The Varsity News

Issue date: 2/25/09 Section: Features

Meghan Tonjes, 23, taught herself to play guitar in 2005. It was then that she realized that music was one of her true passions.
"I had a crush on a boy who played," she said. "I thought it would be cool if I learned. In the course of learning, we stopped being friends. That's where the inspiration for some of my songs came from."
Now, three years after learning to play, Tonjes, a UDM graduate, is showcasing her original work on her first album.
Her CD, titled Be In Want, was released Feb. 14.
"Listeners should be prepared for anything," said Jake Lyon, a featured pianist on the album. "She has no specific genre. She plays pop, folk, acoustic, rock and anything else. There are no boundaries."
Lyon, an architecture student at UDM, said that his fellow students have been touched by Tonjes' music, and are a strong part of her support system.
"I'm excited for her," said Dave Root, 22, a senior at UDM. "Her music deserves to be discovered."
Tonjes' entertainment career started in the dormitories of UDM while she was learning to play and write music. Root said he and other students enjoyed listening to her during study breaks.
"I'm terrified to play in front of people I know," she said. "I feel like they read too much into my music."
Despite her fear of performing in front of her loved ones, she went on to compete in UDM's 2005 Titan Idol and the 2008 Talent Show.
Aside from her accomplishments on campus, Tonjes has done extensive work on the web.
"I do a lot of work on the YouTube," she said. "Apparently, every 13-year-old in America has seen and commented on my Britney Spears cover."
Though her Spears cover has almost 90,000 views, she also has a website, www.meghantonjes.com/ music, which offers fans a short biography and samples of her music.
The site also hosts Project Lifesize. Through this collaboration, Tonjes video-blogs about body image and self esteem.
"With women from around the world, we hope to create a dialogue about the issues facing our generation," she said on her website.
Tonjes said that in part body image has motivated her to succeed through music.
Fans and friends alike had a chance to enjoy her success at her Feb. 14 release party for Be In Want. The free celebration took place at AJ's Café on Nine Mile Road in Ferndale, and included a full set by Tonjes and a special performance by singer Emily Rose.
"It was a perfect way to spend my Valentine's Day," said Root. "I supported my friend and took my girlfriend out to a concert."

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