Frequently Asked Questions

  • Jennifer uses a custom designed and built kit by WFL III Drums. She absolutely LOVES her drum kit. The paint job is a custom one-of-a-kind pink bursting from blue color scheme, so there’s nothing else like it in the world.

    Jenn uses and endorses Soultone Cymbals. She uses the Classic 1964 series because she says the cymbal tones are the closest to what she had with her first drum set many, many moons ago. When she had the custom kit built, she wanted the “perfect sound” for her cymbals, and Soultone really delivered.

    She plays Pro-Mark Kashi Oak 747 sticks…better known as the Neil Peart signature series. Yes, she originally bought a pair because it was the kind Neil was using, but she found she really liked the overall balance and weight of the sticks. Now that Neil’s gone and her supply is starting to get thin, she is looking for an alternative…

    She loves Drum Bones to help control the sound of her drums.

  • If you ask her, Jennifer will immediately proclaim herself a Neil Peart disciple. Ask her cat Neil, and you will likely get scratched, which is Neil’s way of saying one’s cat should not be named after Canadian drummers.

    Jenn has a wide cross-section of drummers who have impacted her in some way. Thanks to a junior high school band director who insisted she only listen to jazz for her lessons in sixth grade, she has a love of drummers like Buddy Rich, Max Roach, Gene Krupa and Art Blakey.

    She says her Mount Rushmore of Drummers has Neil along with John Bonham and Buddy Rich and then the fourth member keeps changing depending on the day. It could be Jeff Porcaro, Stewart Copeland, Steven Perkins, Roxy Petrucci, Steve Gadd, Ginger Baker, Nick Mason, Mike Portnoy…she just loves the craft of drumming and those dedicated to it.

    She is also being influenced by some of the great drummers she’s come to know in Nashville like Sofia Goodman, Lauren Horbal and Ethan Harb. She believes she can always learn more by watching her fellow “stick slingers.”

  • Jenn went through some real trials in the first half of this decade, losing her family within a span of 15 months. The loss of her parents basically spun her out in the worst way, and it took quite a while for her to get back on her feet.

    In the last face-to-face conversation with her mother, which they both thought would be their last conversation entirely, they had the kind of discussion you have when you think it’s the last time you will speak to someone you love more than anything in the world. Her mother gave her three things she wanted Jenn to do in her life. One had to do with finding a woman who would love her, because she said Jenn “never really had someone in your life who truly loved you.” The second had to do with Jenn’s kids. The third and final one was a heavy one: “You have had to fight to survive your whole life. I want you to find a way to go from surviving the years you have left to living the years you have left.”

    While Jenn knows she really can’t do anything about the first request (it’s not like you can make someone fall in love with you) and the second request was never really a question (Jenn would do anything for her kids), the third request became a real flashpoint for Jenn’s life. Finally, one day while in counseling, her counselor threw down her clipboard and said “You know what, fuck this.” She then smiled and said “let’s clear the table off. Don’t think about money, don’t think about a job. Right now, in this moment, what does fulfilling your mom’s last request look like?”

    Jenn didn’t hesistate.

    “I’d come out and live as who I’ve always been and I would find a way to play drums professionally.”

    The counselor’s response? “Then let’s find a way to do that.”

    And the wheels went in motion for Jenn to move to Nashville in February 2026. She’s been working as hard as she can since then to get her career off the ground. It’s been very slow going and much harder than even Jenn’s worse case scenario, but this is who she was created to be. Now she’s just hoping to find the people who will give her a chance to show her skills and how hard she will work because she knows every single opportunity to play is a blessing.

  • Oh, no. She was born and raised in Pennsylvania and is a die-hard Philadelphia-lovin’ girl. If you want to hear an impressive streak of profanity, just hang out around Jenn during an Phillies, Eagles, Flyers or Sixers game. Life took her to many different places, including time living in New Mexico, Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri, Arkansas, Florida, and Tennessee. (Usually multiple cities within those states.) Alongside of her beloved Philly, she considers Nashville her favorite place to live.

  • She has what was once called Asperger’s syndrome. (Jenn still says that’s what she has.) The condition was made part of the list of Autism Spectrum Disorders in the last revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. And before skeptics jump in the mix, Jenn is actually medically diagnosed with her condition.

    She finds ways to turn her condition into her advantage, and she believes her condition has made her more compassionate and empathetic than she would have been without it.

    Many people do not know a part of Asperger’s is trouble with social situations, such as reading social cues, and it can be very tiring for her. That’s why she loves the drums so much…she can hang back and load her gear right after the show. (It’s not that she doesn’t like meeting new people, it’s just hard for her sometimes.)

