Gaynor, Mrs. Jessie L.

1863-

Jessie L. Smith was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of a prominent business man of that city. Her mother, Susan Fenimore Taylor, from whom she inherited her love and talent for music, was related to James Fenimore Cooper. As a child Mrs. Gaynor sang correctly before she could talk. She was early placed under instruction, first in instrumental, and later in vocal music, continuing her musical studies while in school and college. Aside from her piano study she became somewhat familiar with the cornet, doublebass, and violin, later giving two years' study to the last named instrument, and while at school played in an amateur orchestra on these different instruments. Her later preparation for professional work was made under Dr. Louis Maas of Boston, in piano and theory. Afterward she studied voice under John Dennis Mehan, theory under A. J. Goodrich and Adolph Weidig, and piano under Leopold Godowsky. After her marriage to Thomas W. Gaynor of Iowa City, they removed to St. Joseph, Missouri, where Mrs. Gaynor organized the Ladies' Fortnightly Musical Club, and became an active musical influence in the community. In 1895 she went to Chicago, where for five years she was a well-known teacher of piano and harmony, and published there her first compositions, among them An Album of Seven Songs, Rose Songs, and Songs to the Little Folks, besides a number of single works, all of which met with a most favorable reception. In 1900 she returned to St. Joseph and established a musical school known as The Gaynor Studios, which has been very successful, and constitutes an art center in that place, drawing, painting and other arts being taught in addition to the various branches of music. Her musical activities have extended to the giving of lecture-recitals of her songs, particularly for children, and of talks on the musical training of children, for which she is in demand at musical clubs, state teachers' conventions, and other educational bodies. She is a member of the Chicago Manuscript Society, and of the Musical Manuscript Society of New York. Her Album of Seven Songs includes a graceful setting of the favorite, The Night Hath a Thousand Eyes; Love's Coming; Cradle Song; If I were a Bee; Lullaby; Sleep Song; and And I. The Album of Rose Songs contains If I Knew; My True Lover gave me a Red, Red Rose; The Wind Went Wooing a Rose; In my Garden; My Valentine; and Because She Kissed It. Among the Songs to Little Folks are The Rich Little Dolly; Fireflies; An Early Morning Pastoral; and The Flower's Cradle Song. Another volume of interest to every child is that of Mother Goose Songs from the operetta, The House that Jack Built, which Mrs. Gaynor wrote in collaboration with Mrs. Alice C. D. Riley.

Several recent publications are for the use of public schools, written with an educational object in view; these include Lilts and Lyrics, written in collaboration with Mrs. Riley, mentioned before, who is the author of the words of most of Mrs. Gaynor's songs; and The Elements of Musical Expression. Songs of the Child World, Nos. 1 and 2, are for an earlier grade, and have a wide use in kindergartens and the primary grades of schools.

Mrs. Gaynor has also published some works for piano, among those best known being two books for beginners, Miniature Melodies, and First Pedal Studies. She has also written, in collaboration with Mrs. Riley and Frederic Fleming Beale, several successful operettas and cantatas, such as The House That Jack Built, The Toy Shop, The First Lieutenant, The Man with a Wart, and Harvest Time, Christmas Time, and Blossom Time. Elson says of her children's songs that in this juvenile vein she has no equal among American women, and that some of them may be readily used by " children of a larger growth." Mrs. Gaynor's reputation rests principally on her songs. In the attractive operettas her gift of melody and of rhythm is in evidence, and also the same instinct which unites the words and music of her songs into an artistic whole.

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