Etienne (Steven Langlois)

Étienne (born as Steven Langlois) is a Warner Music Canada recording artist who has sold tens of thousands of CDs worldwide.

He had a successful World Tour in 2005 that saw him perform sold-out concerts across Canada, the United States, New Zealand and into Australia. His most recent "World Tour 2006/2007", sponsored by S.E.V.E.C. and World of Reading, will see him perform shows from throughout Canada, the United States and all across Australia.

Étienne is the stage-name of Steven Langlois, a teacher with the Greater Essex County District School Board. Born (February 28th, 1971) and raised in Windsor, Ontario, he began performing at a young age. While attending the University of Windsor, where he graduated with a B.A. in French Language and Literature and a B.Ed., he began composing songs designed to help children learn English, French and Spanish using popular styles of music. Now residing in LaSalle, Ontario, with his wife and two children, he has taught English and French to students from grades one to twelve since 1993. Mr. Langlois currently works as a Department Head of Modern Languages, Program Coordinator for FSL Renewal (Greater Essex County and Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Boards) and as a Think Literacy Team-Teacher at Kennedy Collegiate Institute.

He authors and composes for several widely-used international school programs produced by leading educational companies including Thomson Nelson, Oxford University Press, Glencoe McGraw Hill, Pearson Education, Prentice, Ginn, Gage Canada and Denmark’s Forlag Malling Beck. His music is distributed in most major music stores and by Children’s and Educational distributors worldwide. He has had his songs translated into the Cree language for the government of Saskatchewan.

Recent Awards and Honours

*Winner of the “Canada’s Favourite Children’s Artist of the Year Award (2004)” (CMW “Indies” Awards, MuchMusic, MTV). Nominees for this award were chosen by members of the music industry and winners were determined by national fan-based voting.

*Winner of the “2003 Children's Album of Year” award at the Canadian Music Week “Indies” Awards ceremony (MTV) where his CD “C’est le temps” was chosen over those of many established Children’s artists including Fred Penner.

*Recipient of the 2003 Helen B. St. John Award for “outstanding professional contribution and leadership in the field of modern languages” from the Ontario Modern Language Teachers' Association. Akin to a ‘lifetime achievement award,’ Étienne is the youngest person to be awarded this honour.

*Winner of a “2002 Parents' Choice Award” for his video “Rockumentaire.” This educational music video was placed on the same esteemed list as the then, newly released Harry Potter film. Étienne’s CD “C'est le temps” also earned a “2002 Parents’ Choice Award.”

His myspace fansite is at [http://www.myspace.com/etienneonline www.myspace.com/etienneonline] .

Here are some recent media articles and TV news scripts about Etienne (found on website www.sonicbids.com/etienne - click "Press" to view)

Promoting A Global Community / Language Students Treated to International Performer How many students do you think would willingly attend rock concerts that focused on French and Spanish grammar and vocabulary? On Friday October 6th... students did just that and the performances were far from boring! Steven Langlois (aka Etienne) is a teacher from Ontario who is regarded in Canada as the "Eminem of Children's music." His loud and energetic shows use compelling beats and various musical genres to repeat and reinforce grammatical structures...It's no wonder he was honored with Canada's Artist of the year. Many world language teachers have used his CDs and videos in their classrooms. The audience (grades 7-12) was easily engaged with both Etienne's music and charismatic styles. Within minutes the students were jumping around yelling out and singing. The only reported downside to the concerts came from those who had Etienne's songs stuck in their heads days after the concert.

More than 1,400 students and teachers in Anchorage School District French and Spanish language programs attended a concert by Etienne on Oct. 6th, 2006. Etienne is the stage name of Steven Langlois, a teacher from LaSalle, Ontario (Kennedy Collegiate Institute, Greater Essex County District School Board) who has been performing all around the world since 1993. He's received numerous awards including 2003 and 2004 "Canadian Artist of the Year."

Eminem for Children Educates and EntertainsTeenagers have the uncanny ability to sniff out a phony, especially one who uses a hip and stylish package to push education on them. Teenagers are a sly bunch and they know when they're being had. So, Windsor singer/songwriter Steven Langlois knows he has to be straight with teens if he wants them to keep turning up to his educational music concerts. "I can't explain it," said Langlois, 34, who goes by the stage name Etienne. "I'm honest with who I am, so maybe that's why the kids respect me." An award-winning musician, Etienne brings his blend of hip-hop and rock music rife with educational lyrics to the Living Arts Centre for a concert this Monday. Tickets to the Hammerson Hall show cost $6. Call 905-306-6000. Show time is 1 p.m. A high school French teacher, Etienne began using music as a way to get through to some of his more reluctant students 12 years ago. Claiming he's no Weird Al Yankovic, Etienne writes all his music and lyrics that teach grammar skills in English, French and Spanish. "I knew music was a heavy motivation for teens," said Etienne, who said he has been described as the 'Eminem of children's music.' " The kids go absolutely nuts at the shows. It's the craziest thing. But the music does have an edge and it's in your face." A staple at the Canadian Music Week's The Indies Awards, Langlois was nominated for Favourite Children's Artist this year (which he lost) but won in the same category in 2004. In 2003, he took home the trophy for Children's Album of the Year.

