Your Mentor
Testimonial:
"Jacques, 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 M. Gentil, is an ASCAP affiliate songwriter (the American performing rights similar to APRA), and owner of Magesongs Publishing (ASCAP) 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 list further below)
Son of composer of the National Anthem of Mauritius Philippe Gentil (M.B.E.) Jacques started singing at the age of 13 in a church choir, and at 17 won a TV song contest. He became an entertainer for the Beachcomber Club and Sun group hotels in the paradise island of Mauritius where he was born and grew up, in the 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 copies while 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 all about learning. While in USA he met influential people from the music industry.
He's learnt the basics of music publishing at the feet of his own music publisher Anita Washington (Hazel) who was managed in the 70's by Neil Diamond for a song of his which became a hit in the Bahamas. He met and learned from Ray Doggett Producer in Nashville (Kenny Rogers plus others). Other influence are Jason Blume, Scott Matthews (San Francisco State University songwriting teacher), Pat Pattison (Berklee Music School) and more.
He has collaborated on songs with many talented songwriters such as Joe Dolce (released) and a French with Grammy Award Winner, Diane Warren (unreleased). He has also worked in collaboration with Grammy award gospel jazz group Take 6 singer Joey Kibble as well as Nashville renowned songwriter Trey Bruce. 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 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 the successful level of the professional songwriter. Some of his students are published songwriters and performers signed to online record labels and have also won numerous songwriters awards.
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 Spiritual category at the 41st National Songwriting Awards (2021) ASA
Winner of Original Song category at UK Songwriting Contest -(2021) UKSC
Winner of Spiritual category at the 39th National Songwriting Awards (2019) ASA
Winner of Spiritual category at the 38th National Songwriting Awards (2018) ASA
Winner of Christian/Faith category at UK Songwriting Contest -(2017) UKSC
Winner of Spiritual category at the 37th National Songwriting Awards (2017) ASA
Winner of Spiritual category at the 36th National Songwriting Awards (2016) ASA
Winner of Spiritual category at the 33rd National Songwriting Awards (2013) ASA
Winner of the APRA/ASA Australian Songwriter of the Year 2013 Award ASA
Winner of Ballad category at the 33rd National Songwriting Awards (2013) (Co-written with student Karen Guymer) ASA
Winner of Ballad category at the 32nd National Songwriting Awards (2012) (Co-written with student Rick Hart) ASA
Winner of Instrumental category at Songsalive Australia 2012 (Co-written with student Karen Guymer) SONGSALIVE (AUSTRALIA)
Note: Jacques is also the only one to have won more songs at the ASA Awards to date.
Award Nominations:
APRA/ASA Australian Songwriter of the Year 2021 Award Nominee
APRA/ASA Australian Songwriter of the Year 2019 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
ASA The Rudy Brandsma Award 2010 Nominee
Numerous Top 10 finalist and award nominations.