ECMAs a many-splendoured thing, say attendees

Award nominees, fans, and aspiring musicians gathered together at the centre of the action in downtown Charlottetown Wednesday for the first full day at the East Coast Music Awards.

And, in a way, they were all looking for the same thing. The excitement, the unexpected, the somehow ungraspable of what happens at a large gathering of Atlantic Canada's best artists.

"I've met so many cool people," Tim Hatcher said.

Hatcher is a member of Good Dear Good, a Nova Scotia band that has earned three nominations for their debut EP, Arrival — pop recording, rock recording and rising star recording of the year.

"Really excited to check out all the different kinds of music, meet some new pals, hopefully. Just taking it all in. There's so much to be excited about it's hard to pick just one thing."

'Headfirst in deep waters'

Suzie and Al Dunphee are big music fans, and have been to several ECMA events.

They carry fond memories, and are hoping to make more.

They remember a previous festival in Charlottetown when they were thrilled by a surprise performance from George Canyon.

"You do get a lot of that if you go to the smaller venues… Somebody just walks in," Suzie Dunphee said.

This is Claire Blanchard's first ECMA week. The high school student from Saint Andrews, N.B., is  an aspiring singer-songwriter. She's played with some of the New Brunswick musicians at the festival, and she is eager to meet up and play with others from around the region.

"Just [to] kind of be put in headfirst in deep waters that you don't really know about," said Blanchard, "but that's where you learn and I'm excited to learn."

The first awards of the festival will be presented Thursday night. ECMA weekend continues through Sunday.