“25 years ago musical entertainment for children was almost a Canadian industry. Streaming through the door that was opened by Raffi and blown in by Sharon, Lois and Bram came a whole procession of artists with a whole stack of accompanying record albums. They weren’t all great, but Debbie Carroll is the equal of the best of them, and continues the tradition of providing high-quality music for young children…. Carroll has a sweet, perfectly-pitched voice reminiscent of Sharon Hampson, and sings simply and without mannerism…” Terry Robbins, Wholenote Magazine Online, Oct 1-Nov 7
Debbie Carroll lives in Goderich, Ontario with her husband and their two cats Lewis and Elliott. Debbie enjoys sharing music in a variety of settings, including classrooms, libraries, festivals and private celebrations. Her large collection of children’s songs and rhymes includes new and traditional fingerplays, action songs, dances and lullabies. Debbie is a member of Rattle-Tattle Workshops, a group which offers interactive music and story workshops to teachers, librarians, caregivers and parenting groups.
Debbie received her Bachelor of Musical Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees from the University of Western Ontario, London, and an Advanced Certificate in Early Childhood Music Education from the Royal Conservatory of Music and Ryerson University, Toronto. She has taught with the Young Children’s Creative Music and Movement Classes (YCCMMC) and the Kingsway Conservatory of Music (KCM). Debbie is a member of the Canadian Society of Authors, Illustrators and Performers (CANSCAIP) and the Children’s Music Network (CMN). Debbie is a board member of the Early Childhood Music Association of Ontario (ECMA of Ontario) and one of the hosts for The Toronto Friday Night Song Circle.
Along with producer Ken Whiteley, Debbie has made 2 recordings for young children. Debbie’s recordings are excellent resources for parents, teachers, librarians, and caregivers. Her first CD, Up and Over the Moon! (Merriweather Records MDC03), won a Parents’ Choice Award and a Children’s Music Web Award. In 2004, Debbie was nominated for a Canadian Independent Music Award – “Favourite Children’s Artist”.
Debbie’s CD, Simply Beautiful (Merriweather Records MDC07), was released in June 2007 and has been described as “gentle music that is genuine, heartfelt and will stand the test of many, many playings“ (Magoo of Kirk & Magoo). It is a wonderful collection of new and traditional action songs, fingerplays and lullabies. For this CD, Debbie has won a Parents’ Choice Award and was nominated for a 2007 Canadian Folk Music Award for Best Children’s Album.
The Eensy Weensy Book of Little Fingerplays! (with CD) is Debbie’s most recent project. Ken Whiteley produced the accompanying CD. Included are new and traditional songs and rhymes, illustrated by Patricia Storms. This book would be a terrific addition to any parent or teacher’s library.
Debbie and her husband have two grown children, Kevin, a drummer, and Lisa, a costume~maker. Debbie plays a variety of musical instruments including piano, guitar, dulcimer, flute, whistle and the Celtic harp. She likes to take long walks, feed the birds, pick berries in her garden, watch sunsets over Lake Huron, walk on the boardwalk, read short stories, do word puzzles, knit sweaters – and make music with friends!
Click the links to…
- see some of Debbie’s favourite things
- learn about Debbie’s cds and book for young children
- sign up for Debbie’s mailing list and keep up to date with concerts, workshops and news!
- send an email to Debbie