The Toronto Star: Mary Poppins sings the blues

By: Ashante Infantry

Posted Friday, Mar. 10, 2006

Music teacher by day, singer at night Brings kids to CD launch at lounge

Nothing like requests from the audience to keep a performer on her toes.

Treasa Levasseur happily complied when two-and-half year-old Max asked for "Theme From Spider-Man."

But her little fan had her stumped when he called for the music from Madagascar.

"I don't know that one," admitted the 32-year-old tunesmith, with a deft "but how about this one" and launched into "Baa Baa Black Sheep" on her diamonica.

The seven toddlers guessed the tune correctly; an apt few also noted that its melody is similar to the "ABC Song."

You see, Levasseur is not merely entertaining as she hops, wiggles, spins and crawls around the living room for kiddies, mommies and nannies at a client's Forest Hill home one morning this week. It's one of the 18 weekly music and drama classes she offers in her business for children as young as three weeks old.

Throughout the lesson she encourages her pupils' creativity and musicality: having them beat tiny drums and sing along to standards such as "Happy Birthday" and "London Bridge;" turning a scarf into an imaginary dog; mixing a pretend cake while she plays guitar and hums Bob Marley's "Stir it Up."

Dressed in bright, comfortable knits, and given to Jim Carrey-esque twitches, Levasseur's dark, curly tresses fly every which way as she pulls toys and instruments from two giant canvas totes.

Her schtick — this modern-day Mary Poppins — contrasts her glam-by-night music career and the thoughtful bluesy songs she sublimely delivers on her debut CD not a straight line.

The singer/songwriter who describes her style as "sincere, sassy, soul" wrote most of the tracks, based on the ebbs and flow of her own life.

And with songs such as "Brother Lover" ( I know that you're not in love with me and that our time has come to pass) and "Solitary Man" (Sad when he calls me, and I'm sad when he don't/Wish that he'd need me, but I know he won't) it's apparently not all the sunshine and light she brings to her day job.

"Aren't we all melancholy sometimes and sometimes upbeat?" said Levasseur of the ranging emotions on the songs which she has dubbed rootsoul.

Effervescent and chatty, the Winnipeg native reveals as much in person as she does in song — for instance, in her 20s she gave up a child for adoption; her dad was a Catholic priest when he met her mom.

Levasseur moved to Toronto in early '90s to study theatre at Ryerson University, but discovered that music was her true love.

Also proficient on accordion and piano, she has played and sung with several local bands and previously released a CD under the name Slim.

In 1999, she said she was "living in a crazy little hippie commune" of artists and urban activists when she agreed to run a friend's child-entertainment business. She has now developed the venture — on word of mouth alone — to a 200-name waiting list. "I love it," she said. "Little kids are so much fun and I love being my own boss."

Her two worlds collided yesterday at the show/launch of not a straight line at Lula Lounge. Decked out in strapless red chiffon, Levasseur's audience included some of her pupils and their parents, as well as her 10-year-old daughter Emma, who is in an open adoption.

And her opening act was the Levy Brothers, a band of three, 9 to 14, whom she taught piano.

But Levasseur saved her woe-is-me missives for the later set.

"These kids don't want to hear about my depressing breakup."

(Read the Original Article)