Interviewing Others: Map to Marvelous Memories

Every one has a fascinating story to tell. Having someone share his or her everyday adventures can be as tricky as expecting to find buried treasure while holding the map upside-down. Knowing the right way to hold the map— and conducting an interview— determines what gems you find.

So far I have had the fortune to interview over 50 people—perhaps closer to 75—including 24 national storytellers/key people in the American Storytelling Movement. Yet, I would like to honor three people who wouldn’t normally call themselves storytellers: Raymond Rahn, Marcus Mortensen (pictured above with me), and Beryl Andrews-Endow. They have best directed me for conducting marvelous interviews.

Interview Map at-a-Glance:
1. Share goals/expectations with each other before the interview.
2. Involve the interviewee in the process from beginning to end.
3. Invite the interviewee to transform the experience into something personal.
4. Include spouse or other family members in the same room during the interview whenever possible.
5. Smile, smile, smile.
6. Become friends.
7. Listen.

What I learned from Raymond:
Share goals/expectations with each other before the interview. Raymond wanted to preserve memories for his family. It was too broad to cover his entire life so we narrowed it down to his childhood days. He gave me a copy of questions that he would like to cover. Could he have written down these answers? Of course, but by having someone record his answers, we could understand the meaning and the inflections he placed on each word. Pauses say many things during an interview, too.

Raymond knew that my goals were to bring out his hidden memories beyond the normal list of “this was my favorite game” or “this was my favorite toy”. With his permission, I wished to share his stories beyond the family setting and onto the stage.

Involve the interviewee in the process from beginning to end. Raymond was with me in such things as determining questions, interviewing, arranging follow-up interviews, and correcting transcripts. This was not “my” project. This was “our” project.

Invite the interviewee to transform the experience into something personal. I created stories that could be told both in the oral and the written format. Raymond took the stories and put his twist to them. Later, he gave copies to his family. The interview was really a stepping-stone to his ultimate goal. Since I have interviewed him, he has passed on as well as his wife, Joyce. I honor their memories when I tell their stories.

What I learned from Marcus:
Include the spouse or other family members in the same room during the interview whenever possible. His wife, Jeri, never heard him tell most of the World War II stories during our interview. She pulled me aside one day and thanked me for allowing her to be there. I was thrilled to have her in the room since sometimes Jeri would make comments, usually of the teasing nature. Marc would defend himself with a smile. This helped me piece dialogue when crafting the stories. Knowing how they interacted broadened my view of them.

Smile, smile, smile. Respond with your eyes, your face, and even your body. The more I smiled, the more animated Marc became. The more animated he became, the more stories he told. If you sit there as if a statue, then the interviewee will wonder if you are truly listening. During most interviews, I lean forward or at least mimic the stance of the interviewee. For example, if the interviewee crosses their legs, then I cross my legs. I can’t copy everything, as one of my hands must take a few notes while the recorder is on. I do the best I can.

What I learned from Beryl:
Become friends. I didn’t have a car so Beryl had to give me a ride to her home. This was my first time meeting her. We had about 10 minutes in the car to “just talk”. It was easy to become comfortable so by the time the interview officially started, we were friends.

Listen. Sometimes an interview is pure listening. I hardly had to ask a question for Beryl. Not everyone is so open. There are times that I would bring up a topic to hear more details. Otherwise, the interview may go off focus. And yet, if there is too much focus, then you could lose other wonderful stories.

If you’d like other tips on interviewing I have learned or if you have tips, then please let me know. You can post your questions and comments to this blog or you can email me at rachel@storytellingadventures.com.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman
Professional Storyteller
Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance
(801) 870-5799
rachel@storytellingadventures.com
http://www.rachelhedman.com/
http://www.yesalliance.com/

Grammys: Is Storytelling Category Possible?

Storytelling is not officially recognized by the Grammys, though the question is being asked more often of creating a separate category since national storyteller Bill Harley received the 2007 Grammy of Best Spoken Word Album For Children (consisting of predominantly spoken word vs. music or song) for “Blah Blah Blah: Stories About Clams, Swamp Monsters, Pirates & Dogs”.