Rapper and TeacherAll the Fairview homies, the Albion, the Highland Park, the Garibaldi and the Maple Ridge homies, they were all down with Etienne. And they don't play around. If you stink, they'll tell you. If your rhymes are wack, they'll let you know. Etienne, which translates into Steven in French, gyrated his hips and maneuvered his lips in a way that made all the girls scream. Even the boys let loose. "I love your towel," yelled several different girls. The pink, purple and turquoise beach towel played the role of handkerchief at the beginning of the show and graduated into a bath robe of sorts by the time Etienne finished. There are very few performers who sweat as much as Etienne but it goes with the territory when your game is keeping young kids interested. It's gotta be high energy when you're an edu-rocker. Keeping them interested all the way through an hour-long performance is tough. Who wouldn't be skeptical if their teacher told them they'd be listening to a French rapper from Windsor Ontario? He's even been dubbed by media as the children's version of Eminem, but only because of his skin colour. Although it's nothing but a nice floury lie to think that these students Etienne - aka Steven Langlois - is performing for aren't familiar with the violent, over-the-top lyrics of mainstream rappers, they all seem to appreciate what he's about. "Kids like the fact that I have that edge," said Langlois. "They come to the show expecting some guy sitting on a stool." After one of his shows in West Philadelphia, Langlois was told by a teacher that the kids were blown away his show. "To them you're as cool as Snoop Dogg and Notorious BIG, and these kids know their rap," said the teacher. An Etienne show is all about interacting with the audience. Mostly it's high-fiving the kids or getting the crowd to jump around but sometimes he throws in a little something for the teachers. On Tuesday he performed in Burnaby and as usual he did a tribute to the Backstreet Boys, a sappy, French love song that at a normal show would make even the most romantic woman hurl. Only this time he was invited onto the lap of a teacher who decided that she was going to be the one making the moves. He played along for a few seconds of awkward intimacy but then cut the act and went back to the show. That must have been kind of nice, right? "Personally, no," said Langlois. "But I would never tell her that." Langlois is a happily married man with two kids who has taken a sabbatical from his teaching job at Herman Secondary in Windsor to embark on a world tour as Etienne. The tour started in the beginning of February and will end in August with stops in New Zealand and Australia. Although he's sold tens of thousands of CDs in three languages - English, French and Spanish - and admits he could have left his teaching job two years into it (financially speaking), he's been able to balance both the music and the classroom work. After all, the two go hand-in-hand. The 34-year-old Langlois, is a trained vocalist (Royal Conservatory) who has been singing for most of his life. He started using his music as a teaching tool back in teacher's college and now that he's taught for 12 years he still uses music to educate his students. Grammar, verb conjunction, prefixes, suffixes, adjectives, vowels, he teaches it all through music. But not all the time. "Contrary to what people may believe, I don't use music all the time," said Langlois. His music has been recognized by the Canadian Music Week Indies Awards - he won favorite children's artist last year and won children's album of the year in 2003. And apparently he's also changed a few lives, or so he's been told. Although he uses the comments on his promotional kit, he laughs after pondering the thought. "God can change your life," said Langlois. "I don't know about some French educational rapper." We'll just say he's good at what he does.

French Lesson With A Beat

Twelve years ago Steven Langlois was a teacher in Ontario, Canada.Today he is an award-winning hard rock/rap artist, named Etienne.Never heard of him?It's probably because he performs in French, using music as a motivational tool to help spread the language.Etienne took to the stage in Dunedin yesterday in front of an audience of 350 high school French pupils, punctuating his performance with cries of "come on" and "you guys are great".The mostly female audience, lapped up his antics as he postured, rapped and howled around the Bayfield Auditorium. Some screamed, some gave him high fives and others simply waved placards towards the stage.Etienne said in North America they call him the children's Eminem but there were no swear words, no dwarfs and no drug-taking at this show."I'm loud and obnoxious but that's where it ends," he said.An educator rather than an aggravator, 12 years ago the languages teacher wrote songs for his pupils, in an effort to help them understand verbs."A teacher found out about these songs and encouraged me to record them. I released an album, sold tens of thousands of copies and got concert requests from all around the world."I'm pretty blessed."He has won two Canadian MTV awards for his music but manages to stay grounded during his globetrotting lifestyle.Backstage debauchery is out."I've brought my wife and kids with me this time – and I go back to being a teacher when I return to Canada. I'm lucky the school board is so supportive." Using music appealing to today's youth goes a long way to helping them remember French, he said."You go to most education shows and there's a guy sitting there on a stool with an acoustic guitar."That's not me. I like loud, in-your-face stuff. I grew up listening to metal and that's what I like."They seem to like it too. It sticks in their head."

In The NewsOver 1,000 students from the Pittsburgh area were on their feet, dancing, clapping and singing in French... Concepts that many students find difficult to grasp with traditional teaching methods are more easily learned through Etienne's music.

CTV News, Winnipeg"Étienne was wowing Winnipeg school kids at Pantages Playhouse Theatre today... His music is unique because while students are being entertained they are also learning literacy and language skills."

That's A Rap (French Star Etienne Visits Hamilton)Caption with photo: "Charismatic... unbelievable.... students are actually excited about learning grammar."

Etienne Wins Music AwardHe is dubbed the Eminem of Children's Music because his unique blend of music wins over audiences.

High School Teacher Wins National Award for Kids' Music [+ Show] "Parents are impressed and grateful to see their children enhance their language skills, but have fun doing it."

Rockin' and Rappin' for Literacy as ÉtienneSource: University of Windsor Alumni NewsEver since arriving on the educational music scene...

External links

* [http://www.educorock.com Educorock]
* [http://www.frenchstock.ca Frenchstock]
* [http://www.sonicbids.com/etienne Etienne Bio Info.]
* [http://www.edutain.ca School Game based on music of Etienne]

Discography

*"Beauty of Discovery" (single) - 2006
*"Me gusta" CD - 2005
*"Grammar Jams 2" CD - 2004
*"Grammar Jams" CD - 2003
*C'est le temps" CD - 2002
*"Rockumentaire" (Videos Collection) - 1999
*"Educorock Espanol" CD - 1999
*"La danse des araignees" CD - 1998
*"Chez Moi" CD - 1996
*"Étienne s/t" CD - 1994