Meaghan Smith

(From Meaghan's Myspace Page) "Hello, I'm Meaghan Smith. I like to draw and paint, and I love to sing. I have always loved to sing. Music played a big role in my family. I used to sing with my three wonderful sisters in four part harmony. My mom is a piano player and my dad is a gifted singer, bass player and whistler. We spent a lot of time making music together. I started playing piano when I was young and later, guitar. When I was 12 I wrote a few songs. But I was really REALLY shy so no one ever heard them. After years of singing with my family I had developed an acute case of overwhelming, knee-shaking, stomach turning stage fright. Meanwhile, I somehow graduated from high school and went to college for classical animation. I was so shy, I figured being a musician was not a possibility for me because I couldn't work up the nerve to play in front of anyone. The next best thing was to draw. But I had some really good friends at college, and they encouraged me to sing some of my songs for them. I started playing little shows in the stairwells of my college, where the acoustics were really good. Eventually my teachers and friends started coming to my stairwell concerts and I slowly gained a little bit of confidence. It wasn't until I moved to Halifax for a job in animation that I really started to try to get over my stage fright. I couldn't go on with my life till l had at least tried. So after work I went to open mics to attempt to get over my stage fright. It took four years, but finally I started to be able to sing in front of people the way I sang alone. CBC recorded an album for me called Lost With Directions in 2004, and in 2006 I decided to make my own album. I wrote 11 songs, hired a producer named Les Cooper and worked with him to make my first full length album, The Cricket's Orchestra. Then in 2007 I met some really great folks who came here for the Halifax Film Festival. Most of them are music supervisors based out of LA. They listened to my songs and passed it on to their friends in the industry. They have become great friends and supporters of my music. Then after a whirlwind series of events, I found a great management team in Terry McBride, Coleen Novak and Ari Martin of Nettwerk management. I also signed a major label deal with Sire Records (Warner America)! I'm in an amazing place in my life right now. My most unthinkable dreams are coming true... I am singing music in front of people that like what I do! And I'm not even afraid anymore! I am married to an amazing guy who plays guitar in my band and comes with me on my adventures! I get to travel to amazing places and meet incredible people and see amazing things! "