Kids across the country are moving and grooving with award-winning Canadian children’s music artist Russell Sprout and his new get-up-and-active anthem, “The Health Hustle” — available now.
Following in his continuous wholehearted high-five to community and kindness, the Toronto-based kid’s music man offers a fun and encouraging approach to harnessing children’s endless energy into exercise and activity.
Produced by GRAMMY Award-winning nominee and JUNO Award-winner Ken Whiteley (Raffi, Fred Penner), the song is the latest to land from the artist’s newest LP, Together. The sprightly 10-song album imparts Sprout’s core values of caring, consideration, and good ol’ frolicsome fun to kids, and kids-at-heart.
“The message is so important, especially right now, and especially after the last few years we’ve come through as a community,” Russell, who’s also a rad dad of three, shares. “Kids are naturally full of beans, and this song does nothing but encourage them and the ones they love to get up to move and groove together in a fun, celebratory way!”
Russell Sprout’s ongoing mission and mantra to keep lyrics in line with his primary audience of youngsters is a quintessential representation of the artist — and Canadian kids are connecting. “‘The Health Hustle’ is a song that has really been a hit with the Toronto area schools I work with,” Russell reveals. “Kids love to hear it, and they especially like the actions that go along with it.”
As such, the new video complete with movements will help reach even more kids beyond Ontario’s largest city; the lyrics and professionally notated sheet music are also available as part of the album’s fully-illustrated 12-page booklet, or on his website as a free download.
Sprout is as entertaining in his music as he is in his on-stage persona… Donning an oversized cap and a bee adorning his blue suit jacket, his wide sunglasses and funky sneakers show before his music tells that he is silly and funny — and capable of reveling with his audience through song and rapport.
In addition to winning Best Children’s Song from Folk Music Ontario for “Troubadour” off his debut self-titled kid’s tune collection, Russell Sprout, the multi-talented Toronto-based artist sows additional kid’s music cred in spades. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist with more than 20 years of seasoned teaching and live performance experience, the man behind the music Russell Leon is a faculty member at University of Toronto’s Jackman Institute of Child Study (OISE) and Humberside Montessori School.
His most recent release, Together, weaves the sounds of folk, Klezmer, beatboxing, pop, rock, and more together with ardent emotional intelligence, reinforcement of values, and rollicking fun — all in an accessible and youth-friendly way.
“I knew the underlying theme of the record was going to be about kindness, as well as mental and physical health — and that the events in the lyrics would all have a positive outcome,” Sprout recalls of creating the sophomore release. “Even if a cat was chasing a mouse, or there was a barn fire, or if you are in a bad mood, everything was going to work out.”
Now, that’s meant quite literally with the workout that comes with “The Health Hustle.”
