Jennifer McMahon
Waltons New School of Music Faculty
Voice (Gospel & Soul, Jazz, Popular) • Introducing Singing for Adults • Jazz Vocal Workshop • Outreach Programme • Music at Work Programme
Jennifer’s love for music began at an early age, learning music theory via recorder at the age of seven. Her curiosity would bring her to lessons in piano and guitar before committing to voice as her principal instrument in her teens. She went on to receive a BA in Jazz Performance from Newpark Music Centre and an MA in Contemporary Performance (Production Concentration) from Berklee College of Music, where she studied alongside such notable jazz musicians as Olga Roman (voice), Perico Sambeat (sax) and Javier Vercher (sax), to name a few. She was recently featured by the college for her work as founder of the non-profit organisation, Irish Women in Jazz. Jennifer currently works as both a vocalist and composer, and she has a keen interest in storytelling through music. She began writing songs in her teens, eventually releasing her first self-produced album in 2019 and her sophomore EP in 2024. Supported by the Improvised Music Company and the European Cultural Fund, Jennifer has recently been working on projects on the theme of nature and narratives around women through time. With a passion for learning, she is currently studying Scoring for Film, TV and Video Games and continues to perform regularly both in her own projects and in various ensembles. Jennifer’s passion for jazz began when she took the New School’s Jazz Vocal Workshop with the renowned vocalists and teachers Lauren Kinsella and Jenna Harris, and she is delighted to be teaching the course that inspired her. ‘Teaching is a mutual experience – an opportunity for me to share my knowledge of music and the voice while also learning about each student. I meet students wherever they are, and together we design the next steps. I feel that that journey of working with the voice and developing it as an expressive instrument is a deeply personal one, and a good teacher will facilitate and nurture students along their chosen paths.’
a comprehensive music centre in the heart of Dublin.