Megan Freedman

It all started with a dare from a music teacher to write a hit song. That inspired Megan Freedman to pen a ballad honouring her roots — which is now sending her musical career to silver-lined heights.

“It’s been really overwhelming,” Freedman said. “I am really introverted, which is hard as a musician.

“It’s been really amazing to just have my music heard by people who judge music from around the world, to think it deserves an award.”

Roots & Wings is an ode to Freedman’s childhood in California, but the video actually showcases the beauty of her new home in the Okanagan. It features her riding her bike past four locations, including Kalmalka Lake, and it earned silver medal status from the Global Music Awards.

“With our actress Kailey (Merkley), the little girl (in the video), she was wearing a wig and she really looked like Megan,” said Carey Missler, producer DCD Productions.

“Setting up the different scenes we lucked with the weather was perfect at all the different scenes we worked in.”

The folk-country singer hopes the song inspires listeners to embrace their inner child.

“With this song, I just really want people to remember that it’s OK to grow up but to not forget that it’s also ok to be silly and still have fun,” said Freedman.

“Especially with this music video that stars a nine-year-old girl in it, she represents your inner child. Sometimes it’s hard to be a grown-up so it’s OK to go out, have fun and go play in the sand.”

Freedman will be performing at the Marmalade Cat café on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 8 p.m. in Kelowna. For more on the musician, visit meganfreedmanmusic.com - Global News

Singer-songwriter Megan Freedman was getting ready to sing “O Canada” at the Innovation Centre in Kelowna for a Canadian citizenship ceremony when she received the message of a lifetime.

The Kelowna resident’s mother called to say Freedman’s Okanagan-filmed music video “Roots and Wings” had won a silver award for outstanding achievement at the Global Music Awards in California.

With the win, Freedman beat out numerous other artists from around the world who submitted their own videos for the international music competition.

Freedman still recalls how she felt when she found out that she became an award-winning artist.

“I was overwhelmed. I’m one of those people that has the ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’ personality,” said Freedman.

“I’m really happy that people like the music video. The video is very much a personal thing. The fact that people are connecting to it means a lot to me.”

The video portrays two characters — Freedman and her childhood self — sharing experiences with one another as they begin a songwriting journey for the ages.


“The song is basically inspired by my childhood growing up, relocating from California to Kelowna,” said Freedman.

“(It) is about knowing who you are, holding on to where you came from and to not be afraid to do other things.”

Freedman’s family journey spans across two countries. Her mom was the first in the family to get dual citizenship in 1970. After Freedman’s mom decided to relocate to Kelowna in 2008, she joined her just years later.

“We filmed portions of the video in the Okanagan by Kalamalka Lake, and another portion down Abbott Street in Kelowna.”

Award-winning Kelowna-based filmmaker Carey Missler shot and edited the music video.

Freedman is continuing to work with Missler to see what other music videos she can make from her other five recently-recorded songs.

For more information on Freedman’s music, you can visit her website. - Kelowna Capital News

Up and coming singer-songwriter Megan Freedman has released a new music video filmed in the Okanagan.

Freedman hails from Southern California, but after moving to Kelowna in 2015 discovered her love for music.

She finds inspiration through artists such as Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp and Tom Petty.

"I started writing songs three years ago ... I try really hard to tell stories when I write my lyrics," she says. "I just released a song ... called Roots and Wings, and it tells the story of my life."

The video produced by Carey Missler includes scenes in Kelowna's Kinsmen Park and Abbott Street, Kalamalka Lake near Vernon and off-road areas near Lake Country and Coldstream.

"It's really about knowing who you are and holding onto that even if you leave where you came from," says Freedman.

Freedman wanted to utilize the beauty of the Okanagan while also creating a mini version of herself, with a nine-year-old girl named Kailey Merkley.

"The video is actually very adorable ... We put a wig on her and glasses ... she looks just like me in a way."

Freedman wants to showcase her talent in a natural way while focusing on keeping her music as simple as possible.

"I try really hard to not have a lot of editing on my voice. I like to keep it very authentic because I want people who see me live to know that I sound the same on the record."

