November Newsletter from The Story Tree Company
|
In this issue:
Jenni’s story news-
new CD’s coming + CD award for “Stories to Light The
Dark” Story Diary- Story Tree performances and
workshops in Northern NSW International
story resources and web links New CD details Dear
Friends of the Story Tree,
It’s all happening in our house: Max and I are both recording new
CD’s! Max has recorded four Salty Pete the Pirate Tales and several
songs which I will be doing harmonies on. I started a week ago
recording new stories with an environmental theme. The kids have
patiently listened to endless story drafts (for 50c a go)! We are hoping to
have both ready for Xmas! (fingers crossed). See the bottom of email for blurbs
of the stories and songs and vote on the title if you want. Even better send me a
pre-order or suggest where to sell them! We’ve also got a new
chook palace, two chicks and three hens laying us 2-3 eggs a day! We are really
getting our garden going (mostly due to Max) …and I am doing an ACE gardening
course which is all inspiration for my new stories for one of the
stories I am recording called “The Old Woman and the Fig
Tree” about the woman's beautiful garden and a magic
tree. So
attached
is
one of the stories I’m recording: the fantastic ‘How the Whale Got His Throat’ by Rudyard Kipling from the ‘Just
So Stories’ , below are links and story news, as well as a diary of story events
for people local to me to get involved with. Warm
regards, Jenni
Cargill-Strong P.S. My most
relaxing ACE course starts today (Thursday) and it’s not too late to enrol- I can take late
comers for this course: Myth Metaphor and
Chewing the Intellectual Fat 5/11-26/11 @ Mullum,
CD Award
-My
adult CD ‘Stories to Light the Dark’ won
Honours in the 2009 Storytelling
World Awards ( PNG-
My
exciting adventure to PNG fell
through a week before it was scheduled to happen. (Sigh) However I got to make
progress on the CD earlier which is great! Grafton Arts
Fest - Working at the Grafton Arts Fest for a week was
terrific with Lara of Krinkl puppet theatre and Pamela Denise (artist) and 18
children (6-12 years) and we developed a performance of the story of ‘The
Weaving Maiden’. “We
loved the stories. You nearly brought me to tears at the end of Jack and the
beanstalk – not something I would ever have
anticipated!” Anouk Beck, Public
Programs Curator, They have booked me
again for January 14 and there is talk of workshop for kids Jan 13
too. My partner Max Strong (aka Salty Pete) has had a winning month- winning first prize (and $1000) at Hot Shorts with his play “Speed” about speed dating (no he hasn’t actually!) AND he won first prize in the Geraldine Brigalow Poetry Competition at the Lismore Show, winning cash, a terrific sash and other great prizes.
Web address and email shortened You may notice you can now get me at jenni@storytree.com.au not just the veeery looong jenni@storytreecompany.com.au. My web master decided it was time for cahnge. The old address
still works though! November 8, Sunday, Salty Pete the Pirate performs at
November 15, Sunday, Jenni Cargill-Strong tells ocean tales at Broadwater
Parklands on the Gold Coast 5 November – 26
November, Thursday, Myth
Metaphor and Chewing the Intellectual Fat Not too late to
enrol- I can take late comers for this course! That’s how relaxed
it is! Held in Mullum, 4 weeks, 10am-12.30pm 21 November,
Sunday, Salty Pete the Pirate performs at (venue unconfirmed?) on the
Gold Coast 3 December & 10
December, Thursday, Walking
with Goddesses. Held outside Mullum, 2 weeks, For enrolments and
more details go to http://www.acebyron.org.au 8
December, Tuesday, Brave Vasalissa and Baba Yaga Womens Workshop. Hear the tale of ‘Brave Vasalissa and Baba Yaga’, then
make a doll to represent your inner Vasalissa, inner wisdom or feminine
intuition. Pre-cut cloth for a very simple small doll will be provided along
with needles, embroidery cotton, stuffing and craft materials eg. beads, cloth
and wool. Listen to other related tales as you sew- with lots of time for
chatting in the circle. Cost: $ 35, plus
materials cost $10 Bring: lunch to
share NB: This will be at
Jenni’s place, so don’t call ACE! Call Jenni or email
to book 6684 6548
International story resources and web links I just bought a FANTASTIC story resource book from the
Eric wrote: ‘I have
received several nice notes from fans who have suggested that this is the most
moving interview I have ever done.’ Elisa
Pearmain - Teaching Forgiveness through storytelling.
