THUNDER BAY - While Megan Nadin was studying to be an early childhood educator, she travelled across the world to Cambodia to volunteer teaching English at an orphanage. While there, she often sang to the children, and she was the one who ended up learning a valuable lesson – how music has the power to heal and create real change.
“Whether it brings us back to a moment, or a feeling, music is just something that captures those emotions for people,” Nadin said. “It just makes them feel lighter and happier. Although I have a lot of emotional songs, when people listen to them, I want them to feel that there is someone else out there who has been there, too.”
Nadin, now 26-years-old, has had a passion for music all her life, but it was only in the last year that she started to pursue it as a career. Now she is working with producers in Toronto on her first album and her song, Gypsy Sea, has been accepted into this year’s CBC Searchlight.
Searchlight is a nation-wide hunt to discover Canada’s next undiscovered musical talent. Winners receive exposure on CBC, recording time in Calgary, and the opportunity to perform at the CBC Music Festival.
Accepted songs are open to public voting before a long list and shortlist are chosen followed by the announcement of the winning artist in March.
For Nadin, who sees pursuing music as more about sharing her passion than just making it big, said being included in this year’s Searchlight and the possibility of winning would be a dream come true.
“It would be an opportunity to show people that I am ready and willing to work my butt off to make real music,” she said. “To make music that not only touches the ears, but the heart and the soul. I want to heal people through my music.”
But it was the act of making and sharing her music that helped her grow as a person. Nadin said she was often very shy about sharing her music, but after being encouraged by family and friends to pursue her dream and share her gift, she decided to focus on her passion and share her music with everyone.
“I’m always someone who has been pretty shy when it comes to putting myself and my music out there,” she said. “The more I did it, the more support I got from my friends and my family. Now I decided to dedicate my time to pursing my music career and now I am in the midst of making my album.”
Nadin said her original song entered into Searchlight could be considered a pop song, but she doesn’t believe songs or music can be defined by just one category or genre.
“I never saw myself as a pop-artist,” she said. “But as I get deeper into this journey, I’ve realized it just stands for popular music. Its just music that reaches a wide variety of people.”
Gypsy Sea can be listened to here and public voting opens on Feb. 13 and votes can be cast on the CBC Searchlight website.
