By Amy Kenny
Will Stroet didn’t expect his degree in education would lead to a career in entertainment, but that’s how it worked out for the Vancouver-based children’s performer.
“When I was studying to become a teacher, I had this very specific moment,” says Stroet over the phone from Calgary, where he performed at BreakOut West Kinderfest in early October. “I was preparing a language arts lesson (for an education class at the University of British Columbia). I was at home and I was thinking ‘how can I make this unique?’”
Stroet landed on writing a song instead of a lecture. When he took his guitar into class the next day to perform, it was a hit with his classmates.
“It was at that moment that I realized, okay, well, there’s great potential to marry these two worlds of music and education.”
Stroet carried that practice into the classroom, where he worked as a French immersion teacher for a few years, before he took a leave of absence to see if he could make it as a musician. That was 15 years, 11 albums and a Juno nomination ago, so it’s safe to say the answer was yes.
Stroet (who performs as Will’s Jams) will bring his brand of bilingual rock-pop tunes to the Yukon this month for a comprehensive tour of the territory. In addition to a show at the Yukon Arts Centre mainstage on Oct. 15, he’ll visit elementary schools in Watson Lake, Teslin, Carcross, Whitehorse, Carmacks, Pelly Crossing, Mayo and Dawson City.
This will be Stroet’s fourth visit to the Yukon, but his first in the winter and his first as part of the Every Student, Every Day program, sponsored by Victoria Gold Yukon Student Encouragement Society, an initiative that supports student attendance projects.