Awakening The Hidden Storyteller
"Inside each of us is a natural-born storyteller, waiting to be released. For some of us, this inner storyteller may be silent or sleeping or simply hidden from view. My aim is to guide listeners and tellers through the landscape of the imagination, allowing them to open the storehouse of memories, dreams and reflections and recover their own natural storytelling abilities."
~Robin Moore
Programs:
Since 1981, Robin has been awakening the hidden storyteller with compelling performances of traditional and original tales which spring from his roots in the Pennsylvania mountains and his heritage in the ancient Celtic tradition. His masterful telling of North American and Celtic legends, his intimate knowledge of the woods and the haunting sounds he produces from traditional musical instruments bring listeners closer to the wonders of the natural world. Like the Irish bards he is descended from, Robin accompanies many of his stories with the Celtic harp, the flute and the hunting horn. Whether he is telling a rousing audience-participation tale or a slow, quiet, dream-like story, Robin 's extensive repertoire allows him to create a program tailored for each age group and setting. While these programs have proven effective in promoting environmental awareness and a sense of living history, perhaps their greatest value is in the restoration of the imagination.
Workshops:
There is more to Robin Moore than just exciting performances. In addition to being an accomplished author, he is also a skillful workshop leader. His storytelling and writing workshops are equally useful for both adults and children, "Voyaging" to the sound of Robin's Celtic harp, listeners travel deep into the imagination, re-awakening their natural storytelling and storycreating abilities.
What Others say about Robin Moore:
"Robin is a true artist. I have never seen an entire group of fifth and sixth graders so completely captivated by a performer. They were riveted to his every word and expression. I have a long waiting list for his books."
Barbara Murphy, Librarian
Rogers Elementary School
Glenshaw, PA
"Robin's ability to portray characters with the subtle use of voice and gesture as well as his talent for involving audiences in second to none on the East Coast. He ranks with the best of today's professional storytellers."
Dr. Kenneth Goldstein,Chairman
Department of Folklore
University of Pennsylvania
"Robin's performances can only be described by superlatives. He does not just entertain students. He interacts with them in a way which leaves each child with a memorable experience. The spirit, enthusiasm and imagination which characterize Robin's skill are present in the school long after he has left. What better gifts can a storyteller give his audience?"
Judith Vietri, Principal
Penn Valley School
Narberth, PA
"While Robin was speaking, the room was silent and the intense expressions on everyone's face showed that they were living within, rather than just watching, the stories."
Dr. Maureen Stanton, Naturalist
Academy of Natural Sciences
Philadelphia, PA
Program Planner's Guide:
Robin offers programs which are geared to both adults and children and can be successfully presented in a wide variety of venues. He is a regular presenter at conferences and festivals as well as schools and libraries.
Fee Structure
Single Presentation : $375
Half day: $675
Full Day: $975
School Programs
Robin spends approximately 100 days a year doing in-school programs. For those interested in his school programs, here are the most popular formats:
Half Day: "Stories From Our Roots"
Description:
Robin tells traditional and original stories from his roots in the Pennsylvania mountains as a way of stimulating listeners to go back to their own roots and create their own tales. As an exciting form of living history, Robin comes dressed in the buckskin clothing of his frontier ancestors and weaves demonstrations of old-time living skills and primitive musical instruments into the program.
Schedule:
Two back-to-back 45-minute presentations, with stories age-graded for kids in each group.
Educational Materials:
Prior to his visit, each school receives a complimentary copy of "The Bread Sister of Sinking Creek, " Robin's highly-acclaimed historical fiction novel about life on the frontier. Many teachers have read these books aloud to their classes as an exciting preparatory activity. The Keystone State Reading Association chose "The Bread Sister" as one of the top read-aloud books in the public school's literature-based curriculum and the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association named Robin "Author of the Year" in 1995.
Full Day: "Awakening The Hidden Storyteller"
Description:
A comprehensive approach to the restoration of the imagination is available in this full day of performances and workshops. Robin combines his skills as author, performer and workshop leader to give students, teachers and parents the tools to awaken the storyteller within.
Schedule:
The day normally begins with storylistening, two back-to-back storytelling performances. Using this experience as a foundation, Robin guides students through his "Dreamwork" technique for developing both spoken and written stories in four 30-minute workshops. For "Author's Day" programs, he shows kids the steps in the year-long process of putting a book together, from initial idea to finished product. The day ends with a 45-minute after-school workshops for teachers on "Storytelling as a Teaching Tool" or an evening program for parents and kids on "Creating and Collecting Family Stories".
Two--Five Day Residencies: "Imagination Restoration"
Residencies with Robin are an in-depth combination of writing and storytelling workshops for students, staff and parents.
Year --Long CyberResidences: "Imagination on the Internet"
In this innovative program, Robin conducts a year-long internet conversation with writing students. They send him samples of their writing for his comments. He sends them drafts of whatever book he is working on at the time for their comments. A great way for kids to see the day-to-day struggles and joys of making a book.
Sound interesting?
To brainstorm the possibilities for these and other programs, send him an
e-mail at robin@comcat.com or reach him by snail-mail at
Groundhog Press, Box 1311, Doylestown, PA 18901
Let the awakening begin!