—"Year of the Adopted Family" book release

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Today's Bards & Seanachies: Irish Wisdom in Storytelling Techniques


Having the "gift of gab" by kissing the Blarney stone is not enough to be a storyteller. An Irish proverb says, "Time is a great storyteller."

The number of stories you know, the principles learned within them, and the time it takes to apply the principles can measure intelligence.

Whether bard or seanachie (pronounced Shawn-ah-key), both well-known Irish storytellers during the Celtic era, 300 or more stories were committed to memory and shared with village people to Gaelic nobility.

During that period, people respected the role of the storyteller.

Wise people today still do.

Nowadays we have professional storytellers, and perhaps you count yourself as one. Or maybe you love to tell tales around the kitchen table or at the workplace or around a campfire. Regardless of the "stage", you probably have characteristics similar to bards/filidh and seanachies.

Consider personal connections to the following--

Traits and Qualities of the Bard/Filidh:
  • 100% focused on the storytelling craft and supported by patrons
  • 12+ years of intensive training through expensive schooling
  • Skilled in storytelling, poetry, music composition, singing, and playing of at least one instrument--usually harp
  • Repertoire consisted of long stories that took two or more hours to tell and some that had to be told over the course of several nights
  • Learned stories, verses, histories, and genealogies
  • Upon graduation of training, then wore cloak of crimson and yellow feathers and carried a gold rod
  • Each year received 21 cows, food for himself and 20 attendants, kept 6 horses, 2 dogs, and immunity from arrest for any crime save treason and murder
Bard-Types of Today
We have few, if any, apprenticeships that would compare to the bardic schooling. However, many universities offer storytelling as a course and some places, like East Tennessee State University, have a complete Masters program. Some storytellers further their education by receiving doctorates in related fields such as Folklore or Theatre. (Click here for list of higher education programs.)

The National Storytelling Network has promoted apprenticeships through the creation of the J.J. Reneaux Mentorship grant.

Attending storytelling conferences and festivals are always places of learning. Some of the most popular are the National Storytelling Conference and the National Storytelling Festival. These kinds of events remind the storyteller of how many truly embrace the art.

You can see some of these tellers at listings like Storyteller.net, the Professional Storyteller social network site, and the National Storytelling Network directory. Some state guilds like the Florida Storytelling Association or the Utah Storytelling Guild have websites showing their members.

As for style, some tellers rely purely on the spoken word while others enhance their stories through song, music, or dance. There is not a right or wrong way.

Traits and Qualities of the Seanachie:
  • Most of his time focused on another occupation than storytelling though he told as opportunities came
  • Audience mainly composed of small and poor communities, which is why known as "village storyteller"
  • More affordable than bard and often told stories when a bard could not be secured
  • Some stayed in one location as a storyteller while some traveled and were paid in food and shelter
  • Keepers of the history and lore of a certain folk
  • Learned distinctive gestures to emphasize points in story
Seanachie-Types of Today
At times I have heard touring storytellers wish that they could stay in a place long enough to know their audience. Circuit and festival tellers are the "rock stars" of the art as they are most visible and celebrated by the media.

Some communities are realizing that their homes and neighborhoods are full of stories. It could be said they are searching for their seanachies to remember the folkways.

StoryCorps, a National Public Radio (NPR) initiative, was formed to "[create] an oral history of the United States using the stories of everyday Americans" with the help of two mobile recording studios traveling on a cross-country tour. The stories will be archived in the Library of Congress.

Then there is the [HEAR]SAY project at St. John's, Newfoundland of Canada, which is a pioneering project of story mapping through recorded oral histories. Signs are posted throughout streets and people can call the telephone number on the sign to hear the story connected to that area.

Arthur Rowan, who wrote The Lore of the Bard, said, ". . .if it is the myth and legends of the folk that you love, and your desire is to keep the magic of those traditions alive, then the way of the seanachie might be for you."

Storytelling Techniques through The Triads of Ireland:
Liz Warren, English and Storytelling Professor at South Mountain Community College in Arizona, stated, "The Irish Storytelling Tradition is one of the most thoroughly studied, documented and celebrated of any in the world."

In Summer 2008, Warren led a study abroad in Ireland on storytelling. Her syllabus online mentioned The Triads of Ireland, a collection of 214 Old Irish sayings that list three qualities at a time. The third item tends to be the climax or the anticlimax of the list.

