A story from West Africa and 6 junior high students. December 18,2007= Wow! Showcase At Citizen School's South Boston Gavin campus this fall, Andrea Lovett coordinated this project with Norah Dooley, and Doria Hughes who all volunteered as teachers in a storytelling apprenticeship. Terry, Christline, Isaak, Carlos, Calvin, Kenny, Alfredo and Ashley,and Ryan are some of the junior high storytellers in Boston MA who participated.
Please come see some of us: 1:30PM DEC 27th @ South Boston Library 12:30PM DEC 28th @ ICA, in Boston 1:30 PM DEC 31st @ First Night, Boston 3 half hour shows "Tricksters & Noodleheads" Folk tales from youth of Boston's neighborhoods through Citizen Schools. Hynes Convention Center Room 106: 1:30 PM 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM -
Please check us out on youtube too:
http://youtube.com/GavinSt0ryBurners
Talk Talk is a tale from Ghana in West Africa. The apprentices learned this story through the oral tradition. We shared the story frame and they created their own dialogue and movements. Video by Doria Hughes Edited by Norah Dooley Music by Gavin Music Business Apprentices
and this is corny but true:A professor stood before his philosophy class and
had some items in front of him. When the
class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls .
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled i nto the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.
'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things; your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions; things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.'
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else; the small stuff.
'If you put the sand into the jar first,'he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you'
'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. Do one more run down the ski slope. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first; the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented.
The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked.
It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of glasses of wine with a friend.'
Saw this cartoon* and said Yes! This is my life. Maybe it is yours too?
It is all a part of the glamorous life of a live performer.
It starts with the "simple gratis gig".You the kind of gig I mean? The presenter is a friend or a relative. Someone you like a lot. You are doubtful but hate to say "no". They have been so good to you. The venue is a stretch - they do not really do this kind of thing but wouldn't it be "fun" if you came and performed at their place? They would be doing you a favor and you would be helping them out. And oh yeah, since they don't actually hire and promote performances, they'll have to get back to you on the details. Emails are promised and you wait and hold a date. Each time you drop by you ask for clarification. Emails are promised but never appear so you send a few yourself.
Weeks go by and frankly you forget. There are way more pressing matters, like the full time job that keeps a roof over your head and the children and the other gigs and... and... Oh look! It is Thursday before the weekend event. Finally, you get an email. "Be there on Sunday at 4PM".
Low and behold this is a big deal. You check out the event website - who knew? Luckily a friend who is also performing has sent the URL to you. The whole town is having an open air art event and every business worth their salt is having some art performance. BUT you are not on the schedule on the website and you write back to your friend/ presenter...Huh? Come on Sunday? The big art event ends on SAT? And of course this web research takes place on Friday night.
Waiting for a reply seems foolish so you call first thing AM. Your friend, the presenter is not in town and his staff knows nothing. Sorry. Then you get an email from another friend. She says -"Hey I'll see you today at your performance". Whoa - what performance? Do I have a performance other than the one at the school, where I was supposed to be paid but someone was mistaken there are no funds to pay performers. The day already had some complications. But your friend says, "Oh yes, not that one. Its the one on Saturday PM at the arts festival." Seems I am listed on the website on another page of schedules I had missed. A flurry of emails and calls later and you tell the presenter, who is back in town now, you will not come on Sunday, you will be there as advertised on Saturday but a little late- as you are double booked for the starting time. I have a gig that starts exactly at the same time. Except these folks answered emails.
I hate it when I violate my own rules. Two of my non negotiable performer standards are:
1. Always show up. Early or very early if possible. 2. Once there always perform - even if it is for just one person.
I couldn't swing rule No.1 [note to self: Must learn to bi-locate] but I did fulfill No. 2. Hence the above cartoon.
So...I rushed to my second "gig" and it seemed, not surprisingly, that no one was there for my performance. The place was packed with 20-somethings and their laptops. 20-somethings with their heads up their modems are not my fan base. I know my "cult" when I see them. So I kicked back and had a chat with my friend over a cup of his excellent coffee and was just about to leave when a family that had trekked quite a way to see me, two lovely girls and their parents, walked in and asked if they had missed me? Switching gears, I told them a story. I had fun. They had fun. And I had a parking ticket on my car for 20 dollars.
The life of a performer.
Not what you hope for, not what you expect and often, not glamorous. But often fun.
OCT 16th Pirate Mary Read at MacArthur School in Waltham call school for info see website for program notes
OCT 29th Literacy for All presentation at conference on Storytelling and Literacy with Andrea Lovett Literacy for All Conference in Providence, RI
NOV 10th Beverly Farms Library 3-4PM Stories from the Neighbors
NOV 14th Worcester Public Library Pirate Mary Read Call library for details or ______________________
City Sprouts Green Stories and Light 7th Annual Harvest Festival Saturday, October 13, from 11am-4pm, at the Amigos and M.L. King Schools at 100 Putnam Avenue Cambridge MA In the event of rain festival is held inside the school.
Stories from the Neighborhood at the new ICA September 29,2007 10AM - Saturday THE INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART 100 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA 02210 T 617.478.3134 / F 617.478.3110 www.icaboston.org
Garlic And Arts Festival September 16, 2007 Green Stories of Hope 3PM - Sunday Fosters Farm, Orange MA www.seedsofsolidarity.org 978-544-9023 solidarity@seedsofsolidarity.org
