Tuesday, March 29, 2011
'Storyslam' helps students relate life's tales
'Storyslam' helps students relate life's tales
Staff Writer
—
NEWBURYPORT — If you don't know your own story or are unable to tell it, someone will tell it for you. And with that in mind, the Newburyport High School junior class, with the help of English Department Chairwoman Susie Galvin and the massmouth program, is endeavoring to learn how to spin a compelling, real-life tale that will captivate audiences.
They've started from scratch, with little experience in sharing their innermost secrets to their entire peer group. And along the way, some have understandably experienced a wee bit of anxiety about the public portion of the program, Galvin said.
But Galvin and other English teachers say they have been blown away by the effectiveness of the nonprofit educational group's program in getting students to open up and express themselves.
"One young man in front of his class told the story of his first kiss, and it was very raw because it was the first day," Galvin said. "But he told it with a humor that really was sweet, and certainly, the kids could relate to it.
"Another boy told the story about being in a foreign country and getting separated from his mother and his grandmother and how he was able to find them, and there was a nice twist to that story."
It's not just the most successful students who have been the most open and animated in this workshop-based series of classes, Galvin said.
"You don't have to have theater qualities or acting qualities or exhibit the necessary speech intonations, although that naturally evolves and the kid gets comfortable telling their story," Galvin said. "You get the feeling the stronger students would grab onto it, but that's not really been true."
Guided by representatives of the StoriesLive organization, which is implemented by massmouth with grant funding from Masshumanities.org, students have been learning for several weeks how to organize their thoughts and learn how to construct a story others will want to hear. They met with massmouth storytellers yesterday for the third time and those who were ready to read stood up and tested their material in the classroom environment.
"They're telling personal narratives," Galvin said. "What they have to learn is they do have stories to tell. There is a uniqueness to who they are."
Those who have struggled are encouraged to use the tools offered by massmouth to foster and cultivate the creative spark within, she said.
"We had a boy say the other day I don't have any stories," Galvin said. "The teacher said you are 16 years old — yes, you do. You have stories. You just have to take these exercises and allow yourself to express it."
Students will select some of the best stories to come out of these classroom "slam" workshops to be presented in an end-of-year slam on stage before the entire junior class, Galvin said. Those storytellers who are voted the best of that bunch will go onto a state slam.
But even those who don't end up on stage will reap benefits from participating in the project when it comes to crafting the kind of effective, individualized essays required in their application this year to colleges and universities, Galvin said.
"They try to get the kids to understand what a story needs to have in order for it to be interesting," she said. "The kinds of stories that they do activate that kind of thinking."
Students are forced to ask themselves what the audience can learn from their story, what the message is that their story is sending and how they portray themselves.
In the end, the inaugural program is experiencing tremendous success, she said.
"It's been working out well. The feedback has been great. The kids are having fun with it," Galvin said.
NewburyportNews.com Newburyport, MA
SHARING THE FIRE
The Northeast Storytelling Conference 2011
"Healing The World......
One Story At A Time"
Crowne Plaza, Warwick, Rhode Island
STF NSC is more than just a conference which provides workshops, performances, round table discussions, vendor exhibits, mind provoking Keynote Speaker and an Annual business meeting. This Conference provides an inviting and supporting atmosphere where both seasoned veterans and beginning storytellers and their audiences may share the warmth provided by a great tale being told. Whether the story is told at a swap, featured performance or over a cup of coff ee in some obscure corner this is not your average
Storytelling Confere nce.
Old memories will be shared, and new memories will be made; come be a part of our story!
Barbara Lipke You WIll Be Missed!
What Barbara Lipke Left Behind
by Tony Toledo
Her trademark storytelling vest.
An empty theater seat.
A half eaten box of Chilmark Chocolates.
A bathing cap.
An old beat up beach bag.
A dog eared book of Norwegian folk tales.
A welcoming home of brick and laughter.
