us and have a good career being a singer.
-Joel
Joel
Inez,
Your story was pleasant, thank you. My favourite part of your living book Diffrent is good it would have to be the part when you said you were freezing at the bus stop, but you had your awesome shoes. I found it fairly funny.
A connection I have to your living story is that your mother is from back east and my grandmother is from back east. My grandmother my two uncles my mom and my grandfather lived in many parts of Canada.
Another connection I wanted to say was how I know how it feels to be new because I moved to Chilliwack from surrey when I was one and a half years old. Then, I switched schools when I was five years old so I know the feel of being new especially at a young age.
Something I took from your story Different is good, but at times it’s not.
Inez, thank you for sharing good-bye.
Nigel.
nigel:D
Hi Inez I’m glad my class got the honour to listen to you I loved your story thanks for telling it. One my favourite parts was a silly one, when your parents gave you $50 and you were supposed to buy a new pair shoes other stuff, but instead you bought a new pair shoes I thought it was funny that you bought just shoes and not the other things. My connection is that I had to go to ESL to I could speak English, but not very well. I hated leaving the class as well. One thing that happened recently is that my dad gave me and my sister $100 and she was supposed to purchase it, but she bought one sweater. My dad was furious, but was ecstatic I liked when you were talking about your grandma and she said there were different types of different. Thank you for telling your story bye.
Connor
Inez your story was great. Inez is from the skowkale band. The skowkale band is a first nations band. My connection is that I am from a first nations band. Im from the sqwa band in the United States of America. Inez said she went to sardis elementary school. My cousin Jherzey lynn goes to sardis elementary school she is in grade one. I wont forget what Inez said about if your not rich in money than your rich in family culture and friends. by:Mikaila.H
Mikaila.H
Inez, Inez Jasper’s story
I loved your story you told us, Thank you for telling us. My favourite part of the story was when Inez was learning stuff from Inez’s family. Inez was learning about singing and the way her family sings.
My connection is when Inez was talking and asking if our class heard about Steven Point. When Inez was talking about Steven Point, I was thinking about my great uncle and my great uncle’s name was Steven Point.
My second connection is that when Inez said, “When I was young, I went to this school Chilliwack Landing Preschool.” I went to Chilliwack Landing Preschool when I was young.
I felt really touched when Inez Inez was talking about her family.
Sarah J
Inez Jasper’s story, Different is Good, was really inspiring. My favorite part of the living book is when Inez said,”Different is good, but not always.” Different is not so good when you really do not know a langauge that people are speaking and you cannot communicate with others. My connection is that when Inez said she went to Little Mountain School, one of my teachers teach there now. My pre-school teacher moved to Little Mountain School when I was in grade 2 ,I think. My other favorite part was when Inez said that her grandmother said that they may not be rich in money, but there rich in family and culture. I learned that being different is good when you do it in a good way.
Zsuzsanna
What I thought about Inez jaspers story. One thing I liked about your living library is the examples about different is good and sometimes bad. Another thing I liked about your story is that you want to be different from everyone else than being the same ,but everyone is different in their own way. One other thing I liked about your living book is when you said your dad told you when you were little that you may not be rich in money ,but your rich in family and cultur. I learned being different is not bad at all.
Ericka
Inez
Inez told us about here story about being different. Inez liked being different in most parts of elementary school and most of middle school to and high school to. When Inez told us about the new girl in her class that had to go to ESL because she did not speak Inglish that reminded me of the time when I was in grade 2 and I had to go to something similar to ESL. Inez is from the Skawkale first Nation. Inez grow up on the Skawkale Rezerv. One thing I will not forget about Inezs story is her strong voice and her exspresion
Jamie
jamie