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

Forsaken Brother Practices: Ideal vs. Reality

As always on Tuesday morning, I headed to Julie Barnson's house to practice Forsaken Brother.

I got to practice with guitarist Joshua Payne again.

I felt chills every time he made the guitar howl like a wolf for the story.

Although upright bass player Geoffrey Rayback could not make any of these Tuesday morning practices, I knew that Joshua recorded every session (as did I) and that Geoffrey would mostly follow Joshua when it came to the premiere.

Of course, I would have loved to practice more often with Joshua and Geoffrey, but sometimes the ideal must be substituted with reality.

Rather than dwelling on the "I wish", there is always something to celebrate.

However, the next Tuesday we would practice in the evening and Geoffrey could make that one.

Yes, we would be able to practice as a trio before 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

Forsaken Brother: The Best Practice Ever

After such a pitiful practice of the Forsaken Brother story yesterday, I hoped that performing for the Utah Storytelling Guild Olympus Chapter would be different.

It was.

Completely.

The emotions were there. The flow of the story was there. Even the Nanabozho and Winter-Maker story within Forsaken Brother was upbeat and gave the needed lift needed during this sad story.

Guild members complimented me on the story and there was a buzz as people planned to attend the premiere.

I told them, "Wait until you hear Joshua Payne, who plays the guitar, and Geoffrey Rayback, who plays the upright bass. They will provide soundscapes to heighten the emotions."

That had the buzz return from the guild members.

I told everyone about my "bad" practice yesterday in contrast to this "best yet" practice.

We guessed that part of the difference was that I work better with larger audiences than one or two people.

Since I meet with Julie Barnson, my story buddy for Forsaken Brother, once a week, I may have been too accustomed to her when practicing.

Whatever the reason, I had hope that "Hey, if I do this well or better at the premiere, I got it!"

With people still talking about the premiere, this was when I asked, "I could use some help the night of the premiere. Could someone be the Cookie Coordinator? Could someone be the Ribbon Coordinator?"

Julie Barnson volunteered to be Cookie Coordinator. She would connect with Utah Storytelling Guild members to find out what kinds of cookies they would bring to the premiere.

Sharee Hughes volunteered to be Ribbon Coordinator. She would provide blue ribbons to be pinned on any guild member in attendance of the premiere. This way the general public could recognize other storytellers besides me on that night.

Why blue ribbons?

It is not one of the official colors of the guild, but it is a color associated with child abuse prevention. Since The Changeling story indirectly addresses child abuse, I thought this was appropriate.

As for the guild, can you feel the love from them? I can!

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

Forsaken Brother: Little Prep equals Bad Practice

I had a late night, and it showed when I attempted to practice the Forsaken Brother story.

We seem to be able to smile regardless of the outcome.

Little sleep and little time to go over my notes for the story meant I was ill prepared. I felt guilty since Joshua Payne, the guitarist, was there to work with me.

Last week's practice for this same story was wonderful.



It is amazing how each practice has different levels of success.

Joshua was kind to say that today's practice "was still helpful".

Hmmm.

At least it revealed, for me, that my "spiral of death" for this story was when I came to the Nanabozho and Winter-Maker story, which is told within the Forsaken Brother story.

My story buddy, Julie Barnson, and I agreed that since Forsaken Brother is sad, the Nanabozho story needs to be more upbeat and told in a more fairy tale style.

Even sad stories need a time of hope within them.

This is the one moment when we see the boy--the sickly boy--happy. He remembers a story that his father told many times.

Next week I will be better prepared when I meet with Joshua Payne and Julie Barnson.

That means I better take more time to sleep the night before!

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

"Forsaken Brother": When a Practice goes Right

After practicing the "Forsaken Brother" story, I had to smile.

Last week I was so nervous to tell the story for fear of making mistakes. Julie Barnson, my story buddy, had mentioned that I seemed to force the words out rather than have the flow I usually have when I tell.

Today I seemed to be on a journey to the lake, hills, and trees that permeate this story. I enjoyed the images and the words came more freely.

