By David DeRocco

If there’s one style of music that deftly illustrates how transcendent music can be, it’s music that caters to the imagination of people young and old who remain in touch with their inner child. As young educators and musicians, both Sharon Hampson and Bramwell “Bram” Morrison believed in music’s power to transform the lives of children; however, both admit now they had no idea of how transformative music was going to be in their own lives when they were starting their Canadian musical group, Sharon, Lois & Bram.

“We didn’t analyze it like that,” said Sharon, whose responsibilities in Canada’s most beloved children’s trio have included vocals, piano and guitar. “We just knew that we liked working with children. We knew that we felt that they deserved the best music that we could bring to them, and that it should be engaging. And that they shouldn’t listen to it, they should also be engaged by it.” Bram agrees that hindsight has helped bring perspective to the impact Sharon, Lois & Bram has had on generations of Canadians.

“I don’t think that I had it explicitly in mind in the beginning,” said the guitar and banjo-playing Bram about the trio's original intent. “I think I just knew a good song and I wanted to sing it. When it came to the higher theoretical impact, it was kind of retrospect. It was, oh, so that’s what we’re doing.”

Together with Lois Ada, who passed in 2015, Sharon Lois & Bram have surpassed any initial idealistic expectations they may have had when they formed in 1978. Multiple Juno Awards, Order of Canada and Queen’s Jubilee medals, invites to the White House and millions of dollars in product sales have secured their place as one of Canada’s most renowned children’s institutions. Moreover, their signature tune “Skinnamarink” spawned a TV show and was recently included on a Top 100 list of Canada’s most influential songs. As expected, both members are humbled by the accolades.

“Looking back it feels pretty darn terrific,” admits Sharon. “But it was certainly not part of a grand plan. Growing up it was just a lot of different people singing and making music together. We grew up on Pete Seeger and the kind of community singing that thrills me still. When we decided to make a record, the plan was really only to make one, not start a career. But I think we had the good fortune of creating something good, and unexpectedly a career unfolded before us. The fact we get to do it with audiences is thrilling.”

With their commitment to quality, their inviting personalities and the professionalism of their musical productions, Sharon, Lois & Bram brought international acclaim to Canadian content for children. However, they were not without competition through the past four decades of their existence. So if Sharon, Lois and Bram were The Beatles of Canadian children’s entertainment, who were their Rolling Stones?

“There were a few that were in the same league we were in,” laughs Bram. “You can call it a friendly rivalry, but it really wasn’t because we were all doing the same thing. There was Raffi, there was Fred Penner, there were a couple people down in the States we admired tremendously like Tom Chapin.”

Despite the retirement and then loss of their dear friend Lois, Sharon & Bram have continued to perform for audiences – including an upcoming matinee performance April 28^th at the Seneca Queen Theatre Niagara Falls. With 2018 marking their 40^th anniversary, plans are in the works for a new book – appropriately titled The Book of Skinnamarink – and a new album, Sharon, Bram & Friends, that will feature a collection of celebrity collaborations. Given how many times they have to sing it over the years, have they ever tired of performing "Skinnamarink" live? As expected, both Sharon and Bram agree they could never not perform a song loved by so many fans.

“Absolutely never,” said Sharon. “It’s a lovely song with a lovely message. The audience sings it to each other and to us. What could be better than that.” Adds Bram: “And no matter what’s gone on before during a show, whether you have everyone’s 100 percent attention or not, as soon as your start singing “Skinnarmarink” you’ve got everyone!”

For tickets and showtimes visit www.SenecaQueen.ca.