BAZA ZNANJA

Kurs: - Upper-Intermediate

Modul: Adjectives

Autor: prof. Gordana Matorkić

Naziv jedinice: Jewel

JEWEL: LIKE A WONDERFUL DREAM!

Jewel Kilcher is truly the star of her own fairy tale. When she was a child she woke up on the family’s 800-acre farm in Homer, Alaska. With frost on her tiny blond eyelashes because there was no heat in the house. There was no hot water or electricity either.

Rather than becoming angry, or bitter about her rough upbringing, Jewel learned to relish the rugged Alaskan terrain and her sparse living conditions. Her parents, who were both singers and songwriters, possessed a strong love for the arts which they passed down to their creatively inclined daughter.

Jewel’s mother taught her and her two siblings everything she knew about art, poetry and music – all of which have become integral parts of Jewel’s world today- especially her love of poetry.

It’s hard to believe that just over three years ago, Jewel had gone from eating peanut butter sandwiches to lavish room service meals in some of the finest five-star deluxe hotels in the world. She has been touring nearly non-stop for Pieces Of You which includes the latest single, Foolish Games...

Tell us how it was like to grow up in Alaska.

I am very proud of my upbringing. It has shaped me to be what I am today. We were like pioneers. We didn’t have TV or heat. That’s probably hard for a lot of kids to imagine. We had this coal stove and no running water. We had a hose that we hooked up to the stream. At times I had a really lot of work to do. After school I would be canning salmon while the other kids were home watching cartoons. I also had to walk three miles to get to school, and milked the cows too. Oh, and I loved yodeling. My Swiss grandfather taught me how to make that kooky sound. I wonder if he ever regretted it because I used to stay late and yodel in bed!

You are very spiritual individual. Does this side of you come from your parents’ influence too?

Yes, it does. I am a person who believes in being honest, and I tell people to get excited about living. More and more kids are asking me about humanity and what we can do about it. We should worry less about our survival and more about our spirituality.

You were only in your teens when you won a vocal scholarship to Michigan’s Interlochen Fine Arts Academy. It must have been difficult to adjust - relocating from Alaska to Michigan.

I really enjoyed my time there. I saw a bigger world and I immersed myself in everything – drama, dance, sculpture, music. I imagine I was 16 or 17 when I first started studying the guitar and getting serious about my songwriting. After high school, I had a crazy idea to live in a van and play at coffeehouses in San Diego. I remember how amazed I was when I realized that people actually wanted to hear my music and pay for it!

Your songs have won countless awards and brought you international fame and recognition. Where do you see yourself five years from now?

I hope to still be making records. I wake up each day and wonder what glorious thing would happen next. It’s all been like a wonderful dream for me. But if this is a dream, I hope I never wake up.