    And she’s also very honest because of her condition. We advise not asking Jenn a question unless you REALLY want the answer because she will answer you.

  • First and foremost, if you are really thinking of harming yourself, find professional help and do it now. There is zero shame in saying you can’t do this alone anymore and you need help. Call 988 and someone will help you find someone who can be there in person to help you.

    Depression and related issues have plagued Jenn her entire life. When she grew up, Asperger’s and autism wasn’t really as understood as it is today, and she spent much of her youth an outcast from her peer group. She channeled a lot of that pain into practicing her drums, which drew her some of the few accolades while growing up, and just magnified her passion for drums.

    So in a way, it’s kind of appropriate the thing that stopped her from killing herself when she was 18 was her drum set and the music of Rush. (You can read the story of that night by clicking here.) Music and drums have always been balms for Jenn in times of struggle.

    Over the years, Jenn has been counseled by many mental health professionals, and while she is significantly better at managing her mental health, she still has challenges. So while she has some suggestions, she wants to emphasize mental health is not a one-size-fits-all solution, so these may not work for you.

    1. DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP. Just like you’d ask a doctor to help if you broke your leg, there’s no shame in asking for help because your brain isn’t working right. Yes, there are ignorant assholes out there who will try to shame you or mock you for seeking help. Those people don’t care at all about you. Ignore them. You know if you need help, and if you think you do, you do. Reach out to a trusted friend or clergy member or local mental health non-profit to help you find a counselor. (I’d say search the internet, but blind internet recommendations can’t always be trusted.)

    2. DON’T BE AFRAID TO CHANGE COUNSELORS. There have been several times where Jenn would see a counselor three or four times and realize the connection just wasn’t good. If you’re with a counselor and it just doesn’t seem to be a good fit, if you feel you can’t really trust them and be open with them, there’s no shame in finding another counselor. HOWEVER…the third recommendation ties into the second…

    3. DON’T CHANGE COUNSELORS BECAUSE THEY CHALLENGE YOU ON THE HARD THINGS. A good counselor will take the things you don’t want to talk about and don’t want to work on…but you NEED to work on them…and find a way to help. It will be hard work sometimes, it’ll be painful and it will take effort. That doesn’t mean you go to another counselor who doesn’t challenge you at all. If you feel you can trust that counselor, stay. The best counselors I had have been the ones who would look at me and tell me to “cut the shit” when they knew I was avoiding something. Yes, it would make me mad in the moment, but it was necessary to make me break down the walls I had put up to protect myself.

    4. YOU DON’T HAVE TO TELL ANYONE ELSE ABOUT YOUR COUNSELING. Just because someone asks you about it doesn’t obligate you to disclose what you talk about with your counselor. Just say “it’s going well” or “it’s really helping.” Beware the person who pushes for details.

    5. IF YOU FIND SOMETHING THAT WORKS, STICK WITH IT. If you make traction with a counselor, stay with them. If you have an activity or action that helps stop a downward spiral, keep doing it even if you’ve done it for years. Jenn has a list of “Jenn’s Countermeasures” she and a counselor developed for when she starts to feel a downward spiral. She works down the list and stops when one of the things stops the slide. How effective has it been for her? It’s only failed twice to where she needed additional help…after the death of her mom and the death of her dad.

    The most important one, though, it still the first one. Don’t be afraid to say “I’m struggling, I don’t know what to do, can you help me?”

  • First and foremost, when she can have time with her kids, she takes it. Oh, why do they have to grow up and do things like go to college?

    She’s a bit of a renaissance woman. She has a background in journalism and broadcasting, but she also enjoys photography, writing and has even done professional improv comedy. She’s a bit of a foodie, and is a mad fan girl of celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan. If you ask her where you should go for dinner, I hope you like Indian, because you’re headed to Chauhan Ale and Masala House.

    She doesn’t watch much TV, but she loves a good British sitcom or a production of Shakespeare. If she hears of a production of SIX anywhere near her, you can bet she’ll find a way to go see it.

    She is a passionate collector of vinyl records with over 850 in her collection.

    She also really loves to have good, intelligent, deep conversations about topics of substance from classic novels and movies to the human condition to people who mistakenly think Neil Peart is not the greatest drummer to ever live.

  • This will actually be her list of 2-11 because Rush is, was, and always will be her favorite band and in an echelon all to themselves far above any other band on the planet. So this “top 10” is with the caveat all bands are so far behind Rush they can barely see them ahead in the distance.