Since 2017, Freedman has created two EPs after finding inspiration through her multi-instrumentalist stepfather, and through her love of folk and classic rock.

Four of Freedman's songs on her first EP 'Wild and Free' were produced in Los Angeles with the help of Skip Saylor, a multi-platinum producer who has worked with Tom Petty and Snoop Dogg.

Those interested in seeing Freedman perform can see her at the Small Axe Bistro in Enderby on Nov. 16 and can also hear her sing O Canada at Prospera Place for the Kelowna Rockets on Nov. 20.

Freedman's music is available on streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play and Amazon Prime. - Castanet

A music video filmed in the Okanagan has received a silver medal award at the Global Music Video Awards in California.

Singer-songwriter Megan Freedman along with video producer Carey Missler worked together to create the music video 'Roots and Wings.'

"There's thousands of entries, they recognize quality product, hard work and obviously the song – and Megan's voice was extremely important," said Missler, CEO of DCD Productions. "I think having all of those combinations together created this award for us, which is amazing."

The video included scenes shot at Kalamalka Lake, on the streets of Kelowna, and off-road areas near Lake Country and Coldstream.

"I thought it would be great for Megan's music video out on Kalamalka Lake because of the colours, location and the bike path," said Missler.

Missler has been in the video production industry since 2008 and has won several awards for his work, including for The Paddler movie, which won the 2015 Award of Excellence at the Canadian International Film Festival.

"I'm looking forward to working on new exciting projects," said Missler.

To learn more about DCD Productions click, here. - Castanet

From the beaches of California to the sands of the Okanagan, an American singer-songwriter now calls Kelowna home.

Megan Freedman, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, is launching her career as a solo recording artist from the Okanagan with her first single Lift You Up.


Freedman recorded the single with Dez Black of Edmonton Producing. The two travelled to Hollywood to record the rest of the EP in Black’s mentor’s studio Skip Saylor Recording.

Recorded in a living room the sound is compared to that of the 1970s and that of classic Tom Petty.

Petty along with Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp are some of the Californian’s influences.


Her first official music video ‘Roots and Wings’ was shot in the Okanagan, by Kelowna filmmaker Carey Missler.

The video follows Freedman on her adventure with her inner child around Kalamalka Lake as they ride bikes, build sand castles and run through trees – a depiction of where Freedman has been and where she is going.

“Set to the backdrop of beautiful British Columbia, Roots and Wings reminds you not to forget who you are, no matter where you go in the world and to never lose your inner child,” explained Missler.

Freedman’s first EP Wild and Free is available to listen to here. - Kelowna Capital News

Kelowna residents will get another opportunity to see female singer and songwriter talent from across the Okanagan come together on Oct. 29.

After hosting the first event of its kind last April, local artist Megan Freedman said she and four other female artists will be performing their own music at the second annual “Ladies of the Okanagan” event at the Kelowna Innovation Centre next month.

READ MORE: Musician showcase brings ladies to the front


Miss Williams, Taylor Dawn, Adventures of Nightgirl, Lindsay May and Megan Freedman Music make up the event’s list of performers — which will also have food and beverages available for attendees.

Freedman said she decided to host another event after receiving great feedback after the first one.

“The girls enjoyed it. It was a safe place and people got behind the meaning of their songs,” said Freedman. “I wanted to give another group of ladies the chance to express themselves in a safe environment.”

Freedman said the second event location was switched to give the performers a better acoustic environment for their performances.

“The last event was in a restaurant and we found it wasn’t as much of a listening environment as we wanted. To compensate for the restaurant, Meadow Vista Honey Wines — a women-owned company — will be serving mead and honey wine at the event”.

Freedman will also be doing shoutout each week on the event’s Facebook page to give attendees more information on each artist leading up to the performances.

To get tickets for the event, you can visit the Ladies of the Okanagan’s Eventbrite page. - Kelowna Capital News

Another night of spotlighting the talented female musicians in the Okanagan is on its way.

