Meet Myriam Blankaert

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Myriam Blankaert a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Myriam, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

First of all, thank you for having me!

I was born and raised in France, which comes with a certain joie de vivre. That’s our motto. Keep a light heart, no matter the circumstances.

My family paid a big price through two world wars. My grandfather was in the Resistance during WW2 and I grew up listening to his stories. From his childhood, he remembered bombs shattering windows and having to take shelter in the basement with his ailing grandmother. Then as a young man, he was taken prisoner twice trying to liberate France from the Nazis. The first time, he escaped a POW camp in Ukraine and walked on foot over 1500 km, overcoming hunger and fear until he was recaptured and sent back.

Those experiences taught him the resilience to never be afraid. Having survived the war, he believed he was given a second chance at life. He took every day for a miracle.

Being a performer means living in hope. So one can say I’m ‘hopetimistic’. I enjoy life, and first and foremost, the goal is to be happy.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I was born in Versailles. Not long after that, we moved to the west coast of France in Brittany. I started learning solfeggio and the piano at the local conservatory and joined the local community theater. I got into college for film, and went to the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in Montpellier.

When I graduated, I started voicing American films & TV shows into French. One of the roles I had was Christina Ricci in the French version of ”Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas”.

But I wanted more… My first stop was in New York, where I studied at the Actors Studio. Shortly after, I went on two national tours, first ”The Three Musketeers” then a Moliere play ”The Imaginary Invalid”. Touring all the major cities across the USA opened up my world. I even played in Peoria! From Maine to Florida all the way to Texas, I saw more of America than most Americans!

Upon my return to NYC, I continued my work on screen and Off-Broadway. Then I landed a part on Sex & the City which was the biggest TV series at the time, a cultural phenomenon then that redefined television narratives.

Around then, I met a local honky tonk piano player, Albert Garzon, who was looking for a vocalist to do retro standards. We formed an act & played all around the Downtown & Williamsburg club scene.

I had no idea I would become a performer. I’m a rather shy person.

But going to concerts as a teenager, something unattainable like a secret aspiration drew me to musicians. Connecting the dots, as Steve Jobs would put it. I was in love with theater so mixing the 2 together was natural and gave birth to my Cabaret Show! That was my calling!

One last word! Please come to my next show at the Gardenia. I’ll give a discount to your readers.
Date: TBA

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I took a lot of acting classes, way too many if you ask me.

Part of the classes was often an exercise for singing or lip syncing to a song. I would always bail out.

Have you heard the saying, Do what scares you most?

That’s exactly what I did with my coach Bob McAndrew. It was frightening but I sang “Love is Not the End” by Nick Cave. And got wonderful feedback.

That kind of pointed the way toward a new venture, which I never dared to dream of, even though I had been a classically trained musician as a child, and had even played keyboard in a girl band as a teenager!

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I would love to perform again in a band, either rock or electronic, with French vocals. It’s very popular now. I recorded a few originals with my music producer in Venice and during the pandemic, I revisited several well known rock classics that I adapted from English into French.

I’d love to explore that avenue more and be a vocalist for different projects..

Contact Info:

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