Atlantic Canadian artist Heather Feather is redefining what children’s music can be, and audiences across the country are taking notice.
Originally from Newfoundland and now building a growing national profile.
As parents and educators increasingly seek meaningful, development-focused content for early learners, Heather offers a perspective that is both artistically rich and deeply practical, delivering music that resonates with kids and the adults around them.
May 23, 2026 McConnell Library, Sydney, NS - 11 a.m. FREE EVENT- Sign Up click here https://cbrl.ca/event/heather-feather-music-for-growing-hearts-and-minds
May 23, 2026 - Sydney Library, North Sydney, NS - 2:30 p.m. FREE EVENT - Sign Up here
https://cbrl.ca/event/heather-feather-music-for-growing-hearts-and-minds-2/
Award-Winning Children’s Artist with PhD in Music Theory, Heather Feather, Reimagines Classic Children’s Favourite “The Cat Came Back” with a Playful, Development-Focused Twist
The 2026 Canadian Folk Music Award-nominated and 2025 East Coast Music Awards-winning Kindie Artist blends jazz-inspired storytelling, brain-building early learning principles in a joyful new single for children under five.
“Appealing to kids intelligence” - CBC Radio
Watch: Heather Feature on CTV Your Morning here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRPPdNIkWO4
Release Date: Friday, April 10 2026
With a PhD in Music Theory from McGill University and a career spanning academia, live performance, years working with children, and advocacy, Montreal-based Kindie artist Heather Feather creates music with a clear focus on childhood development, crafting songs that support children’s cognitive, emotional, and social growth. Grounded in years of teaching experience, Heather brings a deep understanding of how young minds engage with music and storytelling. This results in songs that are both engaging and intentionally designed to foster empathy, self-awareness, and critical thinking through age appropriate, engaging songs. Her work offers families and educators an accessible way to introduce meaningful life concepts through music, bridging the gap between entertainment and education. Following the success of her sophomore album Together (2025), a socially driven, development-focused project centered on inclusion and belonging, Heather has continued to earn widespread recognition. The album received a 2026 Canadian Folk Music Award nomination for Children’s Album of the Year, alongside an 2026 East Coast Music Award nomination for Children’s Artist of the Year, building on her growing list of accolades and establishing her as a leading voice in the Kindie space.
Blending academic insight with vibrant, genre-spanning production, Heather collaborates with world-class musicians, including Grammy and Latin Grammy Award winners, bringing a rare level of musicality to children’s music. Beyond her recordings, she serves on the leadership team of the Children’s Music Network and advocates for accessibility in the arts through her work with RAMPD. With each release, Heather Feather continues to redefine the possibilities of children’s music by delivering thoughtful, developmentally grounded songs that resonate with kids and adults alike.As part of a broader upcoming project aimed at children under five, Heather’s latest single, a development focused take on the children’s classic “The Cat Came Back”, signals a new chapter in her work, one that continues to blend musical excellence with early childhood development in a way that feels both joyful and deeply considered.
“The Cat Came Back” was arranged and performed by Heather Feather, featuring rich, jazz-inspired instrumentation that brings the song’s playful storytelling to life. The song leans into a lively swing feel, with layered instrumentation and rhythmic repetition designed to engage young listeners. “The Cat Came Back” will be released on Friday, April 10 2026.
About "The Cat Came Back":
Marking a playful and purposeful return to music for Heather Feather’s youngest listeners, "The Cat Came Back" offers a unique take on a childhood favourite. After focusing on material for ages 6 and up in her last album, Heather set out to create something for early learners, leaning into repetition of language and musical building blocks of pitch and rhythm, anticipation, and simple storytelling structures that support how children naturally process language and music. Built around a familiar, escalating narrative, the song follows a cat that keeps returning despite being sent farther and farther away, inviting kids to predict what comes next while subtly introducing concepts like distance and modes of transportation. The song also carries a personal intent, where one verse reflects Heather’s own experience of having to give up her own beloved cat due to severe allergies, asthma, and MS, bringing emotional authenticity to an otherwise lighthearted, humorous song.
Musically, “The Cat Came Back” embraces Heather's love for jazz with a swing sensibility, brought to life with rich instrumentation and collaboration from Grammy Award-winning contributors including Dean Jones and Alan Douches. As always in Heather’s approach, the arrangement is carefully constructed for young listeners, using repeated melodic phrases and rhythmic patterns that mirror how children learn through familiarity and play. By balancing humour and developmental intention, the song is an engaging listening experience and a foundational learning tool, offering laughter, predictability, and discovery in one.
Upcoming Shows:
April 25; May 2, 9, 16, 20 2026 - Parent and Child Music (ages 0-5) - Beaconsfield, QC- Tickets:
https://cbrl.ca/event/heather-feather-music-for-growing-hearts-and-minds
May 23, 2026 - McConnell Library, Sydney, NS - 11:00 a.m. FREE EVENT Sign Up Below:
https://cbrl.ca/event/heather-feather-music-for-growing-hearts-and-minds/
May 23, 2026 - Sydney Library, North Sydney, NS - 2:30 p.m. FREE EVENT Sign Up Below
https://cbrl.ca/event/heather-feather-music-for-growing-hearts-and-minds-2/
*This program was made possible by a generous donation from The John and Jeanne Eyking
Family Foundation
June 24, 2026 - Fête de la Saint-Jean, Beaconsfield, QC - FREE EVENT
Biography:
Heather Feather is a Kindie (Kids + Indie) artist from Mount Pearl, NL and is based in Montreal, QC. She is the 2025 winner and a 2023 nominee in the East Coast Music Awards, Jazz Album of the Year nominee from MusicNL, a two-time Parent’s Pick Award for Best Elementary Kids Products of 2025 and World’s Best Educational Products (Together), 2025 Creative Child Award Winner of CD of the Year (Together), and most recently one of six finalists in the international John Lennon Songwriting Contest (A Fishy Tale). Heather holds a PhD in Music Theory from McGill University where she also served as an instructor, is a Member of the Leadership Team of the Board of Directors of The Children’s Music Network and is a speaker and representative for RAMPD, Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities. She is a Teaching Artist touring with Prologue Performing Arts in Toronto-area K-6 school, and regularly works as an instructor for 7 preschools and daycares in the Montreal area. Filling a unique gap in the children's music scene, Heather Feather offers high quality instrumentation by leading musicians, including Grammy award winning artists, alongside lyrics that encourage children to think outside of the box. Heather has performed for audiences of all sizes across North America where her toe-tapping music, energetic personality, and highly interactive shows engage the whole family. Her debut album, “Songs for Growing”, (2022) has been described as “delightful songs and potent melodies” blending folk, R&B, and jazz. Her sophomore album “Together” (June 2025), was produced by Grammy-award Kindie producer Dean Jones and is an upbeat mix of funk, pop, and jazz tunes on the themes of inclusion, acceptance, and belonging. The album received a 2026 Canadian Folk Music Award nomination in the Children’s Album of the Year category, and Heather also received a 2026 Children’s Artist of the Year nomination from the East Coast Music Awards.
Connect with Heather Feather:
https://weejam.ca/heather-feather
https://www.instagram.com/heather_feather_childrensmusic
https://www.facebook.com/HeatherFeatherChildrensMusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRuGIEvYHmAbEVLkqIP_7yg
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1jMBCFhL681WN0jNFnE2V5
