Traded Time for What is Most Important

I volunteered to coach youth tellers from the Ogden City School District for the Weber State University Storytelling Festival, and this meant a time switch of the usual practice time with my story buddy, Joanna Huffaker, for The Changeling story.

Later in the evening, I attended the Clearfield Storytelling Festival. Several people asked, when I arrived, if I was performing. I said, "No, but I love being story listener, too!"

I received permission to have a booth on storytelling, which included a poster and some postcards of my premiere.

Marilyn Lawrence, substitute teacher through the Davis School District, was there and said she planned to go to the premiere.

She missed me at the 2009 Farmington Storytelling Festival. I was invited to tell there but it conflicted with the Adoption Education Seminar that my husband and I attended to learn about the adoption process.

I am glad we went to the seminar though.

Time is sometimes needed to trade for that which is most important.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Elementary School Practice: Surprise Results & Check

I was honored to tell for the 5th graders for being "best behaved" of the upper elementary grades at Bates Elementary School.

Singer and story buddy Holly Robison met me at the school as she would harmonize for two songs within the Colombian story The Gardener's Wife.

Thank you to Denae Palm, an intern from Weber State University, for scheduling school practices such as this one.

The "deal" was that after I told the story, then each student would receive an index card to answer the following questions--


1. What images or pictures were in your head as you heard the stories?
2. What emotions/moods were felt in the story?
3. What theme or "moral of the story" would you create after hearing the story?
4. What story scene did you like the best?

Feedback Results:

Images/Pictures

• Baby coming down Winding River |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
• Hermit |||||
  
• Tree with Talking Bird and Water ||||||||||||||||||
• Mule ||
• River ||||||||||||||||||
• Forest |
  
• Village |||
• Pearls from the Squash |||||||||||
• Boys as Crystal Balls |||||||||
• Gardener's Wife ||||||||||||
• Husband ||||
• Garden |||||||||
• Mountain ||||||||||||||
• 3 Sisters |||||
• 2 Boys ||
• Girl |||||
• Queen ||||||
• King |
• Kingdom |||||||
• Gossip Lady ||
• Dog |||
  
• Cat |
• Stick ||

Emotions/Moods

• Excited ||||||||||
• Calm, Peaceful |||||||||||||||||
• Happy, Joyful ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  
• Sad |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
• Lonely ||
• Curiosity |
• Beautiful |
  
• Magic |
• Jealousy ||||
• Annoyed |
• Un-loved |
• Mad, Anger ||||||||||
• Confused ||
• Scared ||
• Disappointed |
• Resentment |
• Laughing |
• Surprised |

Theme/Moral of the Story

• Appreciate what you have./Love what you have. ||||||||
• Do not ever believe you can give birth to a stick.
• Don't be in such a hurry.
• Listen. ||
  
• A family is a family.
• Never trust your sisters. |||||
  
• If you wait long enough you will get what you want.
• A wish may come true.
• Your parents love you no matter what.
• Do not hurt people's feelings.
• The sister should have lived and the queen forgive them.
• Be more careful. ||
  
• You will always have a family.
• Do what you have to do.
• The oldest isn't always the best.
• It does not matter what happens. You are a family.
• Even if you do not know your parents, you still love them.
• Everything will eventually be all right. ||
  
• A family is a family no matter what.
• Don't trick or you'll pay for it.
• You are loved no matter what.
• Plan things out wisely.
• Take what you have.
• Let it always be a good day.
• Honesty is important. Dishonesty can kill you.
• Everyone is loved no matter what.
• Everyone has a family.
• To tell about adopted kids. ||
• Be thankful for your family.
• Joy is contagious.
• Always stay calm in tough situations.
• Don't have sisters.
• Don't switch a baby.
• Love your parents.
• A family that was split up but get together again.

Favorite Scene

• Beginning--Gardener's Wife looking out |||||
• Gossip Lady shares the news to Gardener's Wife ||
• Baby was switched for Dog, Cat, or Stick |||||
• Baby coming down Winding River and loved by Gardener & Wife ||||||||||
• Gardener's Wife sings to Baby and/or Grandchildren ||||||
• Baby Girl was born ||
• Quest for the 3 items ||||||
• Meeting the Hermit |||
• Angry Boy |
• Cup of Blood to warn that something was wrong ||
  
• Girl was humming while on Mule ||
  
• Boys transformed into Crystal Balls ||||||
• Crystal Balls turned back into Boys |
• Girl saved the two Boys |||||
• Pearls spilling from the Squash ||||||||
• The Speaking Bird to the King ||
• Two Sisters get caught for their crimes |
• The End--when everyone is happy and reunited |||
  

Other Comments:

• "I felt like I was there."
• "I liked your singing. You sing good. You are good at telling stories. You're a great storyteller and singer."
• "Good Job! Loved the singing. To both of you."
• "I pictured all of it."
• "A very nice story! One of the best I've ever heard! The BEST STORY EVER! Love the singing!"
• "I really liked the story!"
• "I think it was messed up that the sisters switched the babies with a dog, cat, and stick."
• "I felt cool!"
• "I saw the whole story."
• "This story made me very happy and it also made me smile."
• "I felt filled with happiness as you told this story."
• "I felt better about not having a sister."
• "I pictured a talking bird and that is WEIRD."
• "I felt like I was waking to go get the bird, branches, and water."