Not only had my confidence soured, but I told the story without stopping or major stumblings. There are still word choices to polish, but overall the telling was good.

Last night I reviewed elements of Ojibwa culture from the Juvenile Literature books. In particular, I focused on images within each of the seasons.

Summer = Neebing

• Wild strawberries, raspberries, cherries, and June berries
• Corn ripened
• Blueberries dot the forest floor

Fall = Dagwaging

• Splendor of red, yellow, and orange leaves
• Women harvest the crops
• Paddle in birch bark canoes on lakes and marshes to gather wild rice that grows as three to five feet tall grasses

Winter = Beboong

• Snowshoes on so to search for deer and rabbit
  
• Silhouettes against purple sky
• Rivers and lakes disappear under the snow
• Scattered and isolated camps so families can survive the long and bitter season

Spring = Zeegwung

• Tap maple trees for maple sugar
• Thawed earth is time to dig with sticks to plant seeds of corn, beans, and squash
• Spear hunt fish during night time when ice thaws from winter
  

Some of these images were shared for the story.

Of most importance was the night time fish spear hunting. When I read a version of "Forsaken Brother" for the first time, I always imagined that the brother went during the day. Reading about the culture let me know that it was at night, which made this scene of the story more eerie and haunting. The climax happens during this time.

Though it was a great practice, I still need to figure out how to tell the story "Nanabozho and Winter-Maker" within "Forsaken Brother".

As the overall mood of "Forsaken Brother" is sad and gloomy, the telling of "Nanabozho and Winter-Maker" is a chance to lighten the mood and bring in humor. This Nanabozho story could be told in a fairy tale type way. Besides, the audience will be able to better distinguish between the two stories easier if done in a different style.

Meanwhile, guitarist Joshua Payne experimented with soundscapes. He had a chime-like sound during the Nanabozho story that worked extremely well. When we got to the climax, the increased tension and energy to the story reflected in his playing, which, in turn, inspired me to increase my energy even more.

It is fascinating how the "Forsaken Brother" story has evolved since 2005.

When a story evolves, then it has life. When a story has life, then it continues to evolve.

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

Grimm Debate: "Iron John" vs. "Hansel and Gretel"

The Grimm Brothers gathered many stories that most of us know today.

We have such tales as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White that Disney has made popular.

Of the many Grimm tales, Iron John and Hansel and Gretel had possibilities to shed light indirectly on child abuse in the home. The only time to bring up the abuse was at the beginning of each of the stories.

This seems like a strange way to begin the whole "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" program.

Where was the humor?

While at the Utah Storytelling Guild Olympus Chapter Christmas party, I brought some of my books on Iron John so people could get a taste as to what direction I was heading. Luckily, everyone there knew the story of Hansel and Gretel.

Strengths for Iron John:

• Interesting relationship between the boy-prince and the Wild Man, as the Wild Man is really like a second father
• Heavily a "guy" story while the ending story, The Gardener's Wife, is heavily a "girl" story so it balances out the program
• Boy-prince is an eight-year-old while the boy in the center story, Forsaken Brother, is one which I already planned for the boy to also be an eight-year-old
  

Strengths for Hansel and Gretel:

• Familiar story with a "Rachel twist" could be welcomed by the audience
• Chance for children to be heroes and show how siblings can help each other
• Mother character is intriguing for she (and not a stepmother as shared in other versions) was the one who took the children to the woods to get lost

One of my friends, Julie Barnson, predicted that I may not choose either one of these stories to be the opening piece for "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" premiere.

We shall see.

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

"Forsaken Brother" & Ojibwa Influences on the Boy

There are so many beautiful cultures in the world, and, as a storyteller, I do my best to honor them.

The same is for the Ojibwa people.

I shared what I learned with Julie Barnson, my story buddy for "Forsaken Brother", and we were also able to discover even more elements that could prove crucial to the telling of the tale.



