Reviews & References
Revues & Recommandations
Schools/Écoles
École La Sablonnière (Gatineau, Québec)
Rideau Park School (Edmonton, Alberta)
École Élémentaire de St-Paul (St. Paul, Alberta)
Varsity Acres School (Calgary, Alberta)
École Grandin (Edmonton, Alberta)
Westlock Elementary School (Westlock, Alberta)
École Héritage (Falher, Alberta)
Queen Street School (Spruce Grove, Alberta)
L'école Richard Secord (Edmonton, Alberta)
Sir Alexander Mackenzie School (Inuvik, Northwest Territories)
Mackenzie River School (Cold Lake, Alberta)
Ecole Sunvalley School (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
Indian Head Elementary School (Indian Head, Saskatchewan)
Heyes School (Swan River, Manitoba)
Gerard Redmond Community Catholic School (Hinton, Alberta)
Corporate Functions & Christmas Parties
Regroupements de Compagnies pour Noël
Sundog Printing Limited (Calgary, Alberta)
Rotary Club (Lloydminster, Alberta)
Various Employee's Children Christmas Parties
Organizations & Festivals
Centre Culturel Français de l'Okanagan (Kelowna, Colombie Britannique)
ACFA Régionale d'Edmonton English Français
Connect '98 (St. Albert, Alberta)
Children's Festival de la Jeunesse (Ottawa, Ontario)
La Société de Théâtre de Calgary, Inc. (Halloween party)
Schools/Écoles
Au printemps dernier alors que M. Alex Mahé était en visite dans ma région de Gatineau, Québec,
après avoir reçu l'autorisation de la Direction de mon école, il est venu presenter son
spectacle tout à fait charmant devant un groupe d'élèves.
Il a su dès le début capter l'intérêt des élèves par un langage souple,
amusant, drôle, adapté aux jeunes. Ceux-ci furent fascinés par les chants variés aux quels ils
pouvaient collaborer en rythmant ou en chantant au son de la guitare.
Le tout s'est déroulé dans une atmosphère de détente, de rire, de participation.
Il serait intéressant que M. Mahé puisse presenter d'autres spectacles de ce genre dans les années
futures dans les écoles de différentes Commissions Scolaires.
Je lui suggère de se faire connaitre en envoyant ses coordonnés à ces endroits et lui
souhaite un plein succès.
Bien à vous
Mme Marie Angèle Pitre
Enseignante de la Commission Scolaire
de Draveurs de Gatineau (le 25 Janvier 1999)
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Thank you for coming to Rideau Park Elementary School last week. Your performance was a great respite during the long, chilly winter. Your cheerful,
upbeat melodies lifted our spirits.
Your love for music and children showed in the energy that radiated during your performances. The "Popcorn Song" was definitely a favorite
especially since you invited our German Bilingual students to
contribute German lyrics. The audience participation throughout the concert kept the students
involved as well as entertained.
Your quick, clever melody to the nonsense words Jenna, Alicia, and Andrew shared with you after the first concert was great.
It was a significant moment for them when you sang their lyrics at the next show. They loved the tape you made and sent for them
with their song. It was played over the P.A. system for the entire school. Your personal interest in kids
is evident in this as well.
Thank you once again for sharing your talents and joy of making music with the students of Rideau Park.
"Sing"cerely,
Esther Eckert
Music Teacher (February 16, 1999)
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"Dès son entrés en scène, Alex Mahé sait tout de suite capter l'attention de son jeune auditoire
par son rire contagieux et son énergie débordante. Il transporte les enfants dans un tourbillon de chansons originales et colorées auxquelles tout le monde
est amené à participer activement. On sent une belle
complicité entre Alex et les enfants et l'atmosphère de son spectacle est joyeuse et amicale. Puis, à
la fin
du spectacle, chacun repart avec un petit bonheur au coeur! . . ."
Elise Rochefort, Coordonnatrice culturelle à l'École Élémentaire de St-Paul, AB
"On a beaucoup aimé sa façon de discipliner les grands groupes. Les enfants ont aimé
la variété des
chansons et surtout la participation qui était encouragée. Le déguisement était aussi une bonne idée."
Deux professeurs de 1ère année, École Élémentaire de St-Paul, AB (28 avril, 1997)
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On behalf of all at Varsity Acres School, I would like to thank you for your recent performances. Our whole school is still rockin' with "Popcorn," "Dolphins,"
and of course, "Apples and Bananas."
Your lyrics were simple, melodies catchy and enjoyable, and everyone had a great time. We appreciated how everyone got involved in the action. I guess that we are even going to teach the kids how to use kazoos. I would recommend your performance to any of my colleagues
for their schools. I could see your program being a success in either English or French.
