The Pegasus Awards

Jen Midkiff

 

Pegasus Awards
Award Year Category Collaboration Song
2022 Best Furry Friend Song Underfoot
2022 Best Performer
2012 Best Performer Wild Mercy

Pegasus Nominations
Year Category Collaboration Song Sample
2009 Best Performer Wild Mercy    
2008 Best Performer Wild Mercy    
 

Despite a love of science fiction and fantasy reading sparked by her sixth-grade English teacher, Jen Midkiff was unaware of fandom until veteran filkers Barry and Sally Childs-Helton introduced her to filk in 2002. She's been working to remedy her early deprivation ever since.

In Wild Mercy, Jen plays harp and bass guitar, as well as providing lead and backing vocals. After three albums with Wild Mercy, Jen began writing her own songs. She first jumped into recording those songs in 2012, with her CD release All In Good Time. A second album, Collage, followed in 2016, and she is about 60% of the way to having enough material for her third recording, planned for the summer of 2023.

Jen's mild-mannered alter ego is a K-5 general music, and K-8 choir director at Holy Cross Lutheran School in Indianapolis. She also plays weddings, funerals, parties, and other special occasions, but loves to spend free time reading, knitting, and snuggling with cats or dogs (and rarely, cats AND dogs simultaneously!). Big thanks to her husband Phil for his unfailing love and support, and hugs to her amazing teens Max and Kade!

Bandcamp: jenmidkiff.bandcamp.com

 

Representative Work for the 2022 Pegasus Awards

How to Train Your Dragon: Astrid (mp3)

Lyrics Copyright © 2016 by Jennifer Midkiff- All Rights Reserved
(ttto: Aslan's Country by Becky McGraw Balduff)
Lyrics posted with permission

Chorus
Our parents' war will soon become our own.
Whose side are you on? Whose side are you on?
We're supposed to hate them, blood and heart and bone.
Whose side are you on? Whose side are you on?

For seven generations, we Vikings have endured
Here on this rocky island, this village we call Berk.
Seven generations, but ev'ry building's new--
The dragons steal and burn--we build again--that's what we do.

All my life I've watched the fight, helped out as best I can,
Even if it's the fire brigade, where I'm just a pair of hands.
I train all day and dream at night of dragon-killing schemes,
Soon my training will be through; it will be time to live my dreams.

Chorus

I've always known that I belong here in this stubborn band,
With swords and shields and axes we will defend our land.
But you--you're different--I just don't know why you act that way.
"You wouldn't kill a dragon"--what a coward's thing to say!

I've got to figure out the way you've learned to stop the beasts.
Bare hands against the dragon? You're mad, to say the least.
But they always fall right over when they get too close to you.
If I want to be the best--I've got to learn all your tricks too.

Chorus

I can fight and run and jump and wield a shield or blade.
But never would I think to offer any dragon aid.
You're a traitor to your people to befriend them in this way.
Don't try to tell me black and white aren't all--there is no grey!

Kidnapping me a-dragonback won't help you get your way,
I will not listen to a single thing you have to say.
But you show me a new vision of what this world could be,
Where Vikings sail with dragons through a new and starry sea.

Chorus
Our parents' war will soon become our own.
Whose side are you on? Whose side are you on?
We're supposed to hate them, blood and heart and bone.
Whose side are you on? Whose side...am I on?

 

 
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