Until I read these comments and saw the pictures they drew, I wondered if the story had any positive impact.

The audience was so quiet--almost too quiet--that it worried me.

Holly seemed to think things were fine. She also pointed out that I was not feeling 100% healthy and that the school knew this was a practice. For that reason we were paid lower than what normally would have been given.

Interestingly, the school still paid my full rate.

As this performance was labeled "practice", I could not accept the full rate. I returned the check for $200 and asked that the agreed donation price for a practice session of $50 be given instead.

They could always pay the $200 when I am invited back to tell a polished program.

Of course, practice or not, I always try my best.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Jr High School Practice: Early Rise for Feedback

Telling stories at 7:45am has been the earliest I have told stories.

I had that chance while practicing The Changeling at the Wahlquist Junior High School for the 7th graders.


Thank you to Denae Palm, an intern from Weber State University, for scheduling the school practices such as this one.

The "deal" was that after I told the story, then each student would receive an index card to answer the following questions--
1. What images or pictures were in your head as you heard the stories?
2. What emotions/moods were felt in the story?
3. What theme or "moral of the story" would you create after hearing the story?
4. What story scene did you like the best?

Feedback Results:

Images/Pictures

• Baby ||||||||||||||||
  
• Mother/Mrs. Sullivan ||||||||||
• Changeling/Ugly Baby ||||||||||||||||
• Mrs. Flanagan ||||||
• Neighbors ||
  
• Market ||||||||
• Old Lady/Grey Ellen ||||
• Church ||||||
• Thatched-roof House |||||
• Fireplace |
  
• Bridge ||||
• Village |||||
• Mrs. Lynch's Boy ||
• Fairies |||
• Eggs and Eggshells ||
  

Emotions/Moods

• Happy ||||||||||||||||||||||
• Sad ||||||||||||||||||||||
• Mad ||||
• Desperate ||||||||
• Suspense |
• Eerie |
• Scared |||
• Annoyed |||
• Horror |
• Frustrated, Irritation ||||
• Triumph |
• Pitiful |
  
• Thankful, Grateful ||
• Excited |||||
• Loving, Caring ||
• Proud |
• Curious |
• Crazy |
• Nervous, Worried |||
• Relieved |
• Sympathy |
• Amazement |
• Funny |
• Sorry |
  

Theme/Moral of the Story

• Don't praise your babies/kids too much. |||||
• Don't have such a big ego.
• Be thankful for what you've got.
• Don't brag. ||||||||||||
• Like your babies and let them cry a little bit.
• The more you boast the less you are liked.
• Listen to others. |||
  
• You don't need to brag about your baby. . .and don't brag about anybody's baby either.
• Trust people.
• Not everyone needs to say something about your baby.
• Do not flaunt your baby.
• Simply think of how grateful you are.
• Do not judge people by their looks.
• Don't ask for praises. |||
  
• Tell people nice things and do nice things for them.
• Don't be mean just because somebody tells you to.
• Don't brag but still be happy on the inside.
• Do nice things for other people.
• Be humble. ||
• Something bad can happen when you brag.
• Sometimes bragging is not a good choice.
  

Favorite Scene

• Birth of Mrs. Sullivan's Baby |
  
• Mrs. Sullivan showing off her Baby ||
• Baby was switched for Changeling |||||
• Attempts for Mrs. Sullivan to get her Baby back |
  
• Mrs. Sullivan talking with Grey Ellen for wisdom ||||
  
• Cracking Eggs on Floor/Brewing Eggshells ||||||||
• Cackling from the Changeling and revealing of Age ||
  
• Mrs. Sullivan trips with Poker to put down Changeling's throat ||||||
• Changeling switched back for Baby |||||||||||
  

Other Comments:

• "I saw that people were going to scream cause they were getting bugged every day." (by Mrs. Sullivan)
• "My favorite scene is the whole thing. I liked it. It sounded like a wonderful place."
• "When I heard the story there was not one thing that was vivid to me. I could see everything very clearly."
• "As you told the story I felt like I was seeing a movie. Every emotion was plain to me."
• "I could picture a lot of the story because the hand movements gave a more visual picture like when she cracked the eggs."
• "Was it dark or morning when the baby changed?"
• "She over smothered that child. She had nothing to do with the fairy baby."
• "Kinda just pictured all as we went."
  

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

1st Day of Official School Practices: Jr. High to Elementary

Many times I practiced with one person in the audience. That "one person" would be my story buddy.