Alex . . . a favor please. Could you send us the words for the "Popcorn Song?" The song has already become a popular part of my music program.
Sincerely,
N. J. (Budge) Burrows
Varsity Acres School
Calgary Board of Education (April 1, 1996)
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I'm writing to tell you how much the students, staff and parents at École Grandin School enjoyed your performance on Friday, February 6th.
Your enthusiastic rendition of songs in French and English was a hit. I particularly appreciated the way you incorporated references to the school's patron, Bishop
Vital Grandin, whose birthday we were celebrating.
And finally, it was wonderful to see you get a number of grade six students involved on stage in your performance. They loved it, and the younger
students did too.
Again, thanks for a great performance.
À bientôt,
Joe Roberts
Principal (March 3, 1998)
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You mentioned that you noticed how "into it" I was. I, in turn, noticed how "into it" you and the children were. This is the key to what I believe made your performances
such a success. I have enclosed two pictures and an article from the Westlock Newspaper taken during the performance you gave to the children in kindergarden through grade three. The picture
of the children demonstrates the enthusiasm you generated with your great sense of humor and encouragement to the children to participate
in many of the songs. Your repertoire of songs is meaningful and enjoyable in both English and French. As a music teacher and musician I must also commend you on your musicianship.
Equally important is the picture of yourself. It shows someone having a terrific time doing what he loves doing. Alex, the kind of enthusiasm is simply contagious! In talking with teachers and children I understand
that the performance you gave to the children in grades four to six was equally as successful. I congratulate you and hope that we can arrange for you to give another performance in the future.
Yours truly,
Sheldon G. Fraser
Music Teacher (April 7, 1996)
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Dès le début, on voit que les enfants se laissent emporter dans l'univers fantastique
d'Alex Mahé. À leurs sourires et leur façon de chanter, on voit très bien que c'est un plaisir
pour eux que d'être là. Tous les élèves, de la maternelle à la 3e année apprécient énormément le spectacle,
et ils le démontrent en participant avec joie et gaieté.
Yannick Veilleux
Moniteur de langues
École Héritage, Falher, AB (January, 1992)
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On behalf of the students and staff of Queen Street School, I would like to thank you for entertaining us (Fall of 1995). You have a wonderful way with the children and your songs help to
free the children to experience the joy of music making. As well
as being very singable, your songs spark the imagination of the children.
Keep up the good work!
Your truly,
V. Roth
Music Teacher
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On behalf of all the students, staff, and parents of Richard Secord School, we would like to thank you for your enthusiastic performances last Thursday
morning. Both musical performances were very entertaining and served as a warm-up for our school's "Carnaval D'hiver" on Friday, February 13, 1998.
Your combination of the authentic French Canadian and English music and songs were very meaningful for all our English and French Immersion students.
Your audio tapes were most useful! The students at our school were given the opportunity to listen to your tapes during our afternoon music selection for two weeks prior to your performances at our school.
We would certainly recommend your Division I and Division II performances at any school or bilingual school.
Sincerely,
Jacinthe Farand and Ingrid Zukiwski
Teachers
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To: Malcolm Farrow, Manager, Support Services
Department of Education, Government of the N.W.T. Yellowknife
Re: Alex Mahé N.W.T. School Visits
Just a short note to thank you for your work in securing Mr. Alex Mahé as a visiting artist to our school. As you will note from the evaluation
attached, Mr. Mahé was very well received and appreciated.
Mr Mahé spoke and sang with great gusto and actively involved the students (as a group) in his activities. His high energy level was evident in both our performances and we were
pleased with his pleasant interaction. As was previously mentioned, there was indeed a high degree of satisfaction from all N.W.T. schools Mr. Mahé visited.
Thanks again for your fine effort -- and results!
Yours truly,
James Anderson
Sir Alexander Mackenzie School (March 18, 1989)
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Mes élèves de maternelle ont eu le plaisir de vous voir en spectacle à
l'école MacKenzie River School le 6 avril dernier.
Votre spectacle à la fois éducatif et divertissant a susité beaucoup
d'enthousiasme chez eux et quelques-uns ont tenu à vous exprimer leur appréciation:
"I liked the tongue twisters!"
"My favorite song was the popcorn song!"
"My favorite song was the Coucou."
"I liked all the songs!"
"J'ai trouvé le chapeau et le miroir très drôles!"
"I liked when he sang the fish song avec les amis"
"Alex chante bien!"
Je me permets d'ajouter que j'ai bien aimé entendre un français à la fois
simple et de qualité. Vous avez créé une belle ambiance et vous
avez fait participer les enfants tout en maintenant une bonne discipline. Ce matin-là, je n'ai
pas été que chanceuse d'avoir de si bons élèves,
mais aussi de vous voir en spectacle à notre école.
