Norman Foote remembers the year when his parents surprised him with a guitar for Christmas.

He was just 11 years old but Foote knew then and there that some day he would be a musician.

The North Vancouver songster recently won the 2010 Juno Award for Best Children's Album for his latest album, Love My New Shirt. A singer, songwriter and puppeteer, Foote has proven himself a mainstay in the world's children's music scene.

"I'm very fortunate," Foote says. "It was all about sticking with it and not giving up."

Focused on music at an early age, Foote got involved with a number of different musical ventures during his childhood in Squamish, B.C. He started a garage band with friends in high school and followed his dream of becoming a musician when he finished school. He knew he loved music, but it was not until Foote travelled to New Zealand and Australia that he pursued a career in children's music.

"I really didn't know what I wanted to do after high school so I went travelling," he says. "I was introduced to puppetry in Australia and that's sort of how I started putting it all together there."

Since then, the father of five has gone on to write and record songs for CBC Television, Disney Records and the animated TV series Little Bear. He is currently writing songs for the upcoming children's musical Max and Ruby.

"I'm really excited about Max and Ruby," he says. "It's right down my alley with Vaudeville and swing songs -- the style I grew up with."

With four previous Juno nominations, Foote is no stranger to the hard work and determination needed to succeed in the music industry.

While recording his latest album this past year, Foote was also on the road performing at shows in small towns and big cities across North America. Success does not come without sacrifice, Foote says.

"I go away somewhere every week and it hasn't been easy on my family or anyone else," he says. "If you're thinking of going into entertainment, you've gotta really love it."

With an award-winning album in stores and a number of projects on the go, Foote credits his success to his creativity and an unrelenting drive to succeed. In a changing music industry, the children's entertainer has used his unique genre of musical entertainment to succeed.

"The one thing people can't download for free is live entertainment. And that's what I've been able to do: combine my music, my comedy and my props," he says. "This CD shows that you constantly need to move ahead with your creativity and your songwriting."

Despite his hectic performance and songwriting schedule, Foote makes time to mentor students at Vancouver schools. He offers workshops for students to encourage music as a career.

"My main message for kids is to believe in your own ideas, to follow through and to never give up," he says. "I say these words to students, to my own kids and to myself. Once you do that, something great blossoms out of it all."

nscallan@nsnews.com