Warren referenced three of those triads that relate to storytelling--
  • Three glories of speech: steadiness, wisdom, brevity
  • Three hateful things in speech: stiffness, obscurity, a bad delivery
  • Three things that constitute a poet: knowledge that illumines, knowledge of incantations, improvisation
Glories of Speech--(my interpretations)

Steadiness
This is not a common word that storytellers outside Ireland may choose to be important in storytelling. It could refer to the storyteller having a calmness or control over the sharing of the story. Perhaps this promotes the idea that every moment within the story contributes in some way to the main purpose of the story, thereby creating a "steadiness" in the telling.

Wisdom
Bards and seanachies believed in the stories they told. Their audiences knew not to question. If a feat or achievement seemed too remarkable within a story, then the storyteller would justify that it was a time of magic. I like to say that every story is true. Some stories are more true than others. Even in the tallest of tales, principles are being taught.

Brevity
Considering that the bards and seanachies knew two-hour and longer stories, brevity seems a strange "glory of speech". At the same time, the Irish are known for their blessings, jokes, and anecdotes. Length may not be the issue as there are times in all of our lives when we have shared more details than necessary to relate a story.

Hateful of Speech--(my interpretations)

Stiffness
Other words for "stiffness" are "frozen" or "fake". Memorized stories have a danger of sounding "stiff". A bit of improvisation and reaction to the audience's feedback allows life to be blown into the story.

Obscurity
When a storyteller begins or ends a session with stories of gloom, then the audience's trust in the storyteller is shaken. Serious stories can be shared though the storyteller must give a sense of hope or some hint of positive emotion at the end.

A Bad Delivery
Inappropriate or boring remarks could constitute "a bad delivery". Part of the problem could lie in a lack of passion or excitement in the story choice. Audience members can sense from the storyteller's tone of voice and body language of the disinterest in the tale.

Anyone has potential to be an honored bard or seanachie.

You can bask in the glory of speech beyond the "gift of gab" and onto the honored status of storyteller by applying the Irish storytelling techniques.

Here is an Irish blessing to guide you on the path of storyteller--
May you have the hindsight to know where you've been
The foresight to know where you're going
And the insight to know when you're going too far

Online Sources or Interesting Sites:
Online Videos:
Collections of Irish Stories, Anecdotes, and Sayings:
Other Interesting Irish Books:

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman
Professional Storyteller
Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance
Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com
Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller
Posted by Professional Storyteller Rachel Hedman at 9:24 PM 2 comments
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Sunday, March 01, 2009

Teller & Teacher Heroes: Stories to Save the Day in the Classroom

Two-time Grammy winner and storyteller Bill Harley said, "Everybody worries about things being 'educational' with kids. I believe everything is educational, in that it says something about how one looks at the world--it imparts a knowledge, or world-view."

Still, there will always be the people--including administrators, principals, and educators--who would rather have the facts and scientific proof that storytelling is necessary during the every day moments in the classroom.

These people should not be thought as "villains" for our teller and teacher heroes who support storytelling, but they do need to be welcomed as friends. With time, you may have some loyal "sidekicks" in the pursuit of imagination.

In the meantime, there are books and position statements that can provide super powers in vanquishing disbelief (see list at end of post). Storytelling can be embraced in any school.

Before you arm yourself with the stack of books or print the position statements, consider going back to the basics.

If I were to condense the skills of storytelling to four steps, they would be:
  1. Love Your Story/Subject
  2. Know Your Story/Subject
  3. Know Your Audience/Students
  4. Love Your Audience/Students
These steps are easily adapted for educators and professional storytellers alike.

Love Your Story/Subject

Stories are known to tap us tellers on the shoulder to be told much like how certain subjects like social studies or math or language arts are drawn for teachers to teach.

Sometimes the relationships we have with our stories or with our studies extend beyond love. There must be some emotional charge to move us to share something.

This passion reflects in our aura, which emulates in pitch, tone, facial expressions, and body language.

One of my World Literature teachers was so dedicated that she dressed up as a cockroach when we studied The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. Or there was the Social Studies teacher who entered the classroom as a Russian soldier during the Joseph Stalin era. Both teachers shared the stories connected with those characters.