National storyteller John McCutcheon was also nominated for the same category for his “Christmas in the Trenches”.

At the February 2007 meeting, Cathy Fink and Charlie Pilzer, Airshow Mastering and Grammy nominee, promoted the creation of a storytelling category to the Grammy committee. They wish for storytellers to help in this possibly 3-5 year process, depending on the support. Fink remarked, “Creating new categories is very difficult, but not impossible. The biggest challenge is to prove that a new category would be well served. Would the storytelling community get more active?”

Debbie Block of Round River Records said, “There are so many tellers in this community who are putting out wonderful work, it would be great to have the opportunity to be recognized in a wider community of artists.” Block urges storytellers to reflect on the opportunity and submit ideas to Fink and Pilzer (emails found at end).

Fink and Pilzer agreed that placing Harley’s “Blah Blah Blah” against McCutcheon’s “Christmas in the Trenches” was an unfair comparison as one was primarily a full-length spoken word while the other was about 10 minutes of spoken word. Fink noted that a similar situation occurred with Tom Chapin’s readings of stories that consisted of five minutes of spoken word plus music.

From Fink’s suggestion to make the storytelling community “more active”, I propose the following ideas:

1. Create Two Sets of Membership Standards with National Storytelling Network

2. Share Submissions from Other Storytelling Awards with the Grammys

3. Promote Professionalism on Local and National Levels

4. Educate Storytellers on How to Use Technology for Recording Purposes

Create Two Sets of Membership Standards with National Storytelling Network
The January/February 2007 “Storytelling Magazine” published by the National Storytelling Network (NSN) had a fitting theme of “In Pursuit of Excellence.” Several articles expressed the need of standards among storytellers while some articles showed signs of fear of having standards at all.

With two opposite views, it would seem best to have two sets of membership standards with the National Storytelling Network.

For those wishing to be more career-oriented with storytelling, certain guidelines could be followed to be in “good standing”. It would not go as far as licenses found in occupations like doctors and lawyers. Rather, there would be an application process beyond the regular contact information asked currently to be part of NSN. Submitting annually such items as an artist statement/vision, references, listing of repertoire, résumé, and education background should not intimidate professional storytellers, as these are common things asked for when applying for grants.

Once a committee reviews all information, then the storyteller could receive some sort of certificate indicating “good standing”. Storytellers could share their status with potential sponsors/patrons.

Storytellers who wish not to be judged by such standards (or even story appreciators) could decline the application process and be a regular member of NSN.

Share Submissions from Other Storytelling Awards with the Grammys
Many storytelling materials including CDs, DVDs, and books are already being submitted to Storytelling World Awards, Parents’ Choice Awards, and “Circle of Excellence” as part of the NSN Oracle Awards. The list could go on. With the right rapport, the Grammys could receive duplicate submissions from the other awards.

Promote Professionalism on Local and National Levels
Sometimes I am shocked at how many storytellers do not even give an invoice for a sponsor/patron. Having an invoice alone would boost how the general public views storytelling.

Librarians talk to librarians and educators talk to educators and so on. When someone is professional, then the visibility of the art increases. Imagine what could happen if storytellers promoted standards within their local guilds and friends?

I would recommend having the following items given in a file/folder for sponsors:

1. Storytelling Résumé
2. Introduction Card (for emcee/sponsor to read to avoid terrible introductions)
3. One-Page Quote from Others
4. Contract/Service Agreement/Invoice
5. Questionnaire (to understand event and audience)
6. Photo
7. Extra Business Cards

Educate Storytellers on How to Use Technology for Recording Purposes
There are so many free ways to use technology and many storytellers do not know the possibilities.

Did you think that YouTube and MySpace are for teenagers? Guess again. Storytellers need to be familiar with such things as blogs, podcasts, mp3 players/recorders, and iTales. Some ways to educate storytellers the lingo and use would be having workshops within guilds, the National Storytelling Conference, and through teleconferences.

