Storytelling Radio Program
KSVY-FM 91.3, Sonoma, CA
http://www.ksvy.org
Sundays, 5-6 pm Pacific time (adjust for your time zone)
Live audio streaming: Go to the KSVY website. In the upper
right-hand corner, click on High or Low Speed and find
yourself listening to the program in progress.
Theme music: Special thanks to Petra Koch in Germany (she works with Storyteller Richard Martin), who performed the beautifully haunting alto recorder music of Como Podem from the 13th century collection Cantigas de Santa Maria (copy of Kynsecker, Mollenhauer & Co.). Used on this program with her kind permission.
Engineer: Brodie Giles, KSVY
PROGRAM 16:
Jan. 7 , 2007 - How and Why Stories
Our program today is about our world...how and why things happen.
Since the beginning of time, storytellers have made up stories to explain nature.
Here are a few of them.
Featured storytellers:
Joe Wos (Pennsylvania)
How the Elephant Got His Trunk
(thanks originally to Rudyard Kipling's Just So stories)
Be careful what you wish for...you may get more than you bargained for.
A young elephant learns a lot about life in this fun adventure.
Kathy Hunter (Oregon)
Why the Dipper Bobs; Why the Skunk Stinks
You may be very surprised to hear the real story of our black-and-white friends!
Mike Lockett (Illinois)
How Lizard Beat Big Deer
Just a little bit of trickery can sometimes get you a long way toward winning a race!
Cris Reidel (New York)
Why Sun and Moon Live in the Sky; Why Possum Has a Naked Tail
A big ego can often get you into bigger trouble, as Possum learns to his dismay.
Kate Frankel (California)
How the Camel Got His Hump
(another thanks to Rudyard Kipling and his Just So! stories)
Humph! Humph! Humph! Oh-oh, look what happened!
Sam Harris (New York)
Why Baby Says Goo!
A tale of triumph for the diaper crowd!
Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss (New York)
Why Frog and Snake Never Play Together
A look at the influence people have on one another in shaping their lives.
A modern tragedy of missed opportunities.
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Guest tellers...
• Joe Wos (Pennsylvania) — How the Elephant Got His Trunk
ONCE UPON A TOON®
Joe Wos is a freelance cartoonist and storyteller from Pittsburgh. Who has been sharing his talents with audiences across the nation for the past 12 years. His one-man show, "Once Upon a Toon,"combines his passion for storytelling and drawing cartoons. Joe, with his quick wit and lightning-speed drawings of original stories, classic fables and folk tales, never fails to amaze and entertain during "Once Upon a Toon." A single presentation yields an average of 20 original drawings, which are given to the audience at the end of each show. His rapid drawing skills have earned Joe the reputation as "Fastest Draw in the East!" And his tours of Texas, California and Arizona have extended this reputation to "Fastest Draw in the West." Joe has performed at many festivals, museums, libraries, and schools nationwide. His favorite original story, "The Smartest Dragon," is a delightful tale for children and the young at heart. His imaginative spin on classic stories and folk tales, such as "The True Story of Johnny Appleseed," tickles the funnybone every time! The pun-filled adventures of "Don the Duck" leave audiences of all ages groaning and grinning with laughter.
Joe has worked as a freelance cartoonist since the age of 14. Clients have included the late presidential candidate and comedian Pat Paulsen and a goat cheese farm in Slovenia. His mazes, dubbed "The World's Most Difficult" by Ripley's Believe It or Not!, are on exhibit at museums worldwide. His parodys of famous artists and their works, "Great Art Belongs on Refrigerator Doors," remains one of his favorite exhibits. He also created a Toon Studio for the Pittsburgh Children's Museum, loaning his collection of original cartoon by cartoon legends from the past 100 years. Joe, a cartooning instructor since age 18, Joe continues to spread his love of cartooning and share his skills and techniques as a cartoonist with students of all ages. He had the great honor of being the first resident cartoonist of the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa Calif. When not performing , Joe spends his time writing stories for his program and practicing them on his family. He is working on several comic books based on original stories performed during "Once Upon a Toon."
Amazing Joe Wos Facts!
Joe is known as the fastest draw in the east.
Each year, Joe goes through 150 markers and gives away thousands of drawings.
Joe is left-handed.
Joe has performed at festivals and other venues since the age of 15.