Costumes are not required to form an impression. But the energy they had? I remember their love for what they taught.

Usually when we share how we started on a certain path, we are energized. As teachers tend to be mysterious people to students, then teachers are encouraged to share how they became teachers and why the subject called to them.

Besides, to this day, there are students who think their teachers live in the school. Remind the students who you are and your connections to the curriculum. Students discover real-world yet their own personal connections to the subjects if you are willing to share your personal stories.

Beyond your personal tales, there are the moments within the lives of inventors, authors, scientists, and other great minds in history that would be interesting for students to understand.

When you find the stories fascinating, then it is likely that your students will feel the same way. Even teenagers, who tend to hide their feelings or disguise them in looks of disgust to look "cool", could sense the excitement.

Know Your Story/Subject

What we care about most is what we spend the most time. If you truly love a story or a subject, then hours and perhaps years are set-aside for it.

There is not one way to learn a story.

If you are visual person, then drawing storyboards of the different scenes in the story may work best.

If you are a literary person, then creating an outline of the plot points may trigger your memory.

You could be kinetic and prefer a hands-on experience. Then you may want to "play" with story by getting a partner in order to have pretend dialogues between characters. The dialogue may not make it to the final version of telling the story, but it may be enough to inspire the development of the piece.

You could decide that you like all of these techniques. . .or you create your own techniques.

When a teacher develops a lesson plan, much of the same brainstorming and organization skills are needed.

You do not have to consider yourself a storyteller to tell a story in the classroom.

Know Your Audience/Students

A teacher has an advantage over a professional storyteller as a teacher often sees the students daily over the course of ten months while a storyteller usually travels from venue to venue.

Due to this advantage, a teacher experiences the individual student personalities such as strengths, weaknesses, and quirks. These insights help decide what stories would be the most appropriate and of impact.

For example, the bully of the class may need to hear stories where there are consequences for such actions. Someone who is shy may feel empowered if a character who reflects their personality was able to conquer a great feat.

As a storyteller, I do my best to ask questions from the teachers as they know their students better than anyone. If I know what the students learned before I arrive (or what they are about to learn), then I take joy in connecting with the curriculum.

Rather than performing for school assemblies where all grades of the school attend, I relish in telling several times with smaller groups divided by grades so I can tell more age-appropriate stories. At a school in Salt Lake City, UT, I told stories for a day and a half because there were five sessions for the Kindergarten to 2nd grades, three sessions for the 3rd and 4th grades, and three sessions for the 5th and 6th grades.

Since early elementary grades focus on learning to read and write, my program for the Kindergarten to 2nd grades was on Literacy with stories like "Story Pox", "My Mom told me to go to the Library", and "My Brother ate my Book".

The 3rd grade were learning about several Native American tribes while the 4th grade were learning about Utah History. Can you guess the type of stories I shared with them?

Then the 5th grade focused on United States History while the 6th grade discovered World History. I began and ended with American tales, which included a tall tale with Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett, and mixed the middle with folktales from around the world.

Afterward, one of the 5th grade teachers approached me and said, "We are learning about the Revolution right now, but when we get to the Frontier, then we could have a tall tale section!"

Love Your Audience/Students

It may be the first time that a storyteller sees a particular audience, but the storyteller can still love them. The audience can tell whether a storyteller is excited or nervous or dreads them.

Students have the same sensory skills with teachers.

Hopefully, after seeing the same students every day, an appreciation for the students' creativity and genius has been instilled.

You will be a genius, too, besides already being a hero, by delving into the resources listed below.

Statements on Story in Education:

"Must-Have" Books on Storytelling in Education or Studies:
"Must-Have" Books on Youth Storytelling:
Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman
Professional Storyteller
Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance
Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com
Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller
Posted by Professional Storyteller Rachel Hedman at 9:50 PM 0 comments
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Sunday, February 15, 2009

Storytelling Ethics & Bok's Model: Freedom with Structure

Note: The Ethics course was required with my Communications degree at Brigham Young University. After consulting with Professor Kevin Stoker in 2000, I was allowed to write my research paper on storytelling ethics. The paper has since been lost, but my choice of an ethical decision-making structure for storytelling was and still is the Bok's Model. Here is my 2009 take on it.

