WILL AND SEEKA | WILL ET SEEKA
About Will and Seeka
Will et Seeka — of Will’s Jams and Seeka Sings — are nationally recognized musicians and educators who both have a passion for music, languages, and childhood education. Their shared understanding of the power of music in teaching languages brought these two songwriters and parents together during the pandemic to create fun, unique, and relevant musical resources to support French and English language learning. Born into families of educators and musicians, music has been instrumental in helping both artists become fluent in French as their second language.
They are excited to share their upbeat and educational bilingual music for kids with families and educators around the world. Notable performances include the Richmond Children’s Art Festival, Vancouver International Children’s Festival, Children’s Festival of Saskatchewan and and district wide tours in Richmond and Burnaby French immersion schools. Listen to "Will et Seeka: Amis avec tout le monde” and “Will and Seeka: Friends with Everyone.”
Educators can gain access to the Will et Seeka virtual musical program, which includes a wealth of fun French teaching resources including lyric videos, lesson ideas, and printable worksheets available now on Arts IQ.
Will and Seeka French Virtual Music Program
French immersion and core French educators can subscribe to the Will et Seeka virtual musical program, which includes 15 lyric music videos, downloadable songs and instrumental tracks, and printable worksheets available now on Arts IQ. Price is only $14.50 for both programs per teacher with access until July 2025.
About Will's Jams
Will Stroet (Vancouver), of Will’s Jams , is a JUNO-nominated musician, a nationally recognized educator, former CBC Kids TV star, and the father of two awesome girls. His high-energy rock-pop music in English and French is full of witty wordplay and sing-along choruses, inspiring kids to be active, creative, caring and community-minded. Prior to launching a full-time career in music in 2009, Will worked as a beloved French immersion music teacher in Vancouver, Canada. Over the past 15-plus years, he’s performed more than 2,000 shows for young audiences across Canada and China at festivals, theaters and schools. He has released 11 albums in French and English, which have garnered national acclaim including a 2017 JUNO nomination, 8 nominations by the Western Canadian Music Awards, and 3 from the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Will holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education from the University of British Columbia (UBC). In 2015, he was named one of UBC’s Faculty of Education’s Top 100 Alumni. Learn more about Will's Jams at www.willsjams.com or visit his page on Pebble Star Artists.
About Seeka Sings
Jessica “Seeka” Holtby (Edmonton) of Seeka Sings is a 2021 Western Canadian Music Awards nominee, a French instructor at the University of Alberta (U of A), and a mother to one sweet toddler (with another baby on the way). She holds a Master of Arts from the University of Alberta, and has a strong interest in early literacy and in French as a Second Language. Through songs, videos, music classes, and sing-alongs in English and French, Seeka covers a wide range of early learning targets, including language development, motor skills, social-emotional learning, diversity, and anti-racism. Seeka hosts virtual and in-person interactive sing-alongs at festivals, schools, daycares, and private events. Her debut children’s EP, “Seriously Singable Children’s Songs,” earned her a nomination for 2021 Children’s Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards. Learn more about Seeka at www.seekasings.com.
Show descriptions
Will et Seeka: Amis avec tout le monde (School Show)
“Will et Seeka: Amis avec tout le monde” is the ultimate interactive concert for kids learning French as a second language. Whether they’re in French immersion, core French or just have a love for the language, this concert is guaranteed to engage and entertain. And, they’ll be learning French without even realizing it!
Will and Seeka are accompanied by a talented, bilingual band in this energetic and educational show, which features songs about colours, days of the week, weather, food, animals, daily routines, family and friends, the alphabet and movement.
Through sing-along choruses, actions and movement, kids will leave the show with these joyous songs in their hearts and a skip in their step.
Format: This concert is available in French or as a bilingual show.
Band: 4-piece (guitar/vocal, keyboard/vocals, drums, bass)
Show length: 45 minutes
Ages: 4-12
Will and Seeka: Friends with Everyone (Family Show)
Will and Seeka — of Will’s Jams and Seeka Sings — are nationally recognized musicians and educators who both have a passion for music, languages, and childhood education. During the pandemic they collaborated to produce two albums, "Will et Seeka: Amis avec tout le monde"(WCMA nominated), and the English version, "Will and Seeka: Friends with Everyone. Through sing-along choruses in English and French, actions and movement, their musical show is guaranteed to entertain and engage young kids and their families. Will and Seeka are accompanied by a talented band in this energetic and educational show, which features songs about colours, days of the week, weather, food, animals, family and friends, the alphabet and movement. Kids will leave the show with these joyous songs in their hearts and a skip in their step. Educators can also access their virtual musical programs with French lyric music videos, downloadable music and printable activity sheets on Arts IQ at artsiq.ca/willetseeka.
Format: This concert is available in English
Band: 4-piece (guitar/vocal, keyboard/vocals, drums, bass)
Show length: 45 minutes
Ages: 3-9
DOWNLOADS
TESTIMONIALS
"Toute l’école a aimé le concert de Will et Seeka! All their songs are catchy, relevant to the children’s lives, and fun to sing. Students easily memorized the fun songs and were super excited to sing them at the concert. Merci beaucoup for one of our favourite days this year!"
- Stacey Sveistrup, principal, Vancouver
"Will et Seeka’s enthusiasm, musical ability, careful composition, and love of teaching “le français” is evident throughout their songs and videos. I am certain that their album "Will et Seeka - Amis avec tout le monde" will be a valuable asset to any French Education program. Bravo ! Bon Succès ! ”
- Charlotte Diamond, children’s entertainer & educator, Juno award winner & recipient of the Order of Canada
"The Vancouver International Children’s Festival presented Will and Seeka at our 2023 Festival with great success. All the shows were sold out in no time and the audience were wowed! Will and Seeka are both outstanding musicians who engaged our young audiences through their uplifting and energetic songs encouraging folks to connect with the music with interactive components to the show. Our audiences left the theatre with big grins on their faces and some were even singing the songs on their way out. I highly recommend Will and Seeka to folks who are looking for outstanding music for young audiences."
- Katharine Carol, MA , Artistic & Executive Director , Vancouver International Children’s Festival