During 2003 Joe had over 300 performances, visiting over 30,000 children, telling 700 stories, and drawing over 5000 pictures!
If you were to stretch out the lines in all those drawings, one years worth would stretch over 6 miles!
Joe started working as a freelance cartoonist at the age of 14, when he obtained his first copyright for one of his cartoon characters "JJ Bear".
Joe is a master maze-maker and has created mazes dubbed "The World's Most Difficult" — one of which is in the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum collection.
Joe has created an award winning ballet dancing chicken screen saver.
Joe was the very first resident cartoonist of the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, Calif.
Some of Joe's cartooning credits include designing a map for Presidential Canidate/Comedian Pat Paulsen and, designing a logo for a Goat Farm in Slovenia.
Joe's comic strip "Aesop's Foibles" appears worldwide in Storytelling Magazine.
Joe released a cd titled Top Drawer Tales in 2004.
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Contact Joe at:
You can get in touch with Joe by email, phone or mail. Kids who want to say hi should email or send letters only. Please do not call. Phone number is for grown ups only. Send email to Joewos@onceuponatoon.com
For info on booking Once Upon a Toon or other Joe Wos programs, call Joe at
(412) 760-1896
Joe Wos
Once Upon a Toon
235 Garlow Drive
Penn Hills PA 15235
http://www.onceuponatoon.com/
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• Kathy Hunter (Oregon) — Why the Dipper Bobs; Why the Skunk Stinks
Kathy Hunter loves to entertain. Following a long writing career in Alaska, enlivened by an interest in music and community theater, she has combined all her talents in storytelling. After retiring to Wallowa County in Eastern Oregon, she found an active supporter in the writers' nonprofit organization Fishtrap (www.Fishtrap.org ). Kathy produces Fishtrap Storytime, a weekly show on radio KWVR in Enterprise, and her stories have been aired on public radio from Spokane to Honolulu.
Kathy's tales are original stories or reinterpreted folktales that often feature music. She sings, and employs a variety of musical instruments that include autoharp, dulcimer, penny whistle and ukulele. In Northeastern Oregon a delighted audience listens to this family storyteller on the air, and sees her perform at schools, summer camps, retirement homes, arts festivals, libraries, and Fishtrap events. Kathy has produced two CDs with her characteristic stick-in-your-head songs. The CDs Why the Skunk Stinks, and Other Nature Stories for Children, and Rowf! Songs and Tales from Many Cultures are available locally, or from the author.
Kathy is a member of the National Storytelling Network, is listed by the Oregon Library Association in their Performer's Showcase and represented by the Eastern Oregon Regional Arts Council.
Listeners' Comments
"Thanks so much for helping to make our Dr, Seuss Day such a success. You were terrific! I'll never look at the Green Eggs and Ham Book in the same way."
—Marcie Sheehy, Librarian, Wallowa Elementary, Wallowa, OR
"I must admit I was mesmerized."
—Lauren Bienkowski, Northhampton, MA. Children's Crisis Counselor
"You are a wonderful storyteller."
—Rebecca Cohen, Newport Librarian, Newport, OR.
"Your CD is wonderful. I really liked all the different voices you can do, the vocabulary you chose, the incremental endearments, the repeated elements and the stories you selected. The extra voices on one story help to supply variety. I can see why kids would like it. I especially liked the ouzel story because I have a soft spot in my heart for ouzels."
—Ann Chandonnet, Juneau, AK. Poet, Journalist, Mother
"All of us at Wallowa Elementary really enjoyed your African presentation at our Book 25 Club get-together. You had the kids hooked, Kathy, with your story. We appreciate your time and expertise and we look forward to having you come to our school again in the future."
—The Wallowa Elementary Staff, Wallowa OR
"Thanks so much for your time and talent in storytelling at camp this year. We really appreciate your leading a workshop. It was terrific, and a great experience for the kids! I hope you'll join us again next year."
—Jeni Greenshields, Director, Joseph Summer Camp, Joseph, OR
"Thanks for a great performance."
—Minnie Tucker, La Grande Parks & Rec. LaGrande, OR
"Thank you so much for sharing your storytelling talent with our group. The crowd and noise were far greater than expected but you seemed to have the audience on stage captivated. The storytelling greatly enhanced our success!"