From the creator of the Ladies of the Okanagan Showcase (LOTO), which took place in April of 2019, LOTO 2 will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 29 in a new location and with a new lineup of artists.

Following an impressive response from attendees, musician and event organizer Megan Freedman was eager to bring it back.

“The first ever Ladies of the Okanagan was met with overwhelming support, our group of diverse artists played to a packed house and the audience was extremely supportive,” said Freedman.


“My goal was to create a safe space for female artists to play their original music and tell their stories and I believe that was achieved.”

This time around the event will be hosted at the Innovation Centre, starting at 6:30 pm and featuring the musical stylings of singer-songwriters Sarah Williams, Taylor Dawn, Lindsay May and Rachael Gurevitch.

In addition to supporting women in music, the event will also bolster female business owners. Meadow Vista, a meadery owned by two sisters, will be on hand to offer up glasses of delicious honey wine throughout the night.


Tickets for the event are on sale now through EventBrite for $15, and while the it is geared toward shining a spotlight on the gifted females in the valley, everyone is invited to join in on the fun. - KelownaNow

A special show will raise the voices of the songstresses in Kelowna.

Five musicians will take the stage to not only share their music with an audience, but also the stories behind the songs and about their lives.

Organized by Megan Freedman, a local musician was inspired to feature exclusively female voices in the show after playing a show where she was the only woman on the bill a week before BreakOut West in October. She then attended a panel that discussed how to promote and support women in the music industry and Freedman decided to take action.


“I could name way more male lead bands than female,” said Freedman.

“I wanted to celebrate the (female) talent that I know is here and meet other women, make connections and put on a show…. I really just want talented women to be celebrated.”

Freedman will be sharing herself on stage and revealing how the songs stemmed from her lived experience.

READ MORE: The ultimate music fan, owner of Milkcrate Records an artery of Kelowna’s music scene

“I describe the places I grew up, different scenes I grew up, hanging out with friends and things that we actually did,” said Freedman who plans on hosting multiple showcases throughout the year.

One of the women stepping onto the stage, is Crowd the Joanna’s own Sarah Bee. The front woman describes the band as a pirate bluegrass punk-folk band that feeds off the audience. But her solo project is more personal and therefore doesn’t fit into the rhythms of the party band.

She will take the stage with her ukulele and promises to entertain the crowd.

“I don’t like sitting on a stool and standing still,” said Bee.

“I learned how to play the ukulele because I want my vocals to be heard. I don’t want to hide behind my instrument physically or musically… I was sick of having to depend on my band in order to express myself. It’s one of those things I need to do, and it’s so different then what we do.”

READ MORE: ‘They have children they are trying to feed with art’: musicians ask for city’s help as venues close down

The musician normally keeps a low profile, but will be revealing much of her history and plans on highlighting her struggles with the skin condition, psoriasis.

“I will be talking about self image and telling the audience that they can’t rely on it and to not let stupid things like that and effect their talent and keep them from standing up on that stage,” said Bee.

The dynamic musician also mentors women in the industry on her own time and guides them to pursue their passion without apologies.

“Someone’s got to do it,” said Bee.

READ MORE: Okanagan Music Rundown: From Kansas Lee to Ancient Engines, your week will be filled with great music

READ MORE: A bowler hat and rock-n-roll: Lucky Monkey is not your average primate

Also featured in the show is Natalie Ingram who has been tirelessly pounding the pavement to make her dreams come true. This showcase will be the first show Ingram plays in Kelowna since her move from Vernon.

Ingram is also one piece of 20 piece big band, Okanagan Valley Big Band, and said that the duality allows her to express herself fully.

“There is a joy of flexibility when being a solo artist and being able to adapt to what the audience is hearing and respond to it. I am able to change individual shows easily and it’s rewarding to play something that you have written and respond to it,” said Ingram.

READ MORE: Kelowna’s Ancient Engines fueling up to release new music video

In the show she has something special planned for when she plays her song Beautiful Girls, things are getting political.

