Welcome to the first post of the Strings of Silk Music/Jennifer Silk! 

“Strings of Silk” Musical Airs in Aurora”

 The West Branch of the Aurora Public Library is scheduling their Second Sunday Concert Series and is happy to announce that Chicago’s favorite strolling violinist Jennifer Silk, will be their featured entertainer on Sunday, October 10^th, 2010.  A resident of Elgin, Silk’s entertaining program, “The Day in the Life of a Strolling Violinist” will begin at 2:00 p.m. and last approximately one hour.  The library is located at 233 Constitution Drive and the program will be in the library’s community room.  For more information, contact Rebecca Clark at the library, (630) 264-3600.

 A music education graduate of Western Michigan University and Arizona State University, Silk has been delighting audiences as a full-time professional freelance musician for the past 20 years.  Members of her audience have included Hollywood celebrities, political dignitaries and even the Chicago Cubs season opener! When the opportunity to move from California to Arlington Heights came up in 1992, she teamed with her mentor and strolling violinist, Franz Benteler.  “Wherever I play,” says Silk, “people always tell me of how much it meant to them to hear Franz play ‘Edelweiss’ or ‘Fascination’.  My wish is to follow in his footsteps and continue providing people enjoyable memories of being serenaded.”

 About fifteen years ago, when the Women’s Clubs of Illinois and Northern Indiana were auditioning for entertainment acts, Silk, was asked to provide music during their luncheon.  When the day was over, the telephone began ringing off the hook for her to provide a “program” for upcoming club meetings.  “Well, I usually stroll during lunch and take requests,” said Silk, “and I do a musical serenade called Violin-A-Gram for birthdays and anniversaries, but I’ll see what I can come up with.”

 What Silk came up with was a musical potpourri of her most popular requests and true stories about her career performing for famous people, places, and events.  To top it off, she portrays different musical styles with an assortment of quick change outfits, an introduction to the viola and jokes that would have  made Jack Benny proud.

 Besides performing Violin-A-Grams for special occasions and entertaining for different service clubs, Silk has performed over 5,000 weddings and events, recorded numerous TV and radio commercials, teaches privately, and is the lead violinist in the contemporary/society dance orchestra, The Roy Vombrack Orchestra.

 After seeing the good works and friendship of the women’s clubs that she performed for, Silk was inspired to start a club for women like herself.  In October of 2004, the Women’s Professional Musicians Club was formed.  In an atmosphere of camaraderie, good food and fun, this monthly meeting’s purpose is to help support fellow woman musicians with all of life’s trials and celebrations, meet new people, improve professional skills and fulfilling the desire of bringing the joy of music to the world!