—Anne & Angie, Building Healthy Families, Enterprise, OR
"The happiness you spread is through your children's stories. You're great! The children love listening to you and so do I. You are The Wallowa Valley story lady."
—Iva Lindsay, Lostine Vacation Bible School, Lostine, OR
"After Emma heard Kathy's stories at school she came home and told them to me verbatim. She played the characters and sang the songs, for days. I've never seen her taken by a story like that!"
—Carolyn Lochert-Musician, Mom, Lostine, OR
"My friend loaned me her fancy van to take a bunch of kids to the pool. I turned on the key, the seat began to heat up, the CD player came on and all the kids started singing along. It was my Mom's CD!"
—Mindy Hunter, Fairbanks, AK. Teacher, daughter, Mom
"Storytelling artistry, mesmerizing presentations. She has command of an innovative style along with consummate storytelling skill. .. Incredible spirit, humor, wisdom and grace.. Articulate, nurturing, life-affirming—an exceptionally talented artist and educator."
—Merna Hecht, Storyteller, Arts Educator, Literacy Consultant WA, School Districts
"Dear Storyteller,
Thank you for telling us the storys. I lickde the billegot won it wus gat. (I liked the billy goat one; it was great) "
—Frum Tiffany Wallowa, OR
Programs include but are not limited to:
1 Environmental Stories:
2 Grandmother Nature Stories
3 Just for Fun
4 Multicultural Stories
5 Oregon My Oregon
6 Greek Myths
7 Student Workshops
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Contact Kathy at:
http://www.kathytales.com/index.html
http://www.kathytales.com/contact_form.html
Kathy Hunter
68762 Allen Canyon Loop Rd
Wallowa, OR 97885
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• Mike Lockett, "The Normal Storyteller" (Illinois) — How Lizard Beat Big Deer
Dr. Michael Lockett is an accomplished storyteller. He travels throughout Illinois and the midwest telling stories to audiences of all ages from pre-school through senior citizens. He is known for his audience participation stories and his use of dialects when telling traditional folktales.
Dr. Lockett is also a motivation speaker and workshop leader for teachers and school administrators, church organizations and community groups. He is a frequent storyteller for schools and libraries. He has given more than 1500 presentations and storytelling sessions nationwide. Dr. Lockett's goal is to bring more stories and storytelling into schools, libraries, churches and homes in order to merge the gap between the tools of teaching and the power and history of storytelling.
Since the dawn of man, humans have communicated and relived history through storytelling. Today this is accomplished on mass scales through television and the world wide web (as you see here). However throughout today's accomplished technology, our culture has lost the power of "the storyteller." Dr. Lockett believes storytelling is a priceless and timeless tool for teaching that needs to be preserved He tells his stories with a joy that is contagious. Audiences love his tales.
Dr. Michael Lockett lives in Normal, Illinois with his wife Rebecca. He is a lifelong educator. He retired in June 2005 following 33 years of working in public education and began working full-time as a storyteller, keynote speaker and educational consultant for Heritage Schoolhouse Press, which produces storytelling materials, including auditory CDs. Soon, Heritage Schoolhouse Press will begin to publish children's books and storytelling books. Lockett's wife, Rebecca, retired as the Principal of Tri-Valley Elementary School in Downs, Illinois at the same time Dr. Lockett stepped down as Principal of Greeley Alternative High School in Peoria, IL. Dr. and Mrs. Lockett have two married sons who have blessed them with three grandchildren. Once son owns Stardot Home Automation The other owns Creative Sites Media. Son, Mark, does the audio engineering and music for Lockett's CDs.
It is with pleasure that Dr. Lockett announces the latest product that he has created, "Tales for the Young at Heart." The new Cd with seventy minutes of stories and songs is being launched during January, 2007. Two other CDs by The Normal Storyteller are "Tales from the Hills" and "Tales from Around the World." You can find them on his website at http://www.mikelockett.com or on Amazon.com and CD Baby.
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Excerpts from telephone interview:
Q. Mike, tell us how you first entered the storytelling world.
A. Oh, I entered the world of storytelling in Sunday school years ago. I had some little old Sunday school teachers. I went to a Swedish Covenant church...and there were two ladies who would tell us stories. Sometimes they'd let their emotions get carried away and they'd have trouble completing some of the Bible stories. So I started telling Bible stories and all kinds of other stories as a child.
