SENTINEL-REVIEW

March 9, 2004

Etienne Wins Music Award

High school teacher is enjoying success writing and performing songs for kids.

Joe Guiry – Staff Writer

WOODSTOCK – Though budding singer-songwrtiers are often encouraged not to quit their day jobs, Steven Langlois probably could.

Langlois, who goes by the stage name Étienne, has taken a sabbatical from his teaching job and has hit the road full-time.  This weekend, he was crowned best children’s artist at the Canadian Music Week awards.

“It’s amazing…we were just happy to be nominated again, “ Langlois said.

He took home the award for best children’s album last year.

“I didn’t expect to win,” Langlois said.

Unfortunately for Langlois, who lives in Woodstock when not on the road, his busy touring schedule has once again left him unable to accept the award in person.

During last year’s awards he was in Edmonton, this year he was in Vancouver.

“I was watching the hockey game when I got the call,” he said.

“I heard somebody say ‘you won, say something,’ so I said ‘thank you.’”

Dubbed the Eminem of children’s music because of his unique blend of hip-hop and children’s music, Langlois said he uses a loud, in-your-face stage show that seems to have won over his audience.

For Langlois, hitting the road full time means giving up his day job – at least in the interim.

“I love teaching.  I could have quit teaching 10 years ago, but I love it so much, I just couldn’t,” he said.

He started writing music as a way to educate children.

“Not a lot of kids want to pick up a book and read it,” he said.

“but if they get these songs stuck in their heads going over and over again, they learn about grammar, they learn about poetry and they learn about all of the things we cover as teachers.”

For his latest album, entitled Grammar Jam[s], the focus is literacy.

With albums in English, French and Spanish, Langlois has created a diverse fan base in the five-to 13-year-old demographic.

Currently on a North American tour, local stops will include a show at the Sanderson Centre in Brantford, April 27 and a show in Kitchener at the Centre in the Square May 27.