S'il vous plaît, continuez à exploiter ce talent que vous avez de toucher les
gens de façon si positive à travers votre musique.
Carole Simard
Pour les élèves de maternelle de l'ecole Mackenzie River school (Avril 2001)
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Thank you for including our school in your 2001 Spring tour. We appreciated your upbeat
performance and the students enjoyed being a part of the show.
In particular, I was pleased with the easy-to-learn nature of the songs. There was always some part of the song that was
suitable for the audience to join in through singing along, or doing actions. The lyrics were well-suited
to a young audience, and they responded well to the fun presentation.
Being a Music teacher in a French immersion school, I appreciated that the French lyrics of your music are appropriate for students
who are learning French as their second language. It was great to have music that was catchy
and fun to learn! It was a real benefit to have one show in English, and one in French, so that all of the students would enjoy the performance in their
language of instruction. We enjoyed your show and hope to have you back in the future.
Sincerely,
Chris Grieger, Music Specialist (June 20, 2001)
Ecole Sunvalley School
Winnipeg, Manitboa
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Thank you for visiting Indian Head Elementary School on May 22. Your performances
were enjoyed by all. Your love of music and entertaining children was evident in yoru performances.
Your punctuality and friendly disposition are an added asset to your shows.
The student and staff participation throughout the concerts kept the students involved as well as entertained.
The pre-show rehearsal with selected students was also a terrific idea. This allowed some students not only to participate
from a distance but to also get the chance to "star" in the show. All this in front of their peers! It was an excellent
experience for them and will be remembered and treasured for years to come.
We would recommend your valuable performaces to any Saskatchewan school.
Good luck in your future endeavors.
Sincerely,
Indian Head Elementary School Staff and Students (June 11, 2001)
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We welcomed the opportunity to have you in our school. As we are a distance from
larger centers, we too seldom have the chance to view a live performance.
You are a very high energy individual. We enjoyed your music and enthusiasm. We liked how you involved
the children.
We also applaud your organization. You take care of all the little details. We recommend your performance to
any Manitoba school.
Thank you on behalf of the Heyes School students and staff.
Sincerely.
Mrs. Deborah Burnside
Principal (June 3, 2001)
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On June 21, Alex Mahé provided two highly entertaining presentations to our Grades 1-3 and
Grades 4-6 students. He successfully and naturally adapted his program to the age and maturity of each group. Mr Mahé is
very comfortable with children and has a natural way of communicating with them. I was impressed with the relationship that he
quickly established with the older students, and this rapport was reflected in their enthusiasm and their
participation in the program.
Mr. Mahé obviously loves music and enjoys entertaining children. Quick to smile, he is
vibrant and upbeat. He uses humor in his songs as well as in his interaction with the audience, quickly placing
his listeners at ease and drawing them into the presentation. Alex involves students in some of his songs, and he arrived three hours
prior to the first performance so as to prepare six or seven students for their participation. He uses this
time as well to set up his equipment according to his needs. He is organized and meticulous
in his preparations, which is an indication of the pride that he takes in his work. Weeks
prior to his arrival, the school was provided with a variety of helpful information as well as a tape of his music so that students could
become familiar with the songs and fell free to sing along during his live performance.
After the presentations, Mr. Mahé shook hands with some of his new fans, providing some students with autographs and making available
for purchase some of his cassette tapes.
The students and staff of our school would highly recommend Alex Mahé as a guest presenter in your school. For us, it was a wonderful way to celebrate
the end of the school year.
Sincerely,
Louis Kloster
Assistant Principal
Gerard Redmond Community Catholic School
Hinton, Alberta (June 28, 2001)
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Corporate Functions & Christmas Parties/Regroupements de Compagnies pour Noël
I am pleased to recommend Alex Mahé as an excellent children's entertainer.
Sundog Printing hired Alex for our Children's Christmas Party for the past three years in a row and we enjoyed his performance equally this year. The children at the party were very excited
and fully participated in Alex's performance. One favorite was "The Popcorn Song." As this was my first experience organizing
a children's party, I was pleased that Alex was able to contribute so much to the party, keeping the children entertained and involved.
Having Alex at the Sundog Children's Christmas Party was the most enjoyable part of the party for children and parents. I would recommend Alex Mahé's performance to anyone who was
considering hiring him.
Regards,
Liesa Evans
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In response to your concert last night for that I've arranged for our local Lloydminster Rotary Club, I'm compelled to provide this letter of recommendation to any group or company interested in your children's entertainment requirements.
