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     Monday, August 5, 2013
Issue # 67

Got some news or information you would like to get out to the storytelling community?
Contact Mark Goldman -x602-390-3858x - Mark@Storytellermark.com

NSN Conference - 2014 in Phoenix

Just got back this morning from the 2013 NSN conference in Richmond Virginia, and it was a blast. I will be blogging about it soon in a separate post (too mush info for the newsletter)

Next year's conference will be in PHOENIX!
How great will that be?

More info will be coming in the next few weeks, with details about dates and location. NOW would be a great time to join NSN and reap the benefits...and still get a discount on next year's conference!
 
Click here for the NSN Website


The Organization that Supports YOU!

National Storytelling Network (NSN) is THE national organization for storytellers. There are many benefits to membership: 

STORYTELLING MAGAZINE 
MEMBER GRANTS 
STORYTELLER DIRECTORY
NATIONAL STORYTELLING CONFERENCE
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS 
GREENWOOD'S WORLD FOLKLORE AND FOLKLIFE DATABASE

Joining NSN will open up new vistas and connect you to storytellers across the nation, and around the world! Membership is only $60/year. and if you are a member of an Affiliate group/guild you get a 10% discount on membership!

Contact your local guilds. In Arizona, contact Mark Goldman-EVTOT or Mark Compton-WSS)

Go to the NSN Website for more info!
 
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This Week

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Advanced Group Coaching for Oral Storytellers

Tuesday, August 6th
There are just a couple of slots left for the Group Coaching Workshop with SEAN BUVALA tomorrow. You can't beat the price of $25 to get some classic coaching from Sean! - Pre-Registration is REQUIRED

PLUS, Two-Day Executive Speaker Training - August 20-21. CHECK IT OUT!
 
Click for more details



East Valley Tellers of Tales

Saturday, August 10th ~ 10am - Noon
Join us to celebrate storytelling successes. 
East Valley Tellers of Tales is a Phoenix area guild of Storytellers and Storylisteners. A truly safe place to share your story! We are an affiliate of the National Storytelling Network. Come and find out what this means, and how it benefits you!

Note: We are back in the Gold Room downstairs! We now have metal folding chairs - you may want to bring a seat cushion.
 
Click here for details & info


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Coming Up

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AZ Republic Live Storytelling
Monday - August 19th
Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life

On this night, we celebrate rock and roll from the white-hot glare of stage to the sweaty frenzy of the mosh pit to the fan-filled, oh-so-distance nosebleed seats. We hear stories from the bands and the fans, from the music makers to the concert promoters and album sellers and everyone in between.

Details: Stories begin at 7 p.m., Monday, Aug. 19, Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. 2nd Ave., Phoenix. $10. $5 for students. Buy tickets at brownpapertickets.com. A portion of the proceeds benefits Republic Charities.
 
Purchase Tickets

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Networking - Increase Your Reach Exponentially

What does networking have to do with tips about storytelling? EVERYTHING!

Regardless of whether you intend to be a "professional" storyteller, or just a casual teller, you must network. Why? Networking is all about "making connections." The World will not beat a path to your door simply because you tell stories. Even if you are a great teller, people must know who you are.

The best way to make that happen is to network with other tellers. Connecting to other tellers through as many different networks as you can is the best way to "put yourself out there." This was quite evident at last week's NSN Conference.

One thing (and one person) leads to another.
Cassie Cushing joined NSN and began networking on Facebook with as many folks as she could. When she moved to California, she already had connections in the storytelling community there, and eventually performed with a top teller there, Tim Ereneta.

She applied for and received a Next Generation grant to attend the Richmond conference. There, she worked the crowd and met more and more people. She put herself out there. At the conference, she was chosen to participate in one presenter's Face Painting presentation. In addition, she was fortunate enough to be chosen out of the hat to receive some coaching in one of the workshops with Leeny Del Seamonds. When I talked with Leeny about Cassie, she said, "She's going to be great!" At the same time, she has an article in Storytelling Magazine, and a blog post on the NSN website.

The storytelling world is getting to know her. Storytelling is a business (whether you get paid or not). And in business, "It's not what you know, it's who you know!"

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Insights from A Fringe Performance
Storyteller, friend and colleague Laura Packer just finished a round of Fringe performances in Kansas City. The story was about her journey with cancer.

She has posted "Eight things I learned from the Kansas City Fringe Festival" on her blog site. Below are three things I found most relevent for all storytellers. Posted here with her permission. (Click on the link above to see all eight)

  • Practice is a good thing. Practice with listeners is better. In this case, I was practicing my story in front of an audience, running through the whole 55-minute set three times in five days. Because I am a storyteller and not confined to a word-for-word script, the story shifted each time. I loved hearing how some bits rose to the surface and others fell away as I danced with the audience. I now have a much greater understanding of the story than I did, even with many hours of solo practice behind me.
     
  • Be yourself. Be vulnerable. No matter what I tell, my audience is always more connected and involved if I am myself. If I'm not trying to be someone else or do something contradictory to my nature. What's more, by allowing myself to be vulnerable on stage my audience has permission to be vulnerable themselves, to experience whatever they need to while they hear the story.
     
  • When you touch people, they need to touch you. I've experienced this before, certainly, but it was borne home with great power during the fringe. When you tell a story that means something to people, when you give them permission to feel strong emotions, they often need to connect with you afterwards. It's been a long time since I've had this many people need to hug me, touch my shoulder, even cry in my arms. This is part of the storyteller's job, helping people feel what they need to feel. I believe I have a responsibility to not run away from the feelings my story may have induced.
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Ongoing
Events

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Odyssey Storytelling
First Thursday (usually - but check calendar) of each month - TUCSON
http://www.storyartsgroup.org/odyssey/Odyssey/Welcome.html


East Valley Tellers of Tales -Storytellers Guild
Second Saturday of each month - SCOTTSDALE
http://www.evtot.com


West Side Story Tellers -Storytellers Guild
NO MEETING IN JULY OR AUGUST

Second Saturday of each month - GLENDALE
Westsidestorytellers@yahoo.com


Lit Lounge - Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMOCA)
Fourth Friday of each month - SCOTTSDALE
http://www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org/smoca-events.php


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All Newsletter content ©Mark Goldman
Got some news or information you would like to get out to the storytelling community?

Contact Mark Goldman -x602-390-3858x - Mark@Storytellermark.com

 
     

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