“There is this idea that in very common pop songs and other genres as well, but especially ones done by male artists that what makes a woman attractive is that she doesn’t know how beautiful she is. I took that idea and I flipped it around a bit to actually say it’s okay to be confident and know how beautiful you are and how good you are at something and that doesn’t make you any less of a woman,” said Ingram.

With that song, Ingram will be challenging the audience to look deeper into the popular music and to analyze what it says about Western culture.

The Ladies of the Okanagan Showcase will take place Tuesday, April 16 at 6 p.m. tickets are available on the Facebook event page. - Kelowna Capital News

One Okanagan musician is aiming to empower her fellow females in the industry with the very first Ladies of the Okanagan Showcase.

Scheduled for Tuesday, April 16, the event will highlight the talents of five different female musicians who live and create in the Okanagan.


Organizer, host and performer, Megan Freedman, created the event after realizing that she did not know many other female musicians in the area.

“Last October I hosted and organized a singer-songwriter showcase and I was the only girl in it. It just happened to be that all the artists I knew were male,” said Freedman.

“I realized how silly it was that I didn’t know any other female artists. So, I wanted to do this to make a point to meet other ladies in Kelowna and really highlight their unique talents,” she added.


Not only did Freedman create the event to connect the community of female musicians, but to prove they are not to be underestimated.

“I think often times the female musicians in the Okanagan are overlooked,” said Freedman.

“People tend to put us in a specific group, they look at us and think “oh you're probably just a pop singer, or you just do covers, or you just sing,” I do think that people have certain expectations of us and that they don’t take us seriously.”

Set to grace the stage at the event is Freedman herself, Crowd the Joanna’s Sarah Bee, Em Rose Warawa, Natalie Ingram and Counttessa.


“I just really want to create a safe space for these artists so they can show their art. They are all very unique people and their music is very different from one another.”

Though the event is geared toward highlighting the incredibly gifted females of the Okanagan music scene, Freedman assures it will be an event that welcomes one and all.

Hosted at the newest Dunnenzies location, attendees can not only look forward to a night of beautiful music but experiencing a new venue, great food and more for only $10!


If all goes well, Freedman hopes to carry on promoting and hosting similar events.

“My hope is that I can continue to do these shows, not just for female artists but female identifying or non-binary and really all of the community,”

Tickets for the event are available at all Dunnenzies locations as well as through Eventbrite. - KelownaNow

Emerging sunlight peeks from behind the temporary clouds and retreating chill of a Southern California morning. A guitar strums thoughtfully in the background, swelling into focus as nondescript joggers hustle by the high school campus behind them. Color guard members pull on well-worn gloves and pick up freshly-taped equipment. They move gracefully over the grass in soft dresses and crisp dress shirts. As the music builds, the progression of preparation into practice feels familiar.

These are the opening shots of Megan Freedman’s new music video, “Lift You Up.” For anyone who has been involved in the color guard activity, the depiction of pulling on one’s gloves and taking the first tosses of the morning will feel comfortable and familiar; for the general audience, this will be a new viewing experience. This is what drew Megan Freedman, an alumna of Woodbridge High School’s Color Guard, to feature the current WHS Color Guard in her work.

Megan’s budding music career, now based in in British Columbia, Canada, began hundreds of miles away in Irvine, California at Woodbridge High School. Along with color guard, Megan dabbled in choir. Her love for music and performance only intensified over time, and she went on to pursue musical theatre at a local community college. After a brief stint of “finding [herself]” in Europe, Megan moved to British Columbia to be near her family and–incidentally–music. Both Megan’s mother and step-father are accomplished musicians in their own right and are part of a country duo. This family connection with the arts renewed Megan’s passion for music and she sought out new mentors and avenues by which to grow within her craft. Her mentors and producers included Darby Mills, Aaron Gordon, Dez Black, Skip Sailor, Lynne Sailor, and Bernie Grundman–all of whom led Megan to her current project. Beyond “Lift You Up,” Megan is traveling to LA to record new singles. She has recently assembled the new Megan Freedman Band and plans to tour BC and Alberta in the near future. She hopes to eventually travel to her home state of California with her new band mates. Megan has big plans to release a six song EP in the fall, but this is just the start for her promising music career.

