Storytelling and Listeners

Tzitel's thoughts on the importance of listening in education and in storytelling keep running through my head....along with David Novak's suggestion (three weeks ago, I believe)---that the ability to question---to ask "why" is essential in the development and understanding of any story.

And yes, I do believe that storytelling encourages better listening skills---which not only relates to education---but to any time human beings are engaging in oral conversation. How often, I wonder, do people not really listen to each other---but only wait for the opportunity to "interject their own thoughts."
Joy

Anybody knows Brandon's phone number?!?!

Hey folks,

I seem to have an old number for Brandon. Does anyone have a current-et number? Or if Brandon is watching this could you call us?

We're trying to get his info so we can give him all this lovely refrigerated food we have collected from Cynthia and ourselves.

Thanks!

Dwayne
586-231-4192

Live Through Our Art

The actor, Martin Sheen, said that, "...Anna Deaver Smith offers...a powerful reminder of how we can and should live through our art."

Well, I think that David Novak has presented excellent tools in these classes that each of us can use to advance the storytelling art through our lives and on into the lives of all who listen and perpetuate this art in the retelling.

May you always be blessed with stories,
Wenny

Contact!

Thank you all for a great semester! Please keep in touch with me:
email: david@david-novak.com
website: novateller.com

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.