With classical power and a vibrant pop immediacy, Megan Rose possesses a voice that commands attention. Expressive and engaging, it is the perfect counterpoint to her songs, genuine narratives of positive alchemy and appealing honesty. Her sparkling self-titled EP serves as a luminous introduction to this musical portfolio as Megan Rose presents a charismatic artistry that is engaging and real. Growing up on Long Island, New York with art as her first fascination, Megan envisioned life as a painter. Confined during a lengthy childhood illness, she discovered how singing gave her comfort. At 13, she won the lead role in a school musical and from then on was drawn to the stage. Classically trained at Purchase College Conservatory of Music, she journeyed to Salzburg, Austria where she won international competitions and performed in distinguished recitals. Returning to New York, her graduate studies were at Manhattan School of Music and the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. Megan recalls that something was missing. “It was the challenge and need to find my real voice, and to speak my own words, not those that came from other sources.” Writing her first song unlocked new possibilities; twenty songs followed in rapid succession. “Like they were bottled up inside of me, needing to come out.” Having never studied pop songwriting or performance, she was drawn into opportunities for live performing. Up to 200 cover gigs a year provided valuable audience contact and an advanced learning curve. Her song “Pocket Full of Dreams” celebrates this itinerant existence. “As much as it’s been a struggle, I don’t regret it,” she says. She also tried working a conventional job, but she didn’t last long. Singing onstage with a band in the Bahamas beats riding the subway to a 9-5 in the dead of a New York winter. The profundity of the lyrics that she embraced through classical music colors her approach as a songwriter. “The translations and the underlying messages,” she says, “And delving deep into the content of what is being said.” It also taught her other valuable lessons. “It made me so aware of my instrument, my body, and helped me to find a true sound. Also, the stamina has helped me do four hour gigs for successive nights in a row.” Megan also draws influences from country songwriters. “Since I was five years old, I spent summers in South Carolina. Writing country music is something that I’m in love with. The songs have narratives, tell stories, and are very candid. ” Her ballad “Pennsylvania,” written on a long bus ride across that state, connects to this tradition. With her voice is an undeniable calling card, the songs of Megan Rose reveal a parallel dedication to authenticity and insight. “I think of writing lyrics like a photographer capturing a moment that may have lasted only a millisecond. It might be the smallest, most fleeing moment, but I can place that emotion into a song that captures it so that it can exist forever.” -Dan Kimpel