As a fledgling musician, this will be Megan’s biggest project to date. As such, she views it as her introduction to the world, an introduction in which it felt natural to include her first love: color guard. “My entire life from the time I was 12 to 18 revolved around color guard,” Megan says. “I felt that the best way to introduce myself to the world as an artist was to show everyone the activity that had so heavily influenced my life.” She originally envisioned that her music video would include an intricate routine set to her song, much like a winter guard show turned music video. However, once Megan teamed up with her close friend and fellow WHS alum Aura Meza, her vision shifted. When Aura heard the song, she felt the lyrics embodied teamwork and working together toward a common goal. Consequently, in producing the video, she took a more organic approach and filmed the WHS color guard as they spun on one of the expansive green fields of Woodbridge High School. Aura filmed them as they warmed up in a circle, as they stood in technique block, as they performed for each other, and as they tried new skills. The shots feel more natural and holistic than a performed show might have been. She includes several shots of performers dropping before picking back up and trying again. This is a side of color guard that many would not think to include, but one that portrays the perseverance and grit of the activity. Aligned with portraying the guard as a unified group, the final sequence of the video captures two performers trying, unsuccessfully at first, to complete a double flag exchange. The last shot depicts the two finally achieving the new skill and smiling into the camera in celebration. Megan feels Aura connected with the story of individuals working in tandem to move forward and “executed that perfectly” in the video.

Having developed her color guard career during both her middle school and high school years, Megan considers color guard to be a huge part of her life. She attributes her current career as a performer to her color guard roots. “Had director Brad Harris never come to [my middle school] a small group of us to start a team,” she says, “I probably would not be a professional performer now.”

On his part, Band Director Brad Harris was happy to facilitate the vision of his former student. Mr. Harris had lost touch with Megan after she graduated and did not know about her performance career until he stumbled across a few videos on his news feed. Once he reached out to see when she might be performing in Southern California, the idea for her video was born. Brad remembers Megan as having “had two loves in high school: color guard and singing. She wanted to combine those for this video.” He also notes that she has always been ambitious and hard-working. As such, he was happy to help Megan in coordinating with the current WHS Color Guard instructor, Manny Ruiz, to bring her artistic vision to fruition.

Both Megan and Mr. Harris are aware that the color guard activity is rarely featured beyond its intended venues of local circuit competitions and the international circuits of both DCI and WGI and were thrilled to share it with a general audience. “I was so excited to have the team and the activity get exposure like this and be involved with this project,” Brad says. He adds that his students loved the experience as well. Megan echoes this sentiment. “I wanted to expose the beautiful Sport of the Arts to a new audience.” - Jenny Lyons

In Focus | Megan Freedman
Meet Megan, she is originally from Southern California and has lived in Kelowna since 2015. Megan is a musician whose style is inspired by her parents' love for Classic Rock. She also loves Pop, Punk, and Ska sounds of SoCal from the 90’s. You can find Megan's unique SoCal style as she performs all over the Okanagan.



Who is your favourite person to spend time with and why?
My family and friends. Their support is what gives me the ability to create art.

What is your favourite local store in Kelowna and why?
Parlour Ice Cream. They use local ingredients, have you tried the Lavender?

Describe yourself in one word.
Silly.

If you could go anywhere in the world right at this moment where would you go and why?
Peru to climb Macchu Picchu and hang with some llamas.

What is your favourite activity in Kelowna?
My daily hikes up Knox Mountain!

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
In a high school dance competition we were performing to the song Falling Slowly from Once, when I knocked over a giant tree we were using as a backdrop.



What is the most inspiring thing that has happened to you?
I have been fortunate enough to travel to many places and meet people from all over the world. My favourite place that I have to travelled is Israel. Unlike some of the other places I've travelled, I was able to spend time with the locals and experience everyday life. Going to the grocery store and hanging out in my cousin's favourite bar was amazing. The best parts were the food, that I still dream about years later, and the music. Israeli music inspired me to stop dragging my feet to learn guitar and eventually I could perform an Israeli song!