http://www.storytellingwithchildren.com/2009/08/18/elisa-pearmain-storytelling-forgiveness/ I recommend you have
a listen- you can turn on your speaker, and listen as you check emails or type
something else. Multitasking at its’ most enjoyable! You can also listen
to such topics as Crick Crack Club
website and Hugh Lupton, This site is really
worth checking out as there is great info on the tellers, and if you follow the
link to Hugh's website there is great transcript of a show he created for the
BBC radio on storytelling. http://www.crickcrackclub.com/CRICRACK/TELLBHF.HTM I
am recording a new story CD of environmental tales and songs. Hooray -and so is
Max! I need help with the
title if poss
before I see the artists to come up with cover ideas. If
you get 5 mins to have a glance below at track outlines and suggest best name for
marketability- (ie Mermaids Shoes has been a fantastic
name!) There
is already a famous story CD from
Re
track order: putting them in order may not flow well from one story to another
due to nature of the stories. "The Mulberry Tree and other earth loving tales and songs" "Old Woman and the Fig Tree and other earth loving tales" "Lily and the Fig Tree and other earth loving tales" "The Tree -earth loving tales and songs" "Earth loving tales for the young and young at
heart" or your suggestion! SONG: The Story Tree
(1 min 29 secs- will get longer when backing done) My theme song for the album with a Carribean rythmn. Come sit under
the story tree... Old Woman and the Fig Tree/Lily and the Fig
Tree (recorded 11 mins 50 sec)
(Winter-Autumn) Based on an English folktale ‘The Old Woman and the Oak Tree” which
have adapted and rewritten to an Australian setting. Environmental themes: Inspiration to keep a home garden and
chickens,connection to country, community gardens. Intro- whale migration (not recorded yet) How the Whale Got His Throat (recorded 9 mins) (Winter- Autumn) A fun, rollicking tale by Rudyard Kipling from ‘The Just So Stories’
of a greedy whale that depletes all the ocean of fish. Environmental themes: Eating sustainably harvested fish, never take
more than you need, whales more likely to swallow plastic than a
boy. Epilogue: Return
of Whale Dreamers? Bunna Lawrie,
Migaloo, The Mulberry Tree (Spring) (8mins 40 sec) My story of my childhood mulberry tree, that I loved and lost and the
mulberry tree my children now love. Environmental themes: Planting trees and an edible forest, eating
local food Rustle and Shelley the Sea Turtle (Autumn) (8-10 m? not recorded
yet) Rustle the plastic bag gets swallowed by Shelley the Loggerhead
turtle and she doesn’t feel too well… Environmental themes: Importance of reducing plastic consumption,
recycling, responsible disposal of rubbish, understanding and identifying with
marine creatures, understanding the connection between our actions and
environment, understanding that all drains lead to the
Sea. The Blue Coat (Winter) (9 mins) Jewish folktale Jewish folktale of a boy whose baby blanket gets remade as he grows
into a coat, a hat, a bow tie, a button and finally a
story. Environmental themes: Recycling; living more lightly on planet ie
make do with less Dirrangan (Season?) Aboriginal creation story
(10min?) (I am in process of making contact to ask permission again as the
elders who gave permission originally died so awaiting that before
recording) The creation story from the Bunjalung of the Environmental themes: Connecting to country, inspiring reverence for
nature, human relationship (and interrelationship) to trees; relating and
connecting to a river and its journey to the Sea and connection between water
and formation of landscape. I have yet to finish this: The Weaving Maiden (late Spring) (10 min?) My adaptation of a Japanese story of the youngest of the seven
sisters of star constellation The Pleiades, the weaving maiden- who marries a
poor farmer but ends up becoming a star with her husband and children. A family
separated and reunited. People all over world esp in Pacific used to mark
seasons by the movements of Pleaides. Environmental themes: Connecting to the seasons and natural
environment including the stars, inspiring reverence for and connection to
nature, connecting to the local version of this worldwide tale ie. recognizing
interconnectedness of diverse human cultures through love of this
constellation. Last track: SONG: Gartan (Garden) Mother’s
Lullaby (Irish) (3mins)- - Rochelle of Jambu Tree CD to sing
harmony) Exquisitely pretty Irish lullaby filled with beautiful natural and
fairy imagery. Fairy at top of the
Xmas tree Prob won't have room
for this one on this CD (Winter/Summer) 8 mins Story of the ancient Celtic custom of visiting the Queen of the
Fairies at Winter Solstice Environmental themes: Love of forests, connecting to the spiritual
aspect of forests and nature, learning of ancestral reverence for trees,
inspiring respect for importance of trees, connecting to country, tuning in to
our diff seasons in diff hemispheres, home made Xmas gifts, use reusable Xmas
wrapping and sustainable presents. |
||
| The Storytree Company | Jenni Cargill-Strong | Website by Ebono Institute | ||