Breaking out into a song about broccoli while waiting in the salad-bar line in the Burge Marketplace is a normal occurrence for musician Megan Logan.
“Sometimes, it’s kind of annoying, but I like to call it my love story to broccoli,” she said. “When my friends are around me, they just shake their heads and walk away.”
Singing isn’t the only musical talent Logan has. She also plays 12 instruments.
At the age of 5, she started playing the piano, and in fourth grade, she added French horn to the list. But once middle school came around, she was bored with her musical outlets and decided to pick up the guitar.
“My parents got me my first guitar, a Fender, for 1 cent on eBay,” she said. “And every Christmas after that I’ve gotten a new instrument.”
With a dozen instruments on her résumé, Logan finds it difficult to choose which is her favorite. But her friends tend to enjoy the sound of her ukulele most.
Friend Marisa Way loves hearing her play the ukulele because Way believes it’s an under-appreciated instrument.
“It’s really small and cute and has a perpetually cheerful sound to it,” Way said.
The ukulele is signed by some of Logan’s favorite artists, including Ingrid Michaelson, who was Logan’s inspiration to play the instrument.
The University of Iowa sophomore not only plays her instruments to make music, she also uses a program on her Mac called Garage Band to produce demos. If she wanted to record piano on the program, she can use the mini keyboard she has in her room instead of playing a grand piano.
“[Garage Band] gives you a nice outline; it’s easier than going to a chamber-music society,” she said.
The down-to-earth redhead has never released her demos to the public, but last year she performed at a benefit for Haiti and played a couple of opening shows at the Mill.
The Haiti benefit was one of her favorite performances because everything was amplified — from the sound to the crowd to the location. She played original songs with her colleagues from SCOPE but felt as though people wanted to hear something a little more mainstream.
“We played Jenny Owen Youngs’ songs, and it finally sounded like a good song,” Logan said. “People quieted down, got really excited, and even started dancing; it was a great experience for me.”
When the 20-year-old musician isn’t performing for a benefit or opening for established artists, her favorite place to jam is at friend Jimi’s house. When they play, he clears out the whole front room of his house and has a giant amp for them to use.
“We basically order pizza, play some music, watch a music documentary, and play some more music,” Logan said.
The Sioux City native isn’t quite sure where she wants to go with her music career, but lately, she’s been working with people on finding her way into a recording studio.
“She’s definitely going to make a name for herself in some part of the music business,” said Logan’s friend Liz Schorsch. “She has the passion and the drive, but she also holds a huge array of musical knowledge from all of her experiences.”