Tour Dates Across Alberta This Spring Including Album Release Shows in Calgary May 3 + 4
CALGARY, AB – Mandy Faye (they/them), formerly Music With Mandy, the beloved Calgary-based children’s artist best described as “The Wiggles meets Diana Krall” – is thrilled to announce the release of their new album, ‘My Friends,’ out now. A richly layered journey through the many facets of friendship, the album travels across jazz, swing, bossa nova, and beyond, showcasing Mandy’s signature gift for crafting music that delights children while pulling grown-ups into the joy right alongside them.
Recorded with an all-star ensemble of Alberta’s finest jazz and children’s musicians – including Matt Morris on piano, Kodi Hutchinson on bass, Jim Johnston on drums, André Wickenheiser on cornet, Carsten Rubeling on trombone, Keith O’Rourke on clarinet, and even Bob Fenske on spoons – ‘My Friends’ is a genuine collaborative achievement. Each track is a carefully crafted invitation into a world where imagination, kindness, and togetherness take centre stage. From the rollicking energy of “Sugar Rush” to the tender warmth of “A Little Time,” the album pulses with authenticity and genuine musical sophistication – the kind that earns it a rightful place on grown-up playlists, too.
The heart of the album is community – the kind that forms across distances, across differences, and across kitchen tables laden with holiday food. The track “Celebrate Over Supper” captures this spirit with vivid warmth: “We’ll celebrate over supper / Laughin’, eatin’, talkin’ with friends / Celebrate over supper / Then we go play in the den.” The song was inspired by Mandy’s upbringing as a “Misplaced Manitoban” in Medicine Hat, Alberta – where their family, far from extended relatives, built a chosen family of friends who gathered each Christmas to share traditional foods, hot tub misadventures, and the particular magic of belonging. It is storytelling that resonates across generations.
That theme of connection across distance runs beautifully through “Travelling,” one of the album’s most tender moments. Drawn from Mandy’s own experience of a family scattered across Canada – with parents in Manitoba and a brother in the Yukon – the song captures the pull of the road trip and the joy waiting at the end of it: “I’d drive all day long / And some of the night / Cross the miles between us / So we can reunite.” It is a song that speaks to anyone who has ever counted the kilometres to someone they love – and it lands with resonance for young listeners navigating friendships across school transitions, neighbourhoods, and life changes.
Mandy Faye’s path to becoming one of Canada’s most distinctive children’s artists is as singular as their sound. Grounded in jazz studies at MacEwan University and honed through years of teaching music across Alberta – they are currently a vocal instructor with the Calgary Stampede’s Young Canadians School and an early childhood music instructor at Chinook School of Music – Mandy brings a rare educator’s intentionality to every song they write. Their performances have captivated audiences at the International Children’s Festival for the Arts, Red Deer Children’s Festival, JazzYYC, Calgary Pride, and the National Music Centre, earning multiple YYC Music Award nominations and a WCMA nod along the way. Beginning in early April, Mandy is also releasing weekly interdisciplinary lesson plans that are aligned with Alberta Curriculum on their YouTube channel to help Alberta teachers bring music curriculum alive – a testament to their belief that music education is not a supplement but a foundation.
“Kids’ music has the power to be nostalgic and innovative at the same time,” says Mandy. “I get to write songs that inspire the next generation, while also creating moments where adults can reconnect with joy and play alongside their kids. What could be better than that?” ‘My Friends’ is the fullest expression of that philosophy to date – an album conceived in the spirit of togetherness and built in collaboration with some of Alberta’s most gifted musicians. Songs like “Vacation in the Stars” and “Sugar Rush,” which grew out of songwriting sessions with young collaborators, have already inspired Mandy to launch a songwriting workshop that has been presented dozens of times across Canada, proving the music’s capacity to spark creativity in kids everywhere.
To celebrate the release, Mandy Faye will bring ‘My Friends’ to stages across Alberta this spring. The album release concert takes place May 3, 2026 at cSpace King Edward in Calgary, followed by performances at the International Children’s Festival of the Arts in St. Albert on May 29–30, and the inaugural Chestermere Children’s Festival on June 20. These shows promise to be everything Mandy Faye does best – high-energy, heartfelt, and utterly magnetic for audiences of all ages.
ABOUT MANDY FAYE
Mandy Faye (they/them) is equal parts musician, educator, and coffee. Best described as The Wiggles meets Diana Krall, their high-energy stage presence and thoughtful songwriting have won the hearts of audiences across Canada. Nominated for multiple YYC Music Awards and a WCMA, Mandy performs as both a children’s entertainer and a jazz-rooted educator, with an ongoing commitment to making music accessible and transformative for young audiences and the teachers who guide them.
TOUR DATES
May 3, 2026 – Album Release Concert | cSpace King Edward | Calgary, Alberta. Tickets here.
May 4, 2026 – Album Release Concert I cSpace King Edward | Calgary, Alberta. Tickets here.
May 29–30, 2026 – International Children’s Festival of the Arts | St. Albert, Alberta
June 20, 2026 – Chestermere Children’s Festival | Chestermere, Alberta
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