Land Heart Song is weaving childhood wonder into musical fun for the whole family on her new song “Green Leaf.” This new track follows her first single, “Thank You, Tree,” which was released May 12. Her full album, Songs for Tree, was released on Oct. 27.
Land Heart Song is Tiiu Strutt (she/her), a first-generation Canadian with Estonian and British heritage living in Williams Treaty Territory in the small town of Mount Albert, ON. Since 2003, she has released four albums, toured nationally, and received recognition on national and college radio, including CBC Radio’s Canada Live program. Under her Land Heart Song moniker, Tiiu brings 10 years of experience as an elementary school teacher, which informs her work in creating meaningful musical workshops for families, often in collaboration with organizations like Natural Curiosity.
“Green Leaf” is the song that catalyzed Tiiu’s journey to create the full Songs for Tree album, a collection of 10 songs that follows a child’s relationship with a tree over the four seasons. The song came to her during a walk with her two-year-old and newborn on a crisp autumn day, as her son playfully kicked colorful leaves. This simple moment sparked a whimsical wondering in her — “Red Leaf, where’s Mr. Green?!” This moment led to the spontaneous creation of the melody and lyrics, uncovering her talent for perceiving the world through a child’s eyes and infusing it into song.
Created during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, “Green Leaf” also marked the initial collaboration between Tiiu and producer Joel Schwartz. Despite working in isolation, they exchanged musical ideas and tracks, with Tiiu converting her bedroom closet into an improvised recording studio for scratch tracks and final vocals.
Tiiu is passionate about understanding the lived experiences of all beings sharing the land with her, and she seeks to recognize the connection between social justice and climate change in her work. She writes regularly about her learning journey on her blog, where she shares ideas, lyrics, and chords to help others connect with the power of music.
Land Heart Song is on a mission to help nurture love for the land through song, and her music is perfect to help celebrate the changing of the seasons with the young (and young at heart!) in our lives.