Ojibwa Cultural Elements that may Shape Story:

• The boy will be at least seven-years-old as this is the age when children are expected to help with the chores. Perhaps I will place him at age eight about to turn nine as this could add to why the older sister feels she must abandon him.
• When boys reach age twelve, they go on a Vision Quest. Though the boy in "Forsaken Brother" will not yet be this age, he could reflect on this future ceremony. During a Vision Quest, there is fasting that is chosen of the boy's own free will. Whereas, in this story, he is forced to starve. A Vision Quest is often connected to sights or sounds for the boy only. Listening to the wolves howl and seeing them off in the distance could seem like a vision at first but then realizes that they are truly before him.
• The words for food and water in the language would add more culture to the story. For example, the word for "water" is "nibi" or pronounced "ne-be".
• At one point the boy finds shelter in a tree. Though the type is not shared in the original story, I may make it a maple tree. The Ojibwa would gather syrup as families. The boy could take his fingers and peel the bark away, attempting to make a hole, and then remember that it is wintertime and the syrup comes in spring. The tree that once gave him food could not at his time of greatest need.
• While huddled in the tree, he could reflect on a story or two about Nanabozho, a half spirit/half human being. Nanabozho is credited with the discovery of wild rice as well as hunting skills. He also drove Winter-Maker away so spring could come and food be present once more. Of all times, these skills are needed for the boy. This could be a little story within a story.
• The family may be part of the Nooke ("Tender", i.e. Bear) clan, which is known for healing and defense. These attributes are prominent in the story. The bear, lynx, and wolf are part of the Nooke totem/doodem. It is the largest totem.
• When someone is ill, it is thought to be of the spirit as well as for the physical body. I have added that the sister could see her father's eyes through the eyes of her younger brother. The eyes are often thought as the "window to the soul".
• Mourning for the dead--There is mourning for about a year and then you can join the community again. This could partly explain why the lodge was so far from the village at the beginning of the story. The sister may have been surprised when the older brother left the lodge so soon as the year of mourning was not complete for the passing of the father or of the mother.
  
• Ritual for the dead--The dead are placed in special clothing and have a spirit bundle that holds a lock of the dead person's hair. Then the dead are wrapped in a blanket and birchbark. The body is removed from the west side of the wigwam and food is placed with them. A close family member dances around the open grave. A barkhouse is made and reflects the symbol of the family's clan over the grave.
• The boy would know about the food buried with his father and mother, though the thought to get the food would never have crossed his mind.

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

Julie Barnson: Buddy for "Forsaken Brother"

Three stories are part of the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" and I wanted a different buddy per story.

I scheduled every Tuesday from 1o:00am to Noon to be "Forsaken Brother" Day with story buddy Julie Barnson. (Yet this time went to almost 1:00pm.)

As was done with story buddy Holly Robison for "The Gardener's Wife", Julie read the "Forsaken Brother" story aloud. Again, this allowed me to reflect on the images in the story so that our session would be more productive.

We came up with questions that may or may not be answered during the actual performance. If I am familiar with these questions and have answers, then it is enough to come across in the telling.

I brought my whiteboard and here were some results:

• What is it like for the sister to run the household, which is usually thought of as the mother's role?
• Why is the lodge so far away? Symbolic reasons? Farther from water? Illness to to keep away from the village, especially as the father and mother eventually die?
• Was the illness due to the Europeans/White Man settling in the area with such things as cholera or tuberculosis?
• What kind of illness does the youngest brother have as he was not completely helpless to go after food in the middle of the woods during winter? Polio? Small pox? (Leaves some people crippled but not helpless)
• What is the Ojibwa perception of werewolves, as this does come up in Native American lore? What of the transformation from human to animal how is it perceived?
• Why was the sister not there when the transformation of the youngest brother occurred?
• Why do I love to have the brother's eyes remind the sister of the father's eyes? Is it because it represents family and when she no longer sees anything, she is wanting a family of her own?
• Is leaving the lodge to search for her brother an excuse to leave the sickly brother?
• What personal stories do I have that reflect promises broken? Transformation among my brother or sister?

The image below is the original outline for "Forsaken Brother":





















This is only the beginning of a wondrous journey for "Forsaken Brother". Feel free to follow the process.

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