Your Mentor
Testimonial:
"Jacques Mario, you run a great workshop program that empowers budding songwriters. I am impressed also by your perseverance over the years in the songwriting craft. Your voice and harmony sense is better than ever. Congrats on the APRA/ASA acknowledgement - a tough nut to crack - but rewarding industry validation for your focused and persistent work. Your father would be proud of your guardianship of the family musical flame."
Joe Dolce - (Shaddap You Face)
Jacques Mario Gentil, is an ASCAP affiliate songwriter (the American performing rights similar to APRA), and music publisher as well as a songwriting mentor.
He has won numerous songwriter's awards including the APRA/ASA Australian Songwriter of the Year 2013 Award title. (See awards listed further below)
Son of composer of the National Anthem of Mauritius Philippe Gentil (M.B.E.) he started singing at the age of 13 in a church choir, and at 17 won a TV song contest in Mauritius. He became an entertainer for the Beachcomber Club and Sun group hotels in the paradise island of Mauritius, Indian Ocean. With a school friend he formed and was lead singer of pop band 'Misfits II'. He later turned to Gospel music and that's when his songwriting career started to take shape. He released a French gospel album in 1985 titled 'Je Suis...' (I am...) and an English gospel album in 2000 titled 'Contrast' releaed under Molian Records, U.S.A. which he sold over a thousand just on his U.S. tour in 2001. He has learned the great tools of songwriting by studying, and learning from others experience. He is open to everyone else's ideas and life is about learning. While in USA he met influential people in the music industry.
He's learnt the basics of music publishing at the feet of his own music publisher Anita Hazel who has been managed in the 70's by Neil Diamond for song of his which she made a hit in the Bahamas. He met and learned from Ray Doggett (Producer for many Nashville artists including Kenny Rogers). Other influence are Jason Blume, Scott Matthews (San Francisco State University songwriting teacher), Pat Pattison (Berklee Music School) and others.
He has collaborated on songs with many talented songwriters such as Joe Dolce and currently has 9 french lyrics written for US No1 Pop/RnB performing artist Christelle including one song co-written with Grammy Award Winner, Diane Warren.. He has run seminars and workshops on songwriting locally and abroad. His knowledge of the music industry has made him a great source of information for songwriters who all respect his views and work. Jacques respects the work of others while providing constructive criticism. He deals with songwriters at their level while pushing them to reach success that others have already achieve.
He has toured the Indian Ocean in the late 80's, the South Pacific early 90's, joined the New Testament singers in 1993, toured with the Melbourne Advent Brass Band as tenor performer for 4 years towards the late 90's. He also features on two tracks 'Wonder Of His Grace' & 'How Excellent Your Name Is / Shine Jesus Shine Medley' on the Advent Brass Band’s Spiritual Moment album (1998). He has also performed across USA and Canada in 2000 and in 2001 with over 20 concerts, with a sale of over 1200 albums in less than 3 months. He has also performed before an audience of 46,000 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto (Formerly Skydome stadium / home of the Blue Jays), Canada. His television experiences started since his singing contest success in Mauritius in 1978, a guest appearance on Havanna show in New Caledonia in 1992 as well as 'Purely Music' on ‘KSBN Safe TV’, ARKANSAS, USA in 2000.
He is currently writing songs for film and collaborates with many talented writers. His academic back ground includes a bachelor of art from Deakin University.
Today he is helping others learn about the business side of the music industry as it relates to songwriters. His talents also include painting and drawing as another way of expressing life.
His philosophy about songwriting is to face and accept life as it comes and let it be expressed through music. Songwriting is the most honest and noble profession for those who understand what it's worth. Songwriters are the best thinkers in the world. The mind of a songwriter is only as limited as their imagination. They can tread in all the places where no doctor, architect, psychologist, lawyer or judge, priest or politician can. Songwriting is the art of arts.
Songwriting Awards Won:
Winner of the APRA/ASA Australian Songwriter of the Year 2013 Award
Winner of Spiritual Song at the 38th National Songwriting Awards (2018)
Winner of Christian/Faith Song at UK Songwriting Contest -(2017)
Winner of Spiritual Song at the 37th National Songwriting Awards (2017)
Winner of Spiritual Song at the 36th National Songwriting Awards (2016)
Winner of Spiritual Song at the 33rd National Songwriting Awards (2013)
Winner of Ballad Song at the 33rd National Songwriting Awards (2013) (Co-written with Karen Guymer)
Winner of Ballad Song at the 32nd National Songwriting Awards (2012) (Co-written with Rick Hart)
Winner of Instrumental of Songsalive Australia 2012 (Co-written with Karen Guymer)
Award Nominations:
The Rudy Brandsma Award 2010 Nominee
Current UKSC Grand Prize Award Nominee.
Current UKSC Mozart Award Nominee.
APRA/ASA Australian Songwriter of the Year 2018 Award Nominee
APRA/ASA Australian Songwriter of the Year 2017 Award Nominee
APRA/ASA Australian Songwriter of the Year 2016 Award Nominee
APRA/ASA Australian Songwriter of the Year 2012 Award Nominee
Numerous Top 10 finalist and award nominations.
Jacques currently has more finalist songs that has made the Top 10s throughout the whole ASA Award competitions.
Jacques is also the only one that has achieved more songs won in one category (4 songs in the Spiritual Category)
Jacques is also the only one to have won the same category 3 years in a row. (2016, 2017 and 2018)