Children's entertainer Will Stroet is coming to the Tsawwassen Arts Centre for a show later this month.
It will wrap up his CD release tour for his new album Just Imagine.
"It's definitely an album where I explore kids' imagination a lot. I find, especially with preschool age kids, it's such a powerful thing. It's a lot of fun to sing about and there's a lot of freedom there too," he says.
The tour has taken Stroet to Alberta and Ontario (including his first time performing in Toronto) as well as dates here in B.C. Vancouver's Stroet says he puts on a very interactive family show and while the music is obviously for kids, it's also fun for adults.
"Typically I hear a lot from parents who come to show that they really enjoy the music... which makes it a much more fun and palatable experience for them as well."
Stroet has eight CDs to his credit, including the French version of Just Imagine.
He got started writing children's music while studying at UBC to become a teacher.
"I wrote some songs during that year and used them with my students, used them with my fellow student teachers, and they were big hits."
He continued writing songs and doing music while he was teaching (he taught in the Vancouver school district for about five years) before taking the leap into his fulltime children's entertainer career about four years ago. He still uses one of his first ever songs, I Wanna Dance, as a finale at most of his performances.
"It's a super fun song and it's a great way to end the show."
Stroet also appears on TV (Kids' CBC) with Will's Jams, a "refreshing, creative and educational series about sports, hygiene, vegetables, colours and counting that will inspire kids to be healthy, active and engaged in the world around them," according to his website.
There are close to 20 Will's Jams videos in rotation airing Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on CBC in the morning.
"That was a project we spent years working towards. It was really great to finally see those videos hit the air," he says.
Will Stroet and the Backyard Band visit the Tsawwassen Arts Centre, 1172-56th St., on Saturday, Jan. 18 from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. Tickets cost $10.
Tickets for the performance are available through DeltaReg (deltareg.ca), by email ([email protected]) or by calling 604-952-3000.
For more visit www.willsjams.ca and willmusic.ca.
