There are a lucky few who have been treated to the enchanting sounds of voice and piano as they walk down Second Street in Lewes.
The tinkling keys and passionate voice are the work of Megan Ernakovich as she plays in her second floor apartment overlooking the street. During the summer months, Ernakovich has impressed small crowds during happy hours at Second Street Grille, where they came to hear her play.
Ernakovich set down in Lewes in 2001, but her voice and music has set her apart.
Ernakovich, 32, is originally from Shippensburg, Pa., where she started playing the piano at the tender age of 6. She trained scholastically until she was 21 and left college. The gig at Second Street Grille, where she is also employed, is her first in Delaware, but not her first.
For the past 12 years, she has played with bands such as Angus in New Jersey and Woodstew in Pennsylvania. Playing at Second Street was the first time she had gone solo and used her own equipment.
She is influenced by both romantic and contemporary artists, from Chopin and Mendelssohn to Bruce Hornsby, Ben Folds, Tori Amos and Ani DiFranco.
Growing up in Pennsylvania, Ernakovich competed with her sister, who also took piano.
“It brought out my competitive nature,” she said. “It gave me something to aspire to.”
Ernakovich studied at Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 1992 to 1994 before taking time off to tour. She spent five years with Woodstew, playing at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, Deer Park Tavern and the Wetlands. Shortly after the Wetlands performance, Woodstew disbanded and Ernakovich was recruited to play with Angus.
She moved to Delaware, as did her parents, and now is happy to live in Lewes. In the future, she wants to continue building her repertoire and hopefully put together a small ensemble to continue playing around town.
When not playing or working, she enjoys spending time with her cats at her apartment. Harriet, one of her cats, is also well known around town, being the resident crumb-snatcher across the street at The Buttery.
While Ernakovich feeds Harriet regularly, Harriet’s palette has grown to enjoy the finer foods in life, like those found outside the neighborhood restaurants.
Ernakovich enjoys the people of Lewes and knows many of them from working at the restaurant, just down the street from her apartment. She said everyone has been very nice to her and has made her feel at home.
When working at the restaurant, she can expect many customers to come in and greet her with a smile and a “Hey Megan, how are you?”
It’s just part of the town’s charm, she says, smiling at the regulars sitting around the bar during this interview. Her good humor and boisterous laugh are a staple at Second Street, where good music, good drinks and good friends are the norm.
She played for several Mondays at the Second Street Grille before ownership decided to close on Mondays. Now she is playing on Thursdays at Second Street from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for everyone’s happy hour delight.
“I try to evoke something within the audiences I play for,” she said. “If people are moved, then I know I’ve done my job.”
