Summer days, talking sticks, soggy dogs and trains. “Always be Yourself,” the new CD by Juno award winner Norman Foote, is full of images, melodies and humour with some ageless messages along the way.
The Vancouver performer is playing at the Abbotsford Arts Centre on Feb. 17.
Foote has received international acclaim for his song writing, use of props and off-beat sense of humour. He is best known for his children’s songs, having won the Best Children’s Album Juno in 2010 after being nominated for the award in 1990, 1993, and 2001.
Foote has created a special niche in the music world and amassed a cross-generational following with his entertaining mix of music and comedy. He has performed and worked with millions of children throughout North America, inspiring creativity through his songs, stories and innovative props.
Foote is able to find subject matter that challenges and engages his audience, both young and old. He puts his theatrical and comedic talents to use as he weaves stories and paints musical imagery. His humourous adaptations of nursery rhymes sung by rock stars is a routine that defines his talent for creating material that can bridge the generation gap. Foote calls this “a twist on tradition.” Foote’s claim to fame is his “props with an attitude.” These characters enter the stage as inanimate objects, but come to life through elements of surprise and improvisation.
In addition to a Juno, Foote has also won the Best Songwriter Award from the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada; U.S. Parents’ Choice Awards; and National Publications Parenting Awards’ Gold Award.
Tickets to the 7 p.m. show on Feb. 17 are $12. They are available at the Abbotsford Arts Centre. Parents of Terry Fox and Sandyhill elementary students may also purchase tickets from their school offices.