Press Room

Student Songwriting Celebrated in local Newspaper!

Peter is featured in High River Times newspaper after an artist-in-residence visit! The staff and parents/grandparents were supportive and thankful... And Peter said “It was so heart lifting to have so many students rushing to introduce me to their parents and grandparents... Even had one grown-up calling me to express appreciation for the excited grandchildren coming home after our school student songs recording sessions at the school. What a stellar community!” Thanks to Marie Foreman of the High River Times for patiently conducting such a long interview and so accurately reflecting the vision of our learning goals at the school. We’ll keep working to get these permissions to share praise and news about Peter’s work!

http://cgi.bowesonline.com/pedro.php?id=61&x=story&xid=348070

Puffin Productions

The original idea for the Peter Puffin & the Whale Tales concerts came to Peter when he was working as a biologist on the Gulf of the St. Lawrence. He brought local kids out to live on a seabird sanctuary island, where they learned about puffin behavior, whale conservation and how to important it is to have a safe habitat for puffins and other living things.

Next, Peter needed a stage name. He wanted a likeable, high profile species that was still relatively unknown to kids of all ages. The puffin seemed like an excellent symbol and character to use for 'live' performances. Peter only dressed up as a puffin once when he discovered the kids prefer the experience of dressing up themselves. He added "The Whale Tales" because of his love for storytelling that often delights audiences.

The growing demand for music-based workshops and sing-along concerts convinced Peter to resign from his curriculum specialist position with the Calgary Board of Education, to work full-time as "Peter Puffin" (June 1994). A Spring pilot tour of eight Alberta schools lead to a similar jaunt to Saskatchewan and word-of-mouth lead to a tally of over 200 school concerts by June of '97.

Puffin Productions first full-length video "Peter Puffin 'Live '97", captures the concert set from these early tours. The '97-98 concert tour swelled to over 300 performances! This lead to the Award of Merit "For Exemplary Teaching in Environmental & Outdoor Education" from the Alberta Teachers Association. In June, 1999, Puffin pursuits were recognized again by the Alberta Emerald Foundation for Environmental Excellence, with an Emerald Award in the category of: Communications, Media and the Arts. Puffin Productions continues to take his "environmentally tuned" message out to increasingly larger audiences and individuals through CDs, award winning videos, the Internet and DVD's.

Innovative collaborations with other organizations have extended the reach of Puffin Productions' message. Today, Peter's work covers a much broader range of topics. Week-long artist-in-residence programs in schools allow delving deeper into the curriculum while encouraging youngsters to explore their own creativity, and better the world around them. And Peter is in constant demand for high profile public appearances. Even with more than a million kilometers traveled and more than a million kids having had the Peter Puffin "experience" in concerts. If you ask him about the future he smiles and says "It feels like just the beginning!"

Peter's Bio

Peter Lenton, a.k.a. Peter Puffin is an award-winning, guitar slinging, singer/songwriter and educator who brings a lighthearted message about taking responsibility for the environment. His concerts and teacher workshops have inspired, educated, and entertained thousands of children and adults all across Canada.

Peter delivers over 200 Peter Puffin & the Whale Tales concerts per year... in parks, schools and communities, all across Canada... and internationally in Hong Kong, the USA, New Zealand, Australia and most recently Morocco! His three recordings Peter Puffin's Whale Tales, Passengers and Proud Like A Mountain continue to sell steadily.

Following undergrad science and education degrees from Kingston, Ontario, Peter worked in Calgary classrooms, spent two years as a curriculum specialist and also lived as an Environmental & Outdoor Education Teacher in a rustic cabin near Banff, before turning to workshops and cross-Canada Peter Puffin Concerts full time. He is the Public Relations/Membership executive member of the Environmental and Outdoor Education of the Alberta Teachers' Association.

Peter is the "soul" director of Puffin Productions. Current projects include: producing video, music and booklet teaching resources that provide ongoing reinforcement of the concepts introduced in 'live' public concerts and school artist-in-residence programs. Peter lives for raising smiles and singing voices, and gently sharing stories that promote community building and increased quality of life while reducing our impact on this fascinating planet.

Media / Radio DJ Notes for Proud Like a Mountain CD
Official Release: 5 June 2009 (World Environment Day & International Water Conservation Day)

Quick Notes & Shortcuts for Programmers & DJ’s

From a former radio DJ... I hope the following notes are useful!

• Artist: Peter Lenton & Friends (aka Peter Puffin’s Whale Tales) 3rd Studio CD
• Genre: Roots, folk, blues, singer/songwriter
• Publisher: Puffinsongs
• Record Label: Two Heartbeats Records (Independent)
• Producer: Peter Lenton
• Bio: Full-time+ (since '96) Canadian Singer/Songwriter, Family/Roots Concerts/Recording Artist, 2500+ concerts across Canada, USA, and New Zealand, Hong Kong & Morocco! (see above for a for more detailed bio)
• Based in: Edmonton, Alberta (by way of Ottawa, Kingston, Calgary…)
  

