“Little Leaf” is the new family album from 3x Parent’s Choice Award Winner Chris McKhool, his first since releasing the CFMA winning and JUNO nominated “FiddleFire!” 17 years ago. The album is released on November 7, 2025 with the title cut out now.
“The title track is inspired by my long-time collaborator, Ojibway Elder Dr. Duke Redbird” says Chris, who was recently awarded the Key to the City by Burlington’s Mayor for his work creating community through music. “The lyrics are based on conversations with Duke, and pulled from his poems ‘Little Leaf’ and ‘Sparrow’, which I really love. You can pick up a leaf, and name it – when you name the plants and the animals around you, they become personal, and you see them as part of your circle. The children in the song also represent little leaves, falling free from their parents and becoming independent, while forever connected to their family and natural environment.”
The other songs also speak to how all living beings around us are part of our community, including “Plant a Tree!”, “Miracle in my Backyard”, “A Place in the Choir”, “Walk and Roll”, and “Cosmic Storm”, another co-write with Redbird. For three decades, Chris has taken his audience beyond the 3 R’s of ecology (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) to a new level of understanding of our global connection to forests, air, water and animals, leaving everyone with the feeling that they can really make a difference in the world around them.
“Little Leaf” features musicians from Chris’ bandmates in the 3x JUNO nominated, 6x CFMA winning global groove band Sultans of String, including guitarist Kevin Laliberté, bass master Drew Birston, and nyckelharpa player Saskia Tomkins, along with gorgeous backing vocals by singer-to-the-stars Rebecca Campbell, and a children’s chorus. The album is produced in Dolby Atmos by Chris along with Laliberté and Grammy/JUNO Award winning engineer John ‘Beetle’ Bailey.
Listen on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/album/4NDKM6D2osUpLsILnI9NzP?si=8h3QI-oBR2ym6hwGEfMQbg&nd=1&dlsi=22ac7268d1ac443e
Chris is a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal recipient for creating community through music. One of Canada’s hottest musicians for kids, he has been hailed as a “Children’s musical star” (National Post) and “Canada’s greatest eco-troubadour for young people” (Mississauga Living Arts Centre). Everything Chris does comes from the heart, and he has been delighting audiences with his joyful songs and exotic world instruments for three decades, reaching over 1 million children live in concert, with hit performances on YTV’s Treehouse, TVO’s Crawlspace, Mr. Dressup, CITY-TV and the CBC.
A champion of environmental issues, Chris created the World Largest Bicycle Bell Orchestra at Yonge-Dundas Square with over 800 bell ringers! He was nominated for a JUNO Award for Best Children’s Album, and won the Canadian Folk Music Award for Children’s Album of the Year! He’s also a multiple Parents’ Choice Award Winner and a Green Toronto Award Winner. Chris was just also inducted into the Burlington Performing Artist Centre Hall of Fame, along with his Key to the City.
The accompanying 30th Anniversary Tour is fully interactive, as kids join the band on stage playing percussion instruments from around the globe, dance to the global grooves, and sing songs about taking care of our planet.
TOUR:
2025
Sep 27 – Noon, Culture Days – Burlington Performing Arts Centre
Sep 28 – 1:00 pm – Burlington Performing Arts Centre
Oct 4 – 11:00 & 2:00 – Bingemans, Kitchener
Nov 16 – 1:00 pm – Burlington Performing Arts Centre
Nov 18 – Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts **
Nov 19 – Sanderson Centre in Brantford **
Dec 13 – 1:00 pm – Burlington Performing Arts Centre
Dec 21 – 2:00 pm – McMichael Gallery, Kleinburg
2026
Jan 26 – Flato Markham Theatre **
Jan 27 – Flato Markham Theatre **
Jan 28 – Flato Markham Theatre **
Jan 29 – Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts **
Mar 6 – 6:00 pm – Kingston Road United Church, Toronto
Apr 12 – 2:00 pm – Razzamataz Kids’ Shows, Haliburton
Apr 13 – THEOP, Mackenzie Community School – Deep River **
Apr 22 – 6:00 pm – Iroquois Falls Arts Council – Boyle Community Auditorium
Apr 23 – 6:30 pm – Kirkland Lake Entertainment Series – Northern College Auditorium
Apr 24 – 6:30 pm – Pied Piper Kidshow, Classic TheatreCobalt
Apr 26 – 2:00 pm – Over the Rainbow – Korah Collegiate HS, Sault Ste Marie
Apr 28 – Geraldton Children’s Series – Our Lady of Fatima School, Longlac **
Apr 29 – Geraldton Children’s Series – Geraldton High School, Geraldton **
Apr 30 – 6:30 pm – Kids Kaleidoscope – Sioux North High School, Sioux Lookout
May 1 – 6:30 pm – Dryden Youth Entertainment Series – Dryden Regional Cultural Centre
May 3 – 11:00 am – Sunday Smiles Family Entertainment Series – St John Paul II School, Kenora
May 4 – 6:30 pm – Kids and Company – Townshend Theatre, Fort Frances
May 5 – 6:30 pm – Atikokan Children’s Entertainment Series – St Patrick’s School, Atikokan
TICKET DETAILS: https://fiddlefire.com
** Education Shows for students and teachers
SOCIALS:
Chris’ Website: https://fiddlefire.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisMcKhoolFamilyMusic/
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/spotifykidsmusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisMcKhool
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mckhool/
AWARDS:
• 2025 Chris McKhool received the Key to the City in Burlington
• 2025 Festivals & Events Ontario – Innovation Award
• 2024 Best Musical Film and Best Soundtrack at the Cannes World Film Festival
• 2024 Burlington Performing Arts Centre Hall of Fame
• 2024 Merilaïnen Music Awards – Indigenous Ally of the Year
• 2023 Canadian Folk Music Awards – Producer of the Year
• 2022 Dr. Duke Redbird Lifetime Achievement Award – JAYU Arts For Human Rights
• 2022 Folk Music Ontario – Song of the Year winner
• 2022 Cannes World Film Festival – Best Musical Film
• 2022 Burlington’s Best Local Musician
• 2021 Canadian Folk Music Awards – Producer of the Year
• 2021 Canadian Independent Music Association – Pivot Award
• 2021 Markham Performing Arts Awards – Professional Artist of the Year
• 2021 International Songwriting Competition – World Music
• 2020 Folk Music Ontario – Songwriting Award
• 2020 Independent Music Awards – Instrumental Song of the Year
• 2020 Independent Music Awards – World Music Producer of the Year
• 2018 Canadian Folk Music Awards– Producer of the Year nomination
• 2017 New York Times Hits List
• 2017 Billboard World Music Charts
• 2017 Canadian Nielsen World Music Charts
• 2017 Folk Music Ontario- Songwriting Award
• 2017 ISC International Songwriting Competition
• 2012 Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal
• 2011 Ontario Contact – Artist of the Year
• 2010 Festivals & Events Ontario- Best Children’s Entertainer for McKhool
• 2009 JUNO Award Nominee – Children’s Music