Each of us has instinct, and it is instinct that allows us to make ethical decisions as human beings. When it comes to storytelling, we have responsibility as storytellers to heighten and sharpen this sense in ourselves as well as in others. We may not directly state, "the moral of the story is. . .", though our views are implied by actions on and off the stage.

As more people discover storytelling as a viable career choice, then it is more necessary to have options to determine standards.

Some people prefer standards that are clearly defined and rigid while others prefer flexibility. When I learned about the Bok's Model--created by Sissela Bok--during a college course, I was impressed as it had structure and room for individual interpretations.

Steps for Bok's Model--
1. Consult your conscience/gut feeling
2. Seek experts and people who have gone through similar circumstances
3. Discuss problem with those involved or could be affected, directly or indirectly

What are some common situations for storytellers?

Samplings of Topics that Require Ethical Decision-Making:
  • Copyright and Permissions
  • Credit to Sources
  • Offensive Story (anything has potential to be offensive)
  • Censorship of Story
  • Adaptations of Tale (personal, folktale, literary, etc.)
  • Proper Research of Tale
  • Telling Story Outside Your Culture
Example #1--Copyright and Permissions

Whether someone has shared one story or many stories, copyright and permission issues will be ever-present for storytellers. People like to receive credit for what they do. Some people prefer acknowledgment from the stage while others like monetary "thank yous" or any combination of gestures. There are laws to remind us of these courtesies, but what matters is how we would act even in the absence of laws.

Whenever I look at a children's book at the library, part of me says, "If I decide to tell this story, then I will need to ask for permission." Sometimes I groan at the thought; asking for permission does not guarantee that permission would be granted.

Stories are not the only things that could call for permission in a storyteller's life.

Bill Harley wrote a three-page article "Taming the Wild Beast: Family Audiences and Survival". While developing a packet to give to current and potential venues, I wanted one page of his article to be shared as a resource. The way Harley worded the article was perfect and I did not want any of its power lessened by creating my version.

I emailed Bill Harley and was pleasantly surprised when that same day he responded with "Sure". I created a permissions folder in my email to store this answer.

As Harley's article was included in A Beginner's Guide to Storytelling by the National Storytelling Press, I called the National Storytelling Network to ask permission. The person who answered the telephone did not have the authority to grant permission, but soon the right person was contacted and I officially received permission.

My Decision for Example #1:
I shared the publisher and author information at the top of the handout in large font and indicated that the permissions were granted to distribute. To this day, the date of the permissions is on the handout: January 12, 2006.

Review of Bok's Model from Example #1--
1. Consult your conscience/gut feeling
The law requires permission from the publisher while permission from the author is optional. It would be a nice gesture to contact Bill Harley. I sensed that he would approve of the act, but I preferred not to assume.

2. Seek experts and people who have gone through similar circumstances
I love hearing opinions face-to-face. I called some local storytelling friends and performing artists about my intentions for Harley's article. I perused through books like The Storyteller's Guide written and edited by David Holt and Bill Mooney and Ethics, Apprenticeship, Etiquette, Courtesy, and Copyright by Susan Klein. (see bottom of post for more resources) There were plenty of recommendations for my situation.

3. Discuss problem with those involved or could be affected, directly or indirectly
The people directly involved are easiest to determine such as the publisher, the author, and the storyteller. Imagination is required when thinking of those people who could be indirectly involved.

In this case, I reflected on how someone receiving the handout may react with the permissions stated. Then I imagined how results may differ if permissions were excluded from the handout.

If the information was missing, then the person may credit the article to me. While this may have me look like a genius, the acclaim would be false. However, if the information was conspicuous, then that person may call the National Storytelling Network and order a copy of A Beginner's Guide to Storytelling.

Optimistically, perhaps this person would become a NSN member. Later in years, the person could be invited onto the NSN Board or be asked to lead storytelling projects. . .all because the permissions were stated on the Harley handout!

Yes, I am not short on creativity. Silliness aside, these "wild imaginings" remind me of the impact that a small choice can make.

Example #2--Telling Story Outside Your Culture
I am intrigued by stories that come from outside my culture as there are always more similarities than differences. Everyone is a mix of cultures, which goes beyond race and ethnicity. Culture could be determined by religion, the area of the neighborhood one lives in, gender, and so on.