Teasers and trailers of storytelling CDs and DVDs could be posted on websites as well as other online places such as YouTube and iTales. As a recording receives more hits, it will eventually catch the attention of the Grammys.

Regardless of what happens with the creation of the storytelling category, Grammy-winner Harley has this to say, “I spent the morning after the Grammies telling stories in a second grade class. Most of them had no idea what a Grammy was, and couldn’t have cared less.”

If you have ideas in regards to this amazing opportunity, then urgently email Cathy Fink at cfink@mindspring.com and Charlie Pilzer at charliepilzer@earthlink.net.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman
Professional Storyteller
Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance
(801) 870-5799
rachel@storytellingadventures.com
http://www.rachelhedman.com/
http://www.yesalliance.com/

Teen Tellers Speak Out: Leaders of Now & Future

Storytelling thrives when one person passes the torch to another. Some storytellers worry that, at any moment, the torch of leadership may be dropped due to a generation gap since it seems most storytellers are 50 years of age or older. These fears are unfounded when you look upon the amazing youth finalists at the National Youth Storytelling Showcase and the trail-blazing youth tellers forming storytelling clubs.

Four outstanding teenagers—Rixon Lane of South Carolina, Stephanie Strauss of Texas, Chloe Clunis of Florida and Jeremy Evans of Florida—demonstrated five key areas on how to keep stories burning within other youth tellers during the Smoky Mountain Storytelling Festival on February 3, 2007. Please see bios of presenters at bottom.

Five areas to have stories burn within others:

1. Explaining “Storytelling” to Peers
2. Finding Stories
3. Searching for Guilds/Clubs/Coaches
4. Sharing/Marketing the Storytelling Opportunity
5. Building Positive Self-Perception of Telling Personal Tales

Explaining "Storytelling" to Peers
The storytelling community tends to avoid defining storytelling, though this is something that Strauss, Clunis, Evans, and Lane find imperative to connect with their peers. Strauss tells other classmates, “Storytelling has the drama of theatre, the vibrancy and color of a painting, the physicality of sculpting, and the reality of photography. Storytelling is giving something personal to the audience.”

Clunis felt it best to show someone what storytelling is before there can be any understanding. She has a “30-second commercial” in which she recites a poem with the facial expressions, gestures, and voice inflections often found in storytelling.

Evans said, “Storytelling is the weaving of images through the mind.” Lane added that when watching TV or a movie—no matter what your imagination power—you couldn’t change the images. Lane continued, “Storytelling is magical—I can’t think of another art form where the audience is so involved.”

Finding Stories
Once youth are hooked on the potential and excitement of the art, then it’s time to find stories. Strauss tells mostly poignant stories, but likes to be prepared with ones that fall into the humor category, too. Sometimes the audience needs to laugh and sometimes the audience needs to think. Often, an audience needs to experience both emotions.

Clunis queried, “What type of a storyteller are you? What types of stories are you comfortable telling?” A “comfortable” story is one that has drawn you to it.

Evans admitted that pretty much all of his stories are funny except for a couple serious ones. He often divides the types of stories into two groups: stories good for 2^nd graders and younger and stories good for 3^rd graders and up (to include senior citizens).

Searching for Guilds/Clubs/Coaches
At some point, youth tellers will want to find a support group and/or a mentor so as to hone skills. Sometimes, a local storytelling club is not available. Clunis recommended searching within the school. “Find the best teacher and then plead, beg, perform—whatever you need to do—to convince them to be a club sponsor.”

When convincing other youth to join, Clunis uses three selling points: members will feel the magic of storytelling, members will be able to travel to tell at venues, and members could get paid. The “paid” part is always told under the breath with a couple winks.

Strauss acknowledged that she lived in the middle of nowhere. The club gathering was small yet had a positive atmosphere that anything anyone did was great.