Toast that sits when it wants to fly.
A simple straight forward salad.
Schencken. (Who knew snails knew German?)
Figures, Facts and Fables.
A hole in Martha's Vineyard.
An empty potluck pan.
World's longest 3/8 of a mile.
A Chilmark floor yearning for her footsteps.
Waves at Windy Gates wondering when she'll be back.
36 years of Herb's good night kisses.
Binky and Bobby, nicknames un tethered.
A certain bend in the road that holds her voice.
The last time I saw her.
10 great grand children.
7 grand children.
4 children with her chin. (and heart)
New England Storytellers (who miss her terribly)
A world of admiring friends.
One less skinny dipper.
One less storyteller.
One less teacher.
One less friend.
Her laugh.
Her grin.
Her love.
A ripple in the water.
 |
| Barbara Stix Lipke |
Inspired by the Charles Coe poem What He Left Behind (for his father).
Barbara Stix Lipke was a storyteller, an activist, and a self-proclaimed “news junkie’’ who believed strongly in freedom of expression and loved music and theater. Mrs. Lipke, a former public school teacher in Brookline and Baltimore, died Jan. 3 in her Newton home after a brief illness. She was 85. Mrs. Lipke was born in Cincinnati to Tom and Regine Stix, who were strong role models, said her son Paul of Montague. “Mother’s mother was a public health physician. She got into medical school, which opened to women due to [World War I], and was a lady of enormous energy. Mother certainly inherited her energy, drive, and commitment to excellence.
“Mother’s father was a radio agent . . . and Eleanor Roosevelt was one of his clients,’’ Paul continued. “Mother was very much a ‘New Dealer’ and was committed to that larger sense of one’s obligation to society. We grew up with a lot of news and media in the house, and news was considered to be important.’’
Mrs. Lipke grew up in New York City and graduated in 1943 from the High School of Music & Art in Manhattan. In 1947, she received her bachelor’s degree in English from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. A year later, she married her longtime sweetheart, Herbert Lipke, an entomological biochemist who was a founding faculty member of the biology department at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
“My parents were a team,’’ said Marni, of Martha’s Vineyard, the couple’s only daughter. “They had a very good, comfortable marriage full of humor. They passed on to us children that enormous capacity for humor and a respect and tolerance for our fellow travelers. . . . My father didn’t care whether you were the prince of England or the janitor. He just wanted to know who you were and what you did. Our parents instilled that in all of us.’’
The Lipkes insisted their children maintain stellar academic records. But once their homework or studying was done, they allowed their children to have fun.
Perhaps his mother’s love of music and theater is why she required her children to learn to play musical instruments, said her son Alan of Tampa. Alan played the flute; Peter, of Brooklyn, N.Y., played the trumpet; Paul played the French horn and cornetto. Marni played the piano but mostly danced ballet and modern dance.
Judy Holshouser Tizon, a close family friend who was an au pair for the Lipke children during summers on Martha’s Vineyard, said Mrs. Lipke was unique.
“She had a great sense of humor, and she was very loving,’’ said Tizon, a retired anthropology professor at the University of Southern Maine.
“She was like a younger, second mom to me. . . . She also taught me how to sail, and she was a real stickler for all of the nomenclature.Thoughts For A storyteller During the Holidays
By Angela Davis reprinted from http://www.creativekeys.net/StorytellingPower/article1079.html
1. Find answers in stories.
Embrace stories from all walks of life. As you go about your daily chores eavesdrop on stories not to listen to conversations, but purely for the advantage of taking a message from the story you are hearing and see how it pertains to your life. Fascinated the way a main character in a children's novel went to a public place to eavesdrop on conversations, I’ve made use of this technique with intriguing results.
The story line was his mother was dead. So he had a regular ritual of going to a particular counter in a shopping mall to “hear” what advice his mother might give to him. It didn’t matter what the person speaking said. What mattered was his take on what the person said. Almost, always he got a sensible and meaningful response to his question. Try it for yourself and see what "answers" you might find.
2. Start a new story tradition this year.
Give the gift of story all season long. Each time you prepare a potluck dish for the many social gatherings you’re invited to, share the story of how the dish’s recipe came to be one of your culinary specialties. Or when giving a gift, imbue the receiver with the tale of how the gift came to be chosen. Either way carries on the wonderful tradition of sharing stories all throughout the holiday season.
3. Celebrate and renew your life through story.
Find a meaningful story for yourself and make it your story for the year! When you’ve found just such a tale, frame it and hang it in a place of honor in your office or near your bed. Let the story source your life with inspiration throughout the year and here's the fun part: Share your story spark with others throughout the year letting it inspire and move others too!
4. Give yourself the gift of solitude with story!
Take time during all the holiday hustle and bustle to escape into the solitude of story. Give your imagination and intuition free reign to decide what story you’d like to embrace. Is it a warm story from your past, or a new story you’re creating in the future? Perhaps you’ve decided to settle on a traditional tale from the season. There are many customs that add rich foundation to your life. Choose one and give it new life with your own additions and family customs.
5. Invite storytelling buddies over for an evening of sharing holiday customs, traditions and stories.
Light candles, play music you absolutely adore, hang colorful chimes where you can hear them and burn aromatic incense, to help your heart be merry and light. Extinguish the momentary distractions that get in the way of being present to yourself and others. As you each present a cultural melee of fun hand out specially purchased holiday ornaments to add to your treasure trove of holiday memories!
6. Bring the world together through the powerful world of story.
Ever been curious about another culture? Become a nomad exploring places you’ve longed to visit. Immerse yourself in the stories of that region's holiday season. Locate a storytelling buddy in that part of the world. As the shortest, coldest days arrive exchange heartwarming tales and as an added bonus share the fruits of your labor locally gifting children and adults with stories you've collected from that part of the world. Emphasize how stories bring us together and share a bit of how you collected the tales.
7. Expect the best.
Things have a way of working out for the best in the long run. Act as if the best story is waiting for you to discover it. A story that will be your signature piece for years to come wants your stamp of originality on it! Following in the footsteps of true storytellers, craft the tale into your very own, marking it in a totally memorable way that feels right for you. Expect the best story every month of the year!
8. Uncover the five best things about being a storyteller.
We each have our own reasons for being a storyteller. Why do you do what you do? Is it the joy you bring to others? Perhaps it is that marvelous feeling of having done a thing well. Maybe you like being a creator and changing story parts to fit your storytelling personality better. It could be telling stories feeds a part of your soul that nothing else can in just the same way. Whatever your reasons take the time to mine your precious jewels and make them known to your heart. (As always, it would be fun to share with others too!)
9. Bring only your best storytelling self into the New Year!
Decide what parts of your storytelling persona will make the trek into 2011. Light a candle, write what parts you like least about your storytelling and simply decide to leave them behind. To symbolize your new decision burn the written discarded parts. Now, acknowledge the best and the brightest of who you are first and foremost and the world will follow suit!
10. Honor the remarkable storyteller in yourself and in all people everyday!
This year if you lost everything, what would be left? The 2005 Story Success newsletter heralded the theme “The Year of the Storyteller.” This year choose to embrace stories that bring out the best in yourself and others. Each day is “Another Storytelling Day.” Everyone has a marvelous story to share - some incredible thing about them worth passing on. Not a day passes for you to miss seeing what a wonderful world we live in through story. Live purposefully - listen to the amazing and astonishing stories that fill our world.
Angela Davis, The Yarnspinner, is a teller of myths, folklore, fables, dramas and legends. As an entertainer and recording artist, she offers a variety of stories guaranteed to nurture the hearts and minds of children of all ages. To find out all about Angela visit her website at http://www.yarnspin.com/ or e-mail her at yarnspinner@mindspring.com
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