The Wilderbeats Story
The Wilderbeats took their first musical flight in 2001 at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History in Halifax. Going by the name “Cheep Trills”, songwriter and then museum naturalist Ashley Moffat (AKA "Little Miss Moffat") teamed up with museum volunteer Joyce Saunders to entertain family audiences as part of a bird-themed March Break program. They performed some of Moffat’s songs and the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response from their audience compelled them to continue carving out this niche of nature-themed songs for youngsters. They hosted a popular series of sing-a-long campfires in the museum's backyard and soon established a broader network of fans and venues. The Wilderbeats continue to occupy a unique place within environmental education and children's entertainment.
Busy in her career as an interpreter at Kejimkujik National Park/Historic Site, Moffat retired from The Wilderbeats in January 2009, passing the torch to Shannon Lynch, a talented and multi-faceted musician and performer from Halifax. Moffat continues to share her nature-themed songs for children as part of her work as interpretation supervisor at Keji and elsewhere. In the fall of 2012, Little Miss Moffat released a new album that displays her unique and natural talents as a songwriter for children and adults, as well as her passion for the wilderness. “Wild About Nature” is a solid blend of Moffat’s quirky and catchy nature tunes about sea cucumbers, bats, owls, beavers, and even pandas. For more info, visit: http://littlemissmoffatmusic.com/
Joyce and Ashley
Beginning his professional performing career at the tender age of ten, Shannon Lynch has appeared before diverse audiences across Canada, the United States, and South Africa. He has been playing music for children since 1992 and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music and Theatre from Concordia University (Montreal, PQ). As a steward for the environment, he worked for many years as an earth educator for the Adventure Earth Centre and the Heartwood Institute, better known by many children as “Wolf”. Shannon works as a green real estate agent, actor, and musician in Halifax.
Joyce has performed her songs in cafes, festivals, and other venues since her early twenties, releasing two albums. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology/Sociology from Mt. Allison University and has done stints as a radio announcer, tree planter, earth educator (Adventure Earth Centre), museum naturalist (NS Museum of Natural History), and interpreter (Discovery Centre). In addition to performing her own music, Joyce provides backing vocals for a variety of local songwriters and has recently made a debut in singing flamenco.
Original Wilderbeats recordings to date include Live in Concert!!!, (2003) and studio-produced Second Nature (2006). Both albums earned "Children’s Recording of the Year" nominations from East Coast Music Awards and Nova Scotia Music Week.
Wacky Wilderbeat song fodder runs the gamut from to self-satisfied blue mussels to tricky tamarack trees to raptors rapping about their formidable features. The repertoire has a predominantly folk/alt-country flavour, but incorporates influences from rock, pop, reggae, hip-hop, and blues.
Through their unique brand of catchy, interactive music, the Wilderbeats aspire to fascinate kids of all ages with the wonders of nature. They hope to instil in their fans a deep fondness for the earth and a personal commitment toward its well-being.