Some youth tellers turn to coaches. “People feel they need coaches,” remarked Lane. When thinking of a coach, Lane pictured a woman who “radiated drama” and feared that what the coach would want him to do would be different than what he, the teller, wanted to do. Evans agreed that coaches could be controlling and a “coach would want me to listen to them.” Evans smiled and continued, “Now, if I don’t like something, I don’t listen to it!”

Sharing/Marketing the Storytelling Opportunity
For the serious youth teller, it is never too early to have a website and to have business cards. Lane is in process of creating a website with the help of a friend. He advised, “You need people to know about you if you’re going to get a job.”

Yet, nothing can replace the power of word-of-mouth. Evans noted that librarians talk to each other, whether on a local level or at events such as young author conferences or library conferences. To build rapport with librarians, Clunis joked that she returned her books on time. She knew Miss Margaret the Librarian since she was nine-years-old. Later, this relationship led to performances.

Strauss recommended that a youth teller should become familiar with the newspaper Arts section and discover the staff writer who would cover storytelling events. She also encouraged to find the character education coordinators in the schools. Strauss found these people a smart alliance and said, “I was the peanut butter of their bread and we stuck together.”

Building Positive Self-Perception of Telling Personal Tales
Youth can have confidence in their marketing skills until it comes to selling themselves on the idea of telling personal tales. Folktales, fairy tales, or stories told by national storytellers seem easier to perform.

Lane observed that new youth tellers feel that their lives are not interesting enough to include in storytelling programs. At the 2006 National Youth Storytelling Showcase, Lane told about his experiences in Little League baseball. This invitation proved to Lane that he had stories within him that the audience wanted to hear.

Strauss added, “You don’t have to rake your brain like older storytellers.” She noticed that national storytellers often told stories that happened to them as eight or eleven-year-olds. With fresh memories, youth tellers have the advantage of telling stories that occurred the day or month before.

Strauss, Clunis, Evans, and Lane are four teenagers who continue to carry torches of leadership to their peers. May the flame of hope burn bright within all our youth.

Biographies of Presenters: (order left to right in pictures)

Rixon Lane is a 14-year-old storyteller from Woodruff, South Carolina with storytelling experiences since the age of three. He has been a featured teller for several years in South Carolina’s Stone Soup Storytelling Festival. On his 10^th birthday, Rixon won his age division in the National Youth Storytelling Olympics, leading to his participation in the Youthful Voices performances at the 2002 National Storytelling Festival. In July 2004, he was a keynote speaker at the National Storytelling Conference in Bellingham, Washington.

Stephanie Strauss , graduating senior and class salutatorian, is from Midland, Texas. She has been telling for eight years and is annually a featured teller at the Celebrations of Light Festival. She performed in the 2003 Youthful Voices concert at the National Storytelling Festival and was invited to perform there again in 2006. Also in 2006, she was honored as the National Youth Storytelling Showcase Grand Torchbearer. She hopes to bring storytelling to the Ivy League next year at Harvard.

Chloe Clunis is in the 8^th grade and was the 2005 National Youth Storytelling Showcase Grand Torchbearer. She later performed at the National Storytelling Festival in 2006 and made special appearances at the Florida Storytelling Camp and the Ocala Storytelling Festival. In September 2006, she served as a youth teller ambassador in China. She would like to be a journalist and own a chain of bookstores.

Jeremy Evans recently graduated high school in Weirsdale, Florida. His appreciation for storytelling began with his dad’s wild bedtime stories. Listening to people like David Holt and Bobby Norfolk added fuel to the fire. At the age of 12 he told his first story. From that time, the best part of storytelling has been his ability to make the audience laugh. He is a member of the Ocali Storytelling Guild. In 2004 Jeremy became the National Youth Storytelling Showcase Grand Torchbearer.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman
Professional Storyteller
Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance
(801) 870-5799
rachel@storytellingadventures.com
http://www.rachelhedman.com/
http://www.yesalliance.com/