It was finally time to test the Family Famine: Hunger for Love stories with a "real" audience.

Denae Palm, as an intern help from Weber State University, scheduled some times for me with local schools.

Today I traveled to two schools: Wahlquist Jr. High School to perform at 7:45am and Bates Elementary School to perform at 1:00pm.

I told The Changeling at the junior high and The Gardener's Wife with Holly Robison at the elementary school for the 5th graders.

On this particular day, I was ill.

Not ill from nerves, though perhaps some could be attributed to this kind.

I was ill from having little sleep and many projects to complete.

Before reading the responses from the students on what they thought of the stories, I thought I did great with the Junior High group and so-so with the Elementary group.

Then I discovered, I did better than I thought, especially for the Elementary group.

See the responses from the Junior High group here or the Elementary group here.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Magnetism: From Random Contacts to Car Signs

For a couple weeks I had two blank 12" X 18" car magnets sitting in my closet.

Is that not what you have lying around?

When a local OfficeMax was going out of business and all items were 30-70% off, I roamed the area until I found the "make-your-own" car magnets.

However, I would have to figure out how to place the lettering on the magnets.

Yuck!

That meant tedious work with a ruler and some math equations.

Not to mention the coordination to place the lettering on the magnet.

There had to an easier way.

Then, while in Hobby Lobby and talking to a random lady customer about my issue, the lady said, "Hey, I have a relative who does all kinds of signs including car magnets!"

Finding this lady was not so random after all!

I am always prepared with my storytelling business cards so I gave one to the lady. Because of the lady at Hobby Lobby, I heard from Connie at Blitz Screening.

I ordered two of the Family Famine: Hunger for Love logos so that I only had to apply the image once to each of the two magnets. It would only cost $21.25 for both since I had the magnets to place them on.

No more rulers or math equations!

Do not worry. I still use rulers and math equations. . .just not for car magnets.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Perfection: The Practice I was Anxious For

At last the day came when guitarist Joshua Payne, upright bass player Geoffrey Rayback, and I could practice on the same night. . .in the same room.

I was familiar with the way Joshua played his guitar to merge in the telling of the Forsaken Brother story. I was anxious to hear how Geoffrey would add to the already-awesome combination of music and story.

After reviewing with Geoffrey and Joshua the basic storyline and where certain sounds were key, it was time for the first telling as a trio to begin.

Joshua blew a couple times on his guitar for soundscapes to summon the winds, and then I followed it with "It was summer. About an hour before sunset."

Part of mind thought and told the story while another part of my brain was listening to how the guitar and upright bass were working together.

Luckily, Julie Barnson, my story buddy, as well as her daughter were there as the audience.

The first time through the music was heavier in sound so that Julie and her daughter had some tough moments to hear the story.

We started the story a second time.

Again, Joshua blew a couple times on his guitar for soundscapes to summon the winds, and then I followed it with "It was summer. About an hour before sunset."

This time it felt the perfect volume between teller and musicians.

In fact, the whole performance seemed perfect.

Towards the climax, when the brother sees the boy on the shore, the extra bass brought a steadiness to the scene while the guitar symbolized chaos. The speed and intensity heightened as the boy became more and more like a wolf.

My own telling strengthened.

We were building on each others' energy.

When we were done, Julie and her daughter applauded loudly.

I celebrated.

We had it.

We only had to wait. . .oh. . .13 days to share this merging of arts at the premiere.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Nanabozho & The Unofficial Elementary School Practice

For most of Monday, January 26th and for part of Tuesday, January 27th, I told stories at the Bonneville Elementary School in Salt Lake City.

I did five sessions for the K-2 grades, three sessions for the 3-4 grades, and three sessions for the 5-6 grades.

Since the theme for the 3-4 graders was of Utah and Native American stories, I added the Nanabozho and Winter-Maker story to the set.

This is a story that is told within the Forsaken Brother story.

I knew the Nanabozho story could stand on its own.

Besides, today was usually when I met with Julie Barnson, my story buddy for Forsaken Brother. In some ways, I still got a little practice time in.

Not only did the Nanabozho story go well, I thought it was my strongest out of the set.

My confidence boosted and I smiled on the drive home from the school.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Adding to the Board's Agenda: "Support Me!"

Amongst all the work to do for the Family Famine: Hunger for Love premiere, I still was on the Weber State University Storytelling Festival Board.

We had a Board meeting today.

We usually had meetings once a month.


Since the festival occurs in February, we have had them every other week.

With permission, I asked if Dr. Ann Ellis, the Executive Director, could allow me to make a quick mention of my premiere.

She graciously said yes.

I also passed around my wooden bowl with individualized postcards on the event to the Board members.

Those who were not in attendance would receive their postcards in the mail.

I am grateful to how giving the storytelling community is for us storytellers.

When we promote each other, we promote the art itself.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller