CountryMusicChicago.com Local Artist Section Introduces: Megan Nicole October 28, 2008 by CountryMusicChicago.com Editor Filed under Country Music, FEATURED, Local Artists

Even though she is still in high-school, this talented 17-year-old recently recorded her first self-titled Country Music album in Nashville and performed at the Chicago Country Music Festival.

Megan Nicole, a life-long resident of Valparaiso, Ind. has a natural talent for country music and entertaining large crowds. Since the age of 5, she has wowed fans with her delightful voice and Midwestern charm. In August 2008, at just 17-years-old, she completed her Nashville produced, self-titled album with songs like “Talk to the Hand”, “Drowned Me in It” and “Bad Boys”. Don’t expect her to stop there; plan to hear more from this multi talented teen in the future.

With influences from Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes and the great Patsy Cline, her passion and talent will prove her well in today’s Country Music scene and CMC hopes to see Megan perform in Chicago again soon. CMC

For more information on Megan, visit her website at http://www.megannicolemusic.com/

Check out her MySpace page at: http://www.myspace.com/megankacz

Tags: Chicago Country Music Festival, Local Artists, Megan Nicole

Come join Megan Nicole as she shares her new, self-titled album with the fans! It just came out this month, and there are limited copies available, so come have a listen so you can get yours! Hear all about her recent success and future plans.

You can find her topping the charts in our Country Music Channel! Join us for this night of fun and good music!

When: Thursday, Oct 23 9:00pm Where: Megan Nicole’s PartyLine Link: http://www.ourstage.com/fanclub/megannicole

Valpo-area teen makes the country scene Recommend Comments

October 10, 2008

By BOB KOSTANCZUK Post-Tribune staff writer

There is no doubt Megan Nicole has her sights on country music stardom. “That’s my ultimate goal and and always has been,” said the 17-year-old junior at Washington Township High School.

Megan has a golden opportunity to inch closer to the limelight at this weekend’s Chicago Country Music Festival at the Soldier Field Parkland, near the stadium.

She’ll sing noon Sunday on the Best Buy Honky Tonk Stage.

The giant festival - which broke off this year from Taste of Chicago - features the big-name appeal of Gretchen Wilson and Taylor Swift, a couple of Nashville standouts.

Speaking of Music City, Megan’s first full-length album was recorded at Nashville’s Bayou Recording studios.

The self-titled “Megan Nicole” will get a nice launch when Megan and her backing band of Nashville musicians serve up material from it at the Chicago Country Music Festival in the Windy City.

She alludes to a certain “American Idol” winner when assessing her talent.

“I think I’m pretty good,” Megan said. “I think I can shoot up there with Carrie Underwood and all the other ones.”

Citing influences ranging from the sassy-cool LeAnn Rimes to the old-school Patsy Cline, Megan has fashioned a career that was nurtured by appearances at local festivals and school productions.

“I started singing when I was really little, probably around like 5 or 6, and I really knew that that was what I wanted to do when I was around probably 11 or 12,” said the high school basketball and softball player.

Professional moniker aside, the singer’s full name is Megan Nicole Kaczmarski.

She snared some national television exposure on the PAX network’s “America’s Most Talented Kids!” and played the Indiana State Fair this summer.

Her resume even notes that she has competed in - and done well in - the Yahoo! Yodel Challenge.

The Chicago Country Music Festival offers the chance to add more stature to her promotional biography.

“It means that her dream is coming true—that this could be the catalyst of her career,” said Vonnie Baranko, Megan’s mother.

Baranko’s sister-in-law, Heather Baranko, serves as Megan’s co-manager.

She can pinpoint what sets her charge apart from other young country singers.

“When she’s onstage, she normally gets the crowd involved in her music,” said the co-manager, a resident of Crystal Lake, Ill.

Independently released, “Megan Nicole” will be officially released Sunday, but there is a presale on the vocalist’s Web site, www.megannicolemusic.com, according to Mom.

The first 1,000 CDs that are snatched up are considered a limited edition that will each be autographed by her daughter.

Local folks can get a dose of the album live when Megan performs at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at County Line Orchard in Hobart. The appearance will mark another step in the Porter County singer’s journey.

It’s a long way from the Valparaiso area to fame in Nashville, Tenn., but Megan hopes her album makes a mark with its original material written by various songwriters.

Northwest Indiana is slowly getting to know Megan’s music and her background.

Her father is Bill Kaczmarski of Hebron.

Her stepfather is Bob Baranko.

Her goals, meanwhile, are ambitious.

“I’ll go to college, but I really do want to pursue the singing and be traveling all over the country and world,” she said.

If you go

Who: Megan Nicole

Where: Chicago Country Music Festival at Soldier Field Parkland, 1410 S. Museum Campus Drive

When: Noon Sunday, Best Buy Honky Tonk Stage

Admission: Free

A touch of Nashville

The Chicago Country Music Festival features three performance stages, a Kids Corral tent and a dance tent.

Highlights include Gretchen Wilson at 7 p.m. Saturday, Son Volt at 8:30 p.m. Saturday and Taylor Swift at 7 p.m. Sunday.

Running Saturday and Sunday at Soldier Field Parkland, the 18th edition of the free-admission festival also offers a number of opportunities for line-dance instruction.

The fest runs 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

Visit www.chicagocountrymusicfestival.us for more details. Contact Bob Kostanczuk at 648-3144 or bkostanczuk@post-trib.com

Move over, Hannah—Valpo teen Megan Nicole the real deal

BY TIM SHELLBERG Times Correspondent | Friday, October 03, 2008 | No comments posted.

Millions of teens and tweens are glued to the TV to watch the adventures of Hannah Montana, but Valparaiso teen Megan Nicole has an idea what it’s like to walk in her shoes.

By day, Nicole is a high school junior, going through all the joys and struggles that come with school and life. But she has spent the last several months shuttling between Valparaiso and Nashville, recording what will be her debut album.

“It’s kind of like living two different lives,” she said.

“One day I’m singing in a recording studio for eight hours and it’s a job that I love to do, and then a couple days later I go back to school and playing basketball and softball and doing my homework and hanging out with my friends.”

A singer since she was 5 years old, Nicole, who turned 17 on Tuesday, found inspiration in another child songstress, LeAnn Rimes. Nicole, who has performed at music festivals, industry showcases and television specials throughout the country since she was in grammar school, sang for the now-seasoned 20something superstar.

Nicole still remembers Rimes’ response to her performance.

“It was on my 13th birthday,” she recalled Monday, en route to a recording session in Nashville.

“I sang for her and she said ‘wow. I Know you’re going to go somewhere when you get older.’ And ever since then, that’s been my drive, because she was always my Number 1 (favorite singer).”

Last year, Nicole took a leap of faith and began pursuing a recording career.

Over the last six months, she has worked with Music City veteran Peter Bordinali, who has worked on both sides of the studio with the varied likes of Ray Charles, Kenny Rogers and Amy Grant.

Nicole had a hand, she said, in penning two of her forthcoming set’s nine songs and has put in long hours as of late to complete the disc.

“(Monday) I was in the studio for eight hours just singing,” she recalled.

“It can get difficult, but it’s something that I really, really want to do. It’s difficult, but it’s fun, and everybody (in the studio) makes it fun.”

Tentatively titled “You Need to Miss Me,” Nicole expects her debut full-length set to be available first on her Web site, megannicolemusic.com, on Oct. 12, and later on iTunes. She also is seeking distribution for her disc to make it available at retail stores throughout the county.

Come 2009, Nicole hopes to be dazzling audiences both on the airwaves and on the road.

“I definitely want to be on the radio and touring with somebody or opening for some big name acts,” she said. “That’s my goal right now.”

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Megan Nicole on the Best Buy Honky Tonk Stage

When: noon Oct. 12

Where: Chicago Country Music Festival, Soldier Field, Chicago

Cost: Free

FYI: (312) 744-3315 or visit chicagocountrymusicfestival.us.

When: 2:30 p.m. Oct. 25

Where: the Barn at County Line Orchard

Cost: Not known (still checking, cz)

FYI: (219) 947-4477 or countylineorchard.com

Order Megan Nicole’s Brand New CD

www.megannicolemusic.com or www.myspace.com/megankacz

Inquiries or bookings contact Heather @ Megan_Nicole@live.com

By filling out the order form below, we will be able to mail your CD to you. You will receive a confirmation by e-mail when the CD has been mailed out.

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To purchase by credit card, please go to www.megannicolemusic.com and click on the New CD tab and purchase by using PayPal.

Make checks or money orders payable to: Megan Nicole P.O. Box 1635 Valparaiso, IN 46384

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