I must apologize that our group expressed some concern to your fees initially, but I knew to get quality work and experience and knowing that last year's Christmas party was a flop because we were cheap with the entertainment,
that I was a little on the limb persuading the group to proceed with you.
Thank you, Alex Mahé, for not letting me down as I've already received many comments to your performance and having the undivided attention of all the children throughout. Truthfully, Santa Claus had a tough act to follow.
There is not doubt that I would retain your services whenever an occasion arises. Thank you Alex!!
Respectfully Submitted,
Paul P. Richer, R.E.T.
Universal Consulting Group Ltd. (December 2, 1997)
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December 1996: My three children know all of Alex Mahé's songs by heart in both French and English. His performance
is both exhilarating and captivating with a good mix of antics, humour, and animation. I recommend his Children's Christmas "stage show" to any company wishing to bring
an added twinkle in employees and their children's eyes! It was great fun! (Dr. Denis Lavoie, Bonnyville Health Centre)
December 1995: I really enjoyed Alex's Christmas show. He held the kids' attention throughout his performance. The show was fun, rhythm filled, and participatory in nature, which made it a huge success. This
is a show I would recommend to any corporate organization seeking to brighten up their children's Christmas party. (Bev McLean, Canadian Utilities Ltd.)
December 1997: You did a wonderful job entertaining at our Staff Children's Christmas Party. Best ever! This party will be forever branded in these youngsters' minds and hearts. Don't ever stop performing, it's what you do best. See you next year! (Marcel Mercier, Evergreen Gardens)
December 1994: There was a good turnout for the Children's Christmas party in the Unity Room on December 17th. A sing-along with professional children's entertainer, Alex Mahé, was good fun for both kids and parents. Alex played and sang some of the tunes from his two audio cassettes of children's songs.
He whipped up excitement for the arrival of Santa Claus by reading telegrams sent from Santa along his journey. (When Santa arrived, however, he was spotted right away to be a she, but this was excused on the basis that the 'real Santa' was too busy to visit St. Albert at that time.). We understand Alex is working on a new recording. We wish him the best of luck and hope to hear from him again soon. (President, One Parent Family Association, St. Alberta, AB)
February 1996: Alex Mahé's unique style of entertaining the children at our Staff Christmas Party surpassed any that we have previously encountered. Alex held the children's attention, ranging in age from newborn to twelve years, and had the ability to involve
the children in many of his songs. His performance was enjoyed by all who attended! (Laurel Janveaux, Convention Inn, Edmonton)
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Organizations & Festivals
Il me fait plaisir de vous recommander le spectacle pour enfants que présente Alex Mahé. Son répertoire équilibré est composé de chansons traditionnelles et de ses charmantes compositions originales.
Mon expérience de travail avec Alex a été des plus agréables, son professionnalisme et son esprit de coopération ont rendu l'organization technique facile et efficace, sans
dépenses intutiles.
Il a démontré enthousiasme et sensibilité envers les enfants de la communauté pendant
le spectacle. Pendant l'après-midi précédant le spectacle, Alex a gracieusement répondu
à l'invitation de l'école francophone de Kelowna, il y a présenté des chansons avec sa guitare, parler de son métier et répondu aux questions des enfants.
Le spectacle qu'il nous a offert entièrement en français a été très divertissant, Alex sait
transmettre son enthousiasme et démontre une grande sensibilité envers les enfants.
Alex apporte une belle contribution au développement de la chanson français pour enfants dans le Canada. Il offre aussi un beau choix de musique sur cassette.
Je n'hésiterai pas à inviter Alex Mahé à participer dans nos événements futurs.
Francine Portelance
Agente de développement (le 5 janvier, 1999)
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We are pleased to recommend Alex Mahé's children show (Good Time Train). Alex is a great entertainer
and with his showmanship and high energy, he has his young audience response whole-heartedly.
The French Canadian Association of Alberta Edmonton Regional Office (A.C.F.A. régionale d'Edmonton) has booked Alex Mahé for several children
shows over the past few years for festivals such as: Cabane à sucre, St-Jean Baptiste and the Edmonton Heritage Festival. It was
always a very dynamic, joyful and exhuberant performance. His love for music, song and life is very contagious.
Alex's performance will no doubt bring success to your festival, fair and/or school cultural activity.
Yours in the development of cultural artistic activities,
Lise Holeton
Director, ACFA régionale d'Edmonton Board
Julie Roach
Cultural Director, ACFA Régionale d'Edmonton (September 1, 1998)
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Par la présente, il nous fait plaisir de vous recommander le spectacle pour enfants que présente l'artiste franco-albertain Alex Mahé. Alex sait bien capter l'attention
des petits et même des moins jeunes. Nos e