Then my parents brought home a series of encyclopedias, thinking that I would start reading encyclopedias, but instead I dove into the storybook collection that went along with those old World Books and started reading the stories from cover to cover. It was the old Richard Chase stories.
I started telling Jack Tales and I grew up with a lot of folks who talked with a southern twang. They all came up to the northern end of Illinois from southern Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee to get jobs and to escape poverty. Before long, I could twang with the best of them and started to pick up other dialects, too.
Q. Did you sound authentic?
A. Well, I tell you what. When I was down south, some of the people down there for the National Storytelling Festival considered me one of the "folks."
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You may read and download Mike's stories at:
http://www.mikelockett.com/stories.php
CDs available:
Tales from the Hills is Dr. Michael Lockett's first storytelling recording and is now available to purchase online! This album includes all of your favorite Jack tales and more! This interactive CD will also help demonstrate how to get your listeners involved in your storytelling. Dr. Lockett is famous for his luring tales that keep his audiences glued to their seats! This CD includes such tales as:
Available from:
http://www.mikelockett.com/merch.php
Tales from Around the World is a collection of ten stories from different areas around the globe as told by Dr. Michael Lockett, "The Normal Storyteller." Each story is told in a dialect that is representative of the area from where the story first was told. Area musicians helped Lockett add rich folk music after each song to add to the fun and beauty of this CD.
Available from:
http://www.mikelockett.com/merch.php
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• Cris Reidel (New York) —
Why Sun and Moon Live in the Sky; Why Possum Has a Naked Tail
When Cris Riedel tells stories, folks love to listen.
She says, "Everyone wants to hear stories. Stories make us - and keep us - human. It's more and more important for us to understand and appreciate others. Stories connect all people to each other, and to the past, and to future people, relationships all coming from the shared experience of a story."
About Cris
"She should be in every school in the state."—Kevin Eberle, principal, West Seneca High School, West Seneca, New York
Cris tells stories everywhere she can: schools, libraries, museums, festivals, for instance:
• Burchfield Penney Art Gallery in Buffalo, NY;
• Borders Books and Records (Amherst, NY);
• Rainbow Junction Day Care (Penn Yan, NY);
• Buffalo Museum of Science;
• schools and public libraries all over western New York.
Her workshops have been offered at:
• the Chautauqua Institution,
• Sharing the Fire 2005 (League for the Advancement of North East Storytelling)
• the Fredonia Storytelling Festival;
• the New York State Association for the Education of Young Children,
• Library Development Day for Genesee Valley BOCES School Library System.
She is also a guest speaker for children's literature classes at Genesee Community College.
Cris has been telling stories professionally for more than ten years. She performs for audiences of all ages, sharing her enthusiasm for story. Listeners explore with imagination and find the joy in this ancient art form. Her workshops allow new tellers to begin performing easily, and encourage experienced tellers to expand their abilities and skills. The material is aligned to each group's particular needs and concerns.
Cris holds an MFA in acting, and spent ten years in New York City pursuing that profession. Three tours in children's theater lead easily to storytelling. She also holds an MLS, and currently is an elementary school librarian. She received a Special Opportunities Stipend from the New York State Council on the Arts in 2002.
"Cris' presence is very strong… Her sense of timing is excellent."—Janice Booth, former executive director, Young Audiences of Western New York
Programs
"How wonderfully the story comes alive when you tell it!"—Ann Klos, First Baptist Church of Penfield
Round the World on a Story
Travel around the globe to eight spots, stopping in for a tale.
Women Can!
A folkloric response to 18th century male beliefs of women's shortcomings.
Native Northeast
Stories from the Native American nations in the northeast woodlands area: Seneca, Anishinabe, Abenaki.
New York Folk
New York State is full of stories.
Tsalgi Celebration
A collection of stories from Cris's own folks, the Cherokee.
PERSON to PEOPLE Cris's program of stories from around the world is now available on CD. To order your copy for $17.00, email me. Check, money order, or PayPal are all accepted.
Cris will tailor a program to your special request. Please allow eight weeks' notice.
Also offered each year are programs relating to the New York State Summer Reading theme 2005: Tune in @ Your Library!
