No “Right” Way to Tell Stories

What a great way to end out class! I love hearing everyone's stories, woven together with everyone else's.

Like the ouroboros, our end offers a chance to explore our beginnings, to both see how far we have come, but also to further incorporate those pearls of wisdom from the course's genesis. First, I remember professor Novak sharing the etymology of the word “evaluate,” as in “to find value in.” Our last round of stories has really crystalized that value that each of us brings of him- or herself to the story.

Similarly, some of the first reading I did for the course was in Doug Lipman's Improving Your Storytelling. One need not read passed the introduction to be smacked in the face with the truth: there is “No Right Way to Tell Stories” (15). The breadth of our expression of this art, storytelling, has shown that. I am so impressed with my classmates and so proud to be a part of this community.

Moreover, I am astounded at our diversity. I could not attempt to tell stories like anyone in the class, nor they like me. How wonderful! This course has really helped me hone my own voice, comfort in my own storytelling skin, and authenticity in who I am as Bob Leopold, the storyteller.

Thank you for accompanying me on this journey.

-Bob

Orientation

We have been reading and discussing about the use of space and having presence while we are in the wind tunnel and yet I feel I lack better orientation of my presence inside the stories. I was thinking about a story I told a lot to kids last semester and realised it was lacking that orientation inside the Fox house and where he takes the pig throughout the story. The exercise yesterday was great because I was able to feel like I was there in my story despite the fact I wasn't born yet...
At moments when we began to leave the center and emerge into the circle or stage, the eyes of audience opened up as if they (we) followed.

What i got out of yesterday was; In order for you to see my story I need to see me inside the story.

Resonance and Topping Up the Breath

I was thinking about what David had said in class about not keeping your story from your listener but sharing it with them, and the different things that we do with either our posture, movements, or voice that can take the story back from the room to the speaker. While thinking about this and reading through the text I stumbled upon a little bit of advice on this from Rodenburg. While this isn't an answer to the problem of holding back a story, it provided some further insights to me of things to look for, and work on.

On pages 78 and 79 of the Rodenburg text, the author explains about females who adopt an unnaturally high vocal pitch and how that can keep them from working in the natural middle range where they can explore richer, fuller resonances of their voice. To experiment around with this, Dwayne and I tried out different voices in different ranges and felt the difference in resonance. It was a fun activity and I would suggest trying this if you think it might be interesting.

Rodenburg also talks about something that happens to females (but I would assume almost everyone would have experienced this at least on a minor level) where the breath is held or they will "top up the breath" in anticipation of getting to add a comment to a conversation but waiting for a break in the flow of conversation to speak. Well, she says that sometimes we experience this holding in of the breath even when not in a turn taking conversation. So I think that is useful information for trying to see if any if us exhibit that habit when we speak.

I have enjoyed the exercise we have done the past two days, the coming together and putting story into action in a new way.  The use of space and entering the audience was a new experience.  I was impressed tonight with the way Bob seemed to incorporate what we were talking about when he came into the audience at the story slam tonight.
Thank you all for your willingness to just put yourself out there and be vulnerable with new stories and expressions.
I liked watching stories grow as we confronted issues of space and volume as well.

Fear and Permission

We have had a variety of discussions over the past three weeks about giving ourselves permission: to own our stage space, to be heard, to find our voice/style/message, and more.

As we discussed reaching out to the audience today and how that can override our nervousness I began to consider how permission and fear can get tangled with each other. This was forcefully presented to my mind when Brandon literally threw the chair away, and when Julie snatched the air in front of the class audience I felt the impact of surprise on the other side of our circle even though I already knew what to expect.Then I laughed so hard as Idilio vocally expressed and physically interpreted his parents behaviors during his time of birth.

In musical performances, with others or solo, my thought was always that of sharing something, offering a gift, a part of myself. I know going into the music offers me many things outside of the ordinary day and that others can enjoy this too. And so I have found going into stories provides similar opportunities. Music and stories are art forms as old as humankind. They have always been and will always be with us. We are helping to perpetuate the art as we go into a story and invite others to come along.

Lipman's Response to Personal Experience Stories

As I have already admitted to the class, I primarily tell personal experience stories. I get a lot out of listening to, preparing, and telling other kinds of stories, but personal stories just seem to fit me best.

One of the things that I have heard about – more from the oral-traditional story world, but present in all kinds of storytelling – is the “lean.” I say that I have heard about it. It has never been spelled out for me. It remained in the realm esoterica until Lipman spelled it out.

I think that I have encountered the “Lean back” response only a to be disappointed that I have put my listeners to sleep. This was a most fascinating chapter and overall very helpful.

I was surprised to learn, however, in the section entitled “A Response to Personal Experience Stories” (142) that some personal experience storytellers tell personal experience stories that did not happen to them. Is this a thing? Do people do this? I guess on looking back on our classroom experiences, and our experiences in Jonesborough, they do.

-Bob

Reposting Photo Links

I have received questions about where I posted links for the photos I have edited so far. Here are the links:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qyo60e3ba6tdg99/AAAknWFTNDTfhO5Hv-Uy3_Wva?dl=0

http://dwayneandaimee.pass.us/advanced-storytelling/

These links so far have the pictures that I have edited from the two after-class photo days so far. That means pictures of Wenny, Cynthia, Chelise, Laurina, Chris, and Tzitel. Not all of the pictures that I have of this group (I am going to edit more after I get home) but 5 pictures for Chris and Tzitel so far and 10+ for the others.

My hope is to get all of the after-class pictures to 10+ each before we leave and at least 1 of the best in-class pictures for everyone else I don't have pictures posted of yet. But I will continue editing over the weekend and will have more pictures for everyone within the first few weeks after class is over. I didn't mind adding the extra photo days of taking the photos in class, and please believe me I am not holding the pictures hostage. :) Ultimately the class day photos are (at least in terms of hours) almost a wedding's worth of photos since it adds up to around 4-6 hours of storytelling. This will be great because somewhere in all of that are great pictures of each of you. But going through and picking the best takes a bit of time, and my poor work mac says, "Not enough power" ha. I have to restart the laptop about every 10 photos edited because otherwise I run out of active memory. But once I get home to my computer it will be easier to go through the photos and edit. :) Thanks for your patience! Can't wait to show you more photos!