Cassie Norton - bio

Cassie Norton is a Toronto based singer-songwriter, violinist/multi-instrumentalist and climate activist. Cassie tells the stories behind her lyrics with sound, using a wide timbral palette of voice, violin, octave violin, ukulele, and piano.

 

Cassie’s music is at times simple and familiar, at other times complex, strange and even dissonant. This level of contrast supports the juxtaposition of the political and the personal in her lyrics. Themes like Climate Change, unhinged development, and global inequality flow in and through love songs, songs about ageing, songs about swing sets, birds, rice fields, and the imagined philosophy of dolphins. Cassie’s songs explore place and belonging in a self reflective and constantly changing world.

 

Cassie Norton has recorded two full length albums as a solo artist, Little Strength (2009) and Quiet Wilderness (2010), and has recorded both as a guest artist and band member on many other projects.

 

As a violinist and improvisor Cassie has collaborated and played along side a wide range of notable musicians in Toronto and abroad, including: Hassan El. Hadi, Emilyn Stam, Dr. Draw and Jung Mina (South Korea). She remains an avid improvisor, composer and arranger and performs both as a violinist and fiddler in many contexts. Her current side projects as a violinist, singer and co-arranger include the "Erik Bleich" band, Mike Hopkins's "Spanish Waiter", Tristan Murphy's "Amateur", "Willow Rutherford", and Arnd Jurgensen's "Pickle Juice Trio". Cassie is the music director and a regular performer with Oasis Toronto as well as a regular fiddler, dancer and jam host with Balfolk Toronto.

 

Cassie's music is intimately connected to her climate activism. She believes that music is a powerful tool capable of providing us both with the strength we need to make massive changes and the resilience we will need to live through those changes in the years to come. She brings music to her activism through group song leading and organizing benefit shows and activism to her music through her lyrics.

 

When she isn't busy making her own music, Cassie shares her love of music with others through teaching. She teaches a variety of private and ensemble classes at Regent Park School of Music, and through her private studio. 

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