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