    The bottom few could swap in and out sometimes depending on Jenn’s mood. But if you go on a road trip with her, there’s a really good chance 8 out of every 10 songs on a playlist will be one of these artists. They may not be recognized by critics as “the best” but for some reason, they mean a lot to Jenn:

    1. The Gits

    2. The Hooters

    3. Pink Floyd

    4. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

    5. R.E.M.

    6. The Killers

    7. Metallica

    8. Jennifer Knapp

    9. Simon & Garfunkel

    10. The Fray

  • You know the old question about if you were trapped on a desert island and could only have five records to listen to while you slowly die of starvation and thirst, what would those records be?

    (And you can’t pick greatest hits compilations and only one per artist otherwise Jenn would take three Rush albums along with Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” and “The Dark Side of the Moon”.)

    Well, here’s Jenn’s list:

    • Rush - “Presto”

    • Pink Floyd - “The Dark Side of the Moon”

    • Edie Brickell.& New Bohemians “Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars”

    • Weezer’s Blue Album

    • Metallica “Ride the Lightning”

    (And for you Rush aficionados shocked Jenn didn’t pick “2112” or “Moving Pictures” or “Clockwork Angels”…remember “Presto” is the album which contains “The Pass” which is so critical to her life.)

  • Yes, moving and playing was a big item on her Bucket List, but her list always has a number of things on it. She’s always adding new things big and small.

    For example, since her move, she’s added that she wants to be a guest on the Nashville Drummer’s Podcast, wants to play just one song (and hopefully more) on the Opry stage, and to find someone who would be willing to teach her about studio work.

    You want one of the “biggies” (as if playing on the Opry stage isn’t giant)…she wants to finally know what it’s like to marry someone who truly loves her and be able to walk down the aisle in a flowing wedding dress.

  • Jenn LOVES to discover new artists and new music. If you ask her for recommendations, she will usually ask what kinds of artists you like because she’ll try to recommend someone in a similar style or genre. Without knowing what you personally like, she’ll suggest a variety of things.

    First and foremost, she’ll ask if you know The Gits, and if you don’t, she will tell you to check them out immediately because Mia Zapata should have been the biggest female artist in the world.

    After that, Jenn is telling folks about:

    Pale Waves. Yes, they’ve been around since 2014 and they have four albums out, but many Americans don’t know them and they’re one of Jenn’s favorite bands.

    The Beaches. They’ve had some success lately because a few Netflix shows played their song “End of the Earth” but they’re still relatively new, and Jenn absolutely loves them. (Met them once…lead singer Jordan is a hoot!)

    Zhaklina. She’s an artist who is passionate about helping people with mental health along with making some killer music.

    Nadia Vaeh. Really, this woman should be a star. The fact she’s not all over the radio and touring the world is an injustice. Go listen to her song “Rewind” and try not to cry.

    Show Pony. A Canadian punk band from Winnipeg. They just popped up as a recommendation on YouTube and Jenn fell in love from the first guitar lick.

    Gretch. Met her one day as I was leaving a drum show and I am so glad I did. Unique, powerful artist.

    The Haunt. Brother-sister duo out of Florida who will rock your face off, glue it back on, then rock it off again.

    Lips Speak Louder. Duo from the Twin Cities area of Minnesota whose rock is so hot it might actually keep the Land of 1,000 Lakes above zero this winter.

  • There are several! Jennifer believes in giving and supporting groups and causes which can bring real change to the world.

    Having a child with autism, she is a avid supporter of increased research for autism and therapies to help intervene early and provide the best possible future for autistic children.

    Jenn is a survivor of a suicide attempt in her teen years, and is a massive mental health advocate. She enjoys speaking to groups to share her story and the struggles she’s faced over her lifetime with mental health.

    As a member of the LGBTQ community, she is all about advancing the cause of equality and helping people see through the politically-charged rhetoric to see people as people and not talking points.

    She’s also a member of a church in her area and thinks Jesus’ teaching of loving others like your love yourself is a pretty good way to live.

  • Jenn is a total foodie…she loves to try new places!

    She is a die-hard fan of Maneet Chauhan and says Chauhan Ale and Masala House is the best place to eat in town. She also enjoys The Mockingbird around the corner from Chauhan’s.

    She thinks Five Points Pizza is the best in town and loves Jim N’ Nick’s BBQ.

    She tells everyone It’z A Philly Thing in Bellevue is an authentic Philadelphia Cheesesteak and the best sandwich in Tennessee.

    And if it’s just an apps and drinks situation, it’s Girlcrush or Lipstick Lounge.