"I wish you could come and tell us stories for the rest of the year… "
—Amy, grade 3
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Contact Cris at:
cris@storiesconnect.com
http://www.storiesconnect.com/index.html
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• Kate Frankel (California) — How the Camel Got His Hump
Kate is the editor and publisher of Storyline, which is now the newsletter of the Storytelling Association of Alta California. However, Storyline predates SAAC. In its infancy, Storyline was the primary way storytellers kept up on what was happening in the local storytelling community. Kate was instrumental in providing a valuable connection for those who needed a local connection to the storytelling community. Kate is currently involved in an effort to create a statewide storytelling organization in California.
Kate was born in the Year of the Tiger. She spent near 20 years taming the wild life -- the students - with her stories .. as a librarian in Berkeley elementary school libraries, and then nearly another 20 spreading her stories and writing about stories, more widely for audiences of all ages.
Kate has been storytelling all her life, but only recently, working to recreate her gradual awareness of the social problems that led to the Civil Rights movement, has she discovered the exciting possibilities of personal stories. She grew up in San Francisco in the 30s, in a white community with no awareness of blacks, w/discrimination against "foreigners"--(Chinese, etc.) She'll share with you her Learning Curve, from a San Francisco childhood with no awareness of discrimination, to working in Harlem, experience in the South, and back to Berkeley in the 50's before Berkeley was ... "Berkeley."
Contact Kate at:
katefrankel@earthlink.net
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• Sam Harris (New York) — Why Baby Says Goo!
Sam has worked as a student with Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss in New York and has become a master storyteller. Listen and be thankful that Martha and Mitch are encouraging young people like Sam to enter the storytelling world and helping them gain the skills necessary to be successful in this art form.
• Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss (New York) —
Why Frog and Snake Never Play Together
Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss work together as tandem storytellers under the name Beauty and the Beast Storytellers.
Who's the Beauty and who's the Beast?
We never tell - You decide!
'Beauty and the Beast' tell stories for all ages, and in settings ranging from elementary school assemblies to theaters, college coffeehouses, and senior citizen centers. They bring to life traditional folktales from around the world, works by contemporary authors, stories from their own experiences, and tales based on historical people and events. Drawing from their large and varied repertoire, they tailor each performance to suit the specific audience. In their performances, Mitch and Martha use gesture, song, mime, and audience participation. Their specialty is tandem storytelling where they combine their contrasting styles, swapping lines and impersonating characters.
Mitch and Martha have traveled as far as Taiwan and Hong Kong to perform and teach others to tell. All of their books have been published in Taiwan because it is such a priority to learn English on the island, and teachers of English have found that storytelling is one of the best ways to get students excited about a new language. "Beauty and the Beast" have also completed numerous tours of European International Schools. Among the places they have told stories are Prague, Vienna, Munich, Florence, Milan, Genoa, Madrid, Moscow, London, and Budapest.
For more information on their performances, go to:
http://www.beautyandthebeaststorytellers.com/performances.html
New Books Just Out and More on the Way!
If we ruled the world, children would be encouraged and given numerous opportunities to tell stories - folktales from various cultures, stories written by their favorite authors, and, of course, their own stories. This would be done formally and informally, to one person and in front of a group, in school and at home. Teaching children to tell stories helps them to find their own voices. It also creates excitement about reading and writing their own stories. When we work in classrooms teaching students to tell, teachers note that students are really excited about reading and telling more tales from our books. They love all kinds of stories - from silly to serious, from pourquoi tales that explain something peculiar about an animal or natural phenomenon to "noodlehead" stories about fools from which children, surprisingly, learn a great deal. But if we had to choose their most beloved genre of stories for telling, it would undoubtedly be scary tales. Stories such as "Tilly," "The Golden Arm," and "On a Dark and Stormy Night" from Stories in My Pocket: Tales Kids Can Tell have always been huge favorites in every classroom where we've taught student tellers.
For a full listing of books and recordings by the Beauty & the Beast Storytellers, go to:
http://www.beautyandthebeaststorytellers.com/whatsnew.html
or
http://www.beautyandthebeaststorytellers.com/booksrecordings.html
Contact:
Beauty & the Beast Storytellers
Mitch Weiss and Martha Hamilton
954 Coddington Road Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone: (607) 277-0016 Fax: (607) 277-0968
info@beautyandthebeaststorytellers.com
http://www.beautyandthebeaststorytellers.com/
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(Page created 1/6/07)
