We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Myriam Blankaert. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Myriam below.

Myriam, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I was raised in a bohemian mindset in Paris and Versailles. My mother, who studied to be a doctor before turning to alternative medicine, became a schoolteacher. She kept birds, cats and even a fennec fox. Whenever we would go on vacation for the summer, we had to bring along our whole chaotic menagerie.

The main stabilizing force in my young life was my grandparents. My grandma played popular tunes on the piano, my grandpa would sing, and they used to dance in their living room to music on the radio. So I grew up hearing Marlene Dietrich, Edith Piaf, and Charles Aznavour all the time. This memory had a major influence on me becoming a chanteuse.

From a young age, I studied the piano but I really wanted to be an actress. I studied at the French Conservatoire of Dramatic Arts and then moved to New York, where I landed at the Actors Studio. That’s when I got my start on the stage. I joined Actors Equity and the Screen Actors Guild and led the life of a New York working actor. Which meant that I had a day job, working at a restaurant, a law firm, a loop group, even while I perfected my craft with private singing trainers and Broadway dance workshops.

Since an artist doesn’t book a job every week, it’s important to find a balance to achieve a level of financial security.

Myriam, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

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 New York & Williamsburg club scene.

However, I was feeling homesick and wanted a chance to act in my native language. Fresh off my NY experience, I returned to France, where I starred in some classical plays & guest-starred in several French primetime copshows. One of the highlights was performing at the Paris Opera in the ballet ”Coppelia” and working with Robert Wilson on Wagner ’s Ring tetralogy.

While visiting LA one summer with my family, little did I know that Wilson was reviving his production of Einstein on the Beach with Philip Glass at the LA Opera. That’s where my LA chapter started, on the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion!

My cultural heritage and my music background caught up with me yet again, when I met another pianist in California, Bob Remstein, who still accompanies me today. We started a residency at the Dresden Room as part of the LA Underground Superstars Show as well as other venues in Hollywood.

The cabaret show I developed tells the story of my journey from France to the US and back again through songs that hearken back to my childhood.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most gratifying aspect of performing before a live audience is the ability to connect people together. I love the way that music touches people’s lives, and how it triggers an emotional response. And then after a show, I get to have a direct exchange with the friends that came to see me sometimes from very far away. That shared experience can impact the lives of others. As artists, we are the witnesses of society and we bring light and guidance to help people cope with life’s obstacles.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Just follow your North Star. Don’t let others bring you down. Keep your passion and protect your art. You can read all you want, but you yourself know the answer if you just keep listening.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @myriam27b
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myriam27b
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/l2glbsmd164
• Soundcloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/myriam27b
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1000451/?ref_=nmbio_ov

Image Credits

Mike Cetta, Robert Manella