Tell us your favourite childhood memory.
Because I grew up in Southern California, my fondest childhood memories revolve around Disneyland... I will never forget the time my entire family was chosen to participate in a parade which required my mom, dad, brother, sister and I to wear tutus and dance around with the hippos from Fantasia. It is particularly memorable because after the parade my dad couldn't get his giant blue tutu to untie and a cast member had to help him out.

Where do you volunteer or give back to in the community?
I love paying it forward in line at coffee shops. It is so nice to know that I might have brought a smile to a stranger's face by saving them an extra $4 on their coffee.

If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?
The fear of people who are different.

Where would you sneak away to in Kelowna to spend some time alone?
The beach.



Where would you like to see positive change in Kelowna and why?
A larger mall in Kelowna. So many people travel to Vancouver to shop and it would benefit our community so much to make Kelowna a shopping destination.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
Warm summers and amazing ice cream.

What are 3 things on your bucket list?

I want to go on tour down the coast starting in Vancouver and ending in San Diego.
I'd like to return to Israel and experience even more of the amazing country.
It seems silly but I want to visit every Disney park in the world. I have two down and four to go.

Tell us something that not everyone may know about you.
It is a dream of mine to play Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof.

How do people connect with you, personally, through social media? (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
facebook.com/meganfreedmanmusic, Instagram: @freeduhman, Twitter: @freeduhman

What is the name of your business/organization?
Megan Freedman Music

Why did you get into/start this business?
I love making music.



What is the goal of your business?
I want to be able to make a living creating music.

What has been your biggest struggle either at work or in life?
Not comparing someone else's outsides to my insides.

If you could start all over again would you do things the same or would things be different?
I don't know if things would be different but I would definitely see things from a different angle.

What do you always find yourself saying?
Don't keep score.

Tell us your best piece of life advice.
Keep moving forward.



If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?
Mel Brooks and Bruce Springsteen. They both tell stories in very different ways but their art is a major inspiration to me... Plus Mel would be a hoot to hang with.

Why do you think it is important to shop locally?
It is important to support small businesses.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Releasing my EP Wild and Free.

Give someone you think that deserves it a shout out and explain why!
My mom. Without her constant support, my record would not have been made.

My choice for the KelownaNow In Focus spotlight is:
Brent Smith - KelownaNow

Up and coming singer-songwriter Megan Freedman has released a new music video filmed in the Okanagan.

Freedman hails from Southern California, but after moving to Kelowna in 2015 discovered her love for music.

She finds inspiration through artists such as Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp and Tom Petty.

"I started writing songs three years ago ... I try really hard to tell stories when I write my lyrics," she says. "I just released a song ... called Roots and Wings, and it tells the story of my life."

The video produced by Carey Missler includes scenes in Kelowna's Kinsmen Park and Abbott Street, Kalamalka Lake near Vernon and off-road areas near Lake Country and Coldstream.

"It's really about knowing who you are and holding onto that even if you leave where you came from," says Freedman.

Freedman wanted to utilize the beauty of the Okanagan while also creating a mini version of herself, with a nine-year-old girl named Kailey Merkley.

"The video is actually very adorable ... We put a wig on her and glasses ... she looks just like me in a way."

Freedman wants to showcase her talent in a natural way while focusing on keeping her music as simple as possible.

"I try really hard to not have a lot of editing on my voice. I like to keep it very authentic because I want people who see me live to know that I sound the same on the record."

Since 2017, Freedman has created two EPs after finding inspiration through her multi-instrumentalist stepfather, and through her love of folk and classic rock.

Four of Freedman's songs on her first EP 'Wild and Free' were produced in Los Angeles with the help of Skip Saylor, a multi-platinum producer who has worked with Tom Petty and Snoop Dogg.

Those interested in seeing Freedman perform can see her at the Small Axe Bistro in Enderby on Nov. 16 and can also hear her sing O Canada at Prospera Place for the Kelowna Rockets on Nov. 20.

Freedman's music is available on streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play and Amazon Prime. - Castanet