Certain cultures are more sensitive than others in how they feel about "outsiders" sharing them. I remember the heated discussion at the 2005 National Storytelling Conference on the Native American panel.

Recently, I chose to tell an Ojibwa story as part of my "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" program. Thanks to the family history discovered by cousin Kristen Lorensen, I knew I had Ojibwa blood on my mother's side. The fraction would be deemed insignificant by most tribes. My blonde hair and blue eyes fool many in regards to my background.

Yet, I felt a need to share the "Forsaken Brother" story. Telling a Native American story automatically forced me to look at ethics. To add to the conflict, I pictured the piece to merge with instrumental backup. The instruments in mind were not authentic to the culture. They were an electric guitar and an upright bass.

My Decision for Example #2:
When it came time to premiere the story, I chose to go forth and tell the tale with the electric guitar and upright bass providing soundscapes rather than tunes.

Review of Bok's Model for Example #2--
1. Consult your conscience/gut feeling
My initial reaction was, "Some people will not like me for telling a Native American tale." Despite this uncomfortable feeling, "Forsaken Brother" came to my awareness for a reason, especially as my cousin was inspired to mail a copy of the story in 2005.

As to the choice of instruments, though some people could shudder at the use of non-traditional ones, the music would enhance an already powerful story. The guitarist would not jump off the stage or play wild chords nor would the upright bass player mock the story by adding inappropriate strokes. The sounds would be fitting to the reverent mood of the story. Besides, few instruments could make a proper howl of a wolf. An electric guitar was the most obvious answer.

With these thoughts, I was comfortable enough to proceed and ask opinions of others.

2. Seek experts and people who have gone through similar circumstances
To calm nervousness in developing the story, I thoroughly researched the Ojibwa culture through books, encyclopedias, maps and other multimedia. I went to the official Ojibwa website and checked out all the books available on the culture from my local county library system. I read to see the the tribe's overall views to having others tell their stories. A few videos were found to guide pronunciation of Ojibwa words. Spending time in this way showed my respect to the culture and to the story.

I chose Julie Barnson as a story buddy/coach for "Forsaken Brother". She does not have Ojibwa ties in her heritage, but she would act as a witness in that the story was told respectful of the Ojibwa ways through words and music.

From the 2005 National Storytelling Conference panel on Native American storytelling, there were disagreements among the panelists on who can tell what stories. It would be nice if a storyteller could go to one person who held authority for their tribe when asking permission to tell stories. At least with books, one can turn to publishers. The world is not so black and white when telling stories of various ethnicity.

Even if a storyteller was fortunate enough to have the blessing from the tribe of which the story originates, there would always be someone who wished only Ojibwa people would tell Ojibwa stories.

People are entitled to their opinions.

I had to decide how much influence each opinion would have on my venture of telling "Forsaken Brother".

3. Discuss problems with those involved or could be affected, directly or indirectly
There is always the chance that someone in the audience hearing "Forsaken Brother" would have Ojibwa heritage. Some may be pleased that there are those who remember their stories. Some may be insulted that an outsider is "stealing" stories when, in history, so much more was stolen from the Ojibwa people.

When the final decision was made that I would tell "Forsaken Brother", I thought mostly of the potential audience. As the story addresses abandonment within the family, there could be someone who needed to hear that exact story to be able to progress in life.

I expect criticism for telling an Ojibwa tale when my blood connection is minute, but there are times when stories ask to be told as "Forsaken Brother" did for me.

No Right or Wrong Answers
You may have had different gut reactions when you read the experiences I have faced as a storyteller. You probably thought of other experts to consult for advise. You could have come to a different conclusion than me.

That is okay.

The Bok's Model allows freedom of thought in a structured way.

What is most important is that you took the time to review your thoughts and the thoughts of others. In the end, the decision is yours.

Such is the way for life.

Such is the way for us as human beings.

Resources on Storytelling Ethics:
Fun Fact about Sissela Bok and Bok's Model:
When Sissela Bok first created the Bok's Model for ethical decision-making, she intended the use of it in the medical field. The model has since been used for media-related industries, especially journalism. Perhaps influence was due to her brother being a controversial journalist. Regardless of the use, the principles within Bok's Model are easily applied anywhere.


Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman
Professional Storyteller
Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance
Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com
Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller
Posted by Professional Storyteller Rachel Hedman at 10:07 PM 0 comments
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