The Songs from Proud Like A Mountain CD

• The songs are musically & lyrically multi-layered for grown-ups as much as kids!
• 16 songs… mostly originals with covers from the catalogues of legendary songsmiths: Guy Clark (Texas), Joe Hampson (Ontario) & Ian Tamblyn (Quebec)
• This album seven years in the making… due to constant touring/roadwork…
  • allowing the songs to evolve in the ‘live’ environment and
  • holding out for the eventual stellar cast of players in the recording studio
  • of Sundae Sound Alumnus Chris Daniels to engineer and mix in Calgary.
  • mastered by Richard Harrow at Canada Disc, Calgary, Alberta.
• Songs explore the following themes
  • Perseverance/resilience pursuing goals/dreams (try song: Proud Like a Mountain, Lisa's Song)
  • Environmental Stewardship (songs: Duct Tape Blues, Yoho, Campfire Light,
    Metamorphosis, Proud...)
  • Water Conservation (Disappearing Water Blues)
  • Peace-making, community building... (At Sunnyside School, Talk About Peace)
  • Boosting self esteem (If I Were You, Proud... At Sunnyside School, Set Me Free)
  • Learning to laugh at ourselves/growing/changing (Metamorphosis, Homegrown Tomatoes)
  • Loving yourself, family, others (Watercolour Days, If I Were You, Homegrown Tomatoes,
    Lonesome Road)
  • Recycling, reducing & re-using (Duct Tape Blues, Metamorphosis, Yoho the Hiking Song)
  • Instrumentals to use as show intros/bridges/speak over (Dancing Fingers, Slippers)
    

The Musicians!

• featuring solo artists & players from groups like: Clanterra, Jerusalem Ridge/Widow Maker…
• Dave Pierce, Broadway Musical Producer/Arranger (piano, bass, etc.)
• Richie Pollack: harmonica
• Barbara Rose Olorenshaw: fiddle/violin & harmony vocals
• Rick Moore: mandolin & harmony vocals
• Don McPherson: percussion: congas, djembe, tambourine, bongos, rainstick, bells, xylophone, shakers, spoons, wooden frog, beverage glasses, etc.
• Erika Faith, Julie Kerr & Annie Markovich: harmony vocals
• Craig Korth: banjo & dobro
• Barry Hertz: rhythm & lead, 6 & 12 string guitars
• Doug Saul: lead guitar
• Chris Daniels: brushes on bohran
• Jim Cote: electric & fretless bass
• Peter Lenton: rhythm guitar, lead/harmony vocals, percussion, sound f/x, songwriting, etc.
  

Songs & lyrics / Instrumentals
See cd liner notes for musicians and stories behind the songs!

Suggested uptempo songs for grown-up ears (& general style/themes):

• Proud Like a Mountain (track #1) (folk/roots)
  celebrating perseverance, wealth of friendships, environmental stewardship
• Duct Tape Blues (track #2) (12 bar blues)
  gentle conservation message, re-using/fixing things
• Homegrown Tomatoes (track #3) (Americana roots)
  Original writer Guy Clark introduces his/this song as “a love song… a tender ballad!”
• Watercolour Days (track #9) (folk/roots)
  celebrating memories taking on a watercolour-like quality
• Talk About Peace (track #7) (folk)
  classic 60’s protest song… increasingly pertinent!
• Disappearing Water Blues (track #8) (funky 12 bar blues)
  hinting at the next “blue gold”… some day soon to replace oil as our most sought-after resource!
• Set Me Free/Lonesome Road (tracks #13 & 14) (folk/roots)
  riding the line between feeling free on-the-road… and longing for home as a touring musician…

Suggested Instumentalsthat could be used to intro shows &/or play out to station breaks & news/features:

• Dancing Fingers (track #6) (folk/roots) Lively guitar duet! Written as a teenager to practise before guitar lessons!
• Slippers (track #10) (folk/roots/ambient) Piano, open tuning guitar, congas and fiddle interplay – written in tiny hotel room in an early morning, Moroccan seaside town while men shuffled through the cobbled streets below, answering the call to pray… initially titled “Slippered Feet on the Cobbled Streets”.
  

Suggested calming songs for grown-up ears (& general style/themes):

• If I Were You (pl) - (track #4) (folk/roots) Encouraging walking a mile in the shoes of others... and longing for the cameraderie of friends and exploring the wild outdoors.
• Campfire Light (Tamblyn) - (track #14) (folk/roots) Crackling sounds of a campfire... acoustic guitar arpeggios and harmonica interplay, gathering for stories... beneath the starfields, all around the campfire light!

Full color brochure

Download the Puffin Productions Brochure (2.36MB PDF)

Get a FREE copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader
Photographers for the Puffin Productions Brochure
1) Cover image of Peter with guitar on earthball, "Canmore Earth Day" 1999 by Paul Stack
2) Long shot of audience and stage at Prince's Island Park Canada Day Concert (Calgary), 2002, by Debbie Marzolf.
3) Audience with hands in air, by Blue Lake Provincial Park staff, 1998.
4) Peter playing guitar in Calgary classroom, by Kelly Small.
5) Large photo of Peter with arms outstretched, by Bill Bain.
6) Student in Puffin costume, by Peter Lenton.
7) "Who is Peter Puffin" shot of Peter (standing) playing guitar, Jasper Elementary, 2001, by Kevin Gill.
All photos used by permission, and c. Puffin Productions 2002, except where indicated.

News Articles

2009 - Article Celebrating Peter’s Fundraising Concert At Sunnyside School (Calgary) recognized for front page of Calgary Board of Education web site!

2008 - Teacher, biologist spreads his wings, The High River Times

2008 - Article in Lloydminster Newspaper

View Article

Posters

Download the 2009-10 Peter Puffin event poster for your next event(6MB PDF)
Photographers for the Puffin Productions Poster
1) Large photo of Peter with arms outstretched, by Bill Bain.
2) Children in costumes. by anon

Print-Quality Graphics

Peter Puffin on Earthball
High resolution version (2 MB jpg)

Peter with outstretched arms
High resolution version (3 MB png)

Image of Peter Lenton (Puffin)
holding up finger in peace signs
(425KB jpg)

Image of Peter Lenton (Puffin)
with blue wash & teepee stix
(3.4MB jpg)

Image of Peter Lenton (Puffin)
Smiling Up
(148KB jpg)

Peter Lenton (Puffin)
and Whale Tales Banner Cape
(1.38MB jpg)

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