Page 13 March 16,2009 =ENTERTAINMENT PANTHER POST

Blanchard generating a lot of buzz in entertainment scene

By_Whitney Bysterveldt Panther Post

Four music PEI awards, two ECMA nomina- tions and a host of disparate accolades since the release of her EP Changing Things has situated Meaghan Blanchard in the limelight. From blurbs in major Canadian magazines such as Chatelaine to being a featured act on the live ECMA gala stage, buzz has been generating over one of UPEI’s own. A third year English student, Blanchard has been honing her musical talents for years. She was born into a family with talent rooted deeply on both sides and started out, as many do, performing at church.

Although music has been a constant in

Blanchard’s life, following all the latest in —

commercial sounds is not high on her to do list “For someone who spends a lot of time making music I actually don’t listen to that much: Patty Griffen, Joel Plaskett, a lot of strong female artists and local stuff.” But all that time spent on her own work over the past few months has clearly paid off. Nomi- nated in two categories at this past ECMAs, Rising Star and Folk Recording of the year, Blanchard claims “the best thing was to have my name up there, it was really cool to see.” The awards also had her doing a lot of run- ning around as she took part not only in the live gala but also in over six other showcases that weekend.

Blanchard’s musc blends intelligible song--

writing with dulcet acoustic sounds to com- plement euphonious vocals. She has easily become affiliated with the traditional facet of East Coast folk but is currently working a lot of new songs that are a little more fiesty than those featured in her last album. Aside from recording Blanchard is at her best live, dis- playing a composed yet ardent presence on stage. This adeptness comes as no surprise as she has a background in theatre, filling a space alongside musicality, “theatre gives me something I don’t get in music.” And al- though Blanchard professes music is the road she wants her life to follow it’s clear that her abilities will be revealing a number of op- portune pathways along the way.

BUILDING OUR FUTURE THROUGH EDUCATION

Everyone welco we”

Friday, March 27 10am tod pm Murphy Student Center, UPEI

A. ba In support of the av

Aboriginal Student Association

For more information, please contact Ashley Jadis or Stephanie Jadis at 620-5126 or email sjadis@upei.ca or ajadis@upei.ca