Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
What stories do you remember from this period in your life and American history?
I remember turmoil; trying to understand ways to move people to understand better ways to be human; trying to understand why some people still had hate in their hearts; clasping hands with others in my school and community; raising our voices in song and hoping that things would be different ... close to 50 years ago.
11111----------------------Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe, ---------------------------------We shall overcome someday.
Storytelling Classes Start Tomorrow The spring semester startstomorrow!
There are still a few openings in some classes and a late start class.
My classes at GCC are full - but there are other Maricopa Community Colleges that teach The Art of Storytelling. They are all over the valley. Change the parameters in the search link above and you may find a class in your area!
Dustin Loehr Hosts A Special Story Circle Friday - January 23rd
Teller/Tapper/Teacher Dustin Loehr is hosting a story circle for the United States Department of Arts and Culture in partnership with East Valley Children's Theatre.
The event is called "People's State of the Union Address" and is going to be T.A.P.'s (Dustin's company, Transformative Arts Productions) first major public event. It is FREE and geared for youth between the ages of 12 and 18. Dustin says of the event, "We will be working together to share OUR state of OUR union, and will be sending our stories to Washington to be created into a poetic address that will be streamed nationally in February."
What: "Peoples Address"
Who: T.A.P. (Transformative Arts Productions), United States Department of Arts and Culture, and East Valley Children's Theatre invite 12-18 year old teens to participate in the sharing of stories to form our "Peoples Address"
When: Jan 23rd, 5:30-7:30 pm.
Where: East Valley Children's Theatre Rehearsal Studio - 4830 E Main St. Mesa, AZ 85205
Seaglass Storytelling Saturday - January 31st
Seaglass Storytelling is a new workshop from long-time Valley teller/coach Sean Buvala.
A workshop on using the unique light of a folktale to improve our personal stories.
The workshop explores the "Three Refractions" and the shadow sides of personal tales. There will be time to work on one's own tale in a small group. Like rare sea glass, the best personal stories are intentionally constructed stories that have the long-term impact of the world tale.
Celtic and Native American Legends: Saturday - January 31st - 7:00 pm
Celtic and Native American Legends: Shared Symmetries from Medieval Arizona to the High Court of Tara
The Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies (ACMRS) in tandem with the Irish Cultural Center of Phoenix, is offering a fascinating evening of Celtic myths and legends, and their similarities with the Hopi and Navajo traditions of the American Southwest. Ancient Irish, Hopi, and Navajo oral (and later written) literature will illustrate parallel perspectives in life, love, music, war, and above all, the realm of the sacred; the evening will also explore legends regarding hypothetical Irish voyages to the Americas prior to the Age of Exploration.
Presented by Sharonah Fredrick, Assistant Director, ACMRS Public Programs Series
Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Save the Date - BEFORE You Get Caught in Between! Sunday - February 8th - 7:00 pm
Community Christian Church, known to some as The Storytelling Church presents: “Heaven and Hell"
Do you know where you are headed? Do you know where you are? Have you ever thought you were in one place ... only to realize later, you were in the other place?
Join Pastor Doug Bland and a host of community tellers for an always insightful and fun evening.
Story and Song - A Great Marriage
There are many tellers who use songs and music along with their storytelling. I admire them greatly for their ability to play an instrument and/or sing out their lyrics. But not having either of those talents doesn't mean you have to abandon song ... in fact, as storytellers we should embrace it ... for rhythm, meter and phrasing.
As a primer, read my Tip about Rhyme, Rhythm and Meter. Then come back and think about how many songs you know that are really stories at their heart? The one that came to mind for me was this great song from 1967 (I know that may pre-date some of you, so here's the song by Bobbie Gentry.
It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty, delta day
I was out choppin' cotton and my brother was balin' hay
And at dinner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat
And Mama hollered out the back door,
"Y'all remember to wipe your feet"
Then she said, "I got some news this mornin' from Choctaw Ridge
Today Billie Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge"
Think less about the rhyming going on here, you can actually abandon the rhymes. Think more about the language and the phrasing. It's clearly broken into sections or "beats". Each beat is a moment. Singers actually place "breath marks" on their sheet music, to indicate where to breathe, not just to get the next breath, but to end one beat and then give some time before the next one begins.
Think about just ONE section of ONE of your stories. Think about the beats that are there. If you were singing the story, how would you adjust the phrasing? Where would you take your breaths, your moments? Then, with the same dynamics of a song, but without the music, tell us your story.
Ways to Market Storytelling
Sean Buvala curates a FB group called, Performing-Artist Marketing Group. As always, with Sean's sites, there's LOADS of great information for those of us trying to market our storytelling services and products. Sean's latest advice, "If you have a book, make a book trailer."
------------------------------------THERE'S A LOT GOING ON EACH MONTH -------------------CHECK EACH WEBSITE OR CALENDAR TO CONFIRM DATES AND TIMES ---------------------------------CALL TO MAKE SURE THE EVENT IS STILL ON
FStorytellers - Female Story Tellers - Tucson
Usually sometime during the first week of the month - but check their website) at 7 pm - TUCSON http://www.fstorytellers.com/index.html
West Side Story Tellers - Storytellers Guild First Saturday of each month - GLENDALE *NO meetings in June, July & August http://westsidestorytellers.com/
East Valley Tellers of Tales -Storytellers Guild Second Saturday of each month - SCOTTSDALE http://www.evtot.com
- National Storytelling Network? You should be.
The spring semester starts tomorrow! 
Friday - January 23rd 
Saturday - January 31st
Saturday - January 31st - 7:00 pm
Sunday - February 8th - 7:00 pm
