Secret of Storytelling: Learnin Vernon, Mike Lockett, and Mike Miller - Case Study Example

Running head: Secret of Storytelling Secret of Storytelling Storytelling is the ancient art of conveying events in words, images,and sounds often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories have probably been shared in every culture and in every land as a means of entertainment, education, preservation of culture and to instill knowledge and values/morals. Crucial elements of storytelling include plot and characters, as well as the narrative point of view. Stories are frequently used to teach, explain, and/or entertain. In this article I have chosen my case studies from Youtube.com and they are LearninVernon Mike Lockett Mike Miller LearninVernon- The Cracked Pot: LearninVernon is very much professional in his job. He starts the story with a background about the pots and was rather slow and relaxed in entering the story. But he fails to specify the location of the story which is rather important for the children in understanding the culture and the story itself. This gives the audience something concrete to think about, which makes them more involved mentally. When crafting a story, use people, places, and things the children knows. His vocabulary is exceptional and his pauses very much suit the children's speed of understanding. He also entertains and amuses children with his mimicking and gestures. Dialogues make use of different voices for different characters and he shifts his facing (or posture) as the dialog switches from character to character (smaller pot to bigger one). But sometimes his mimic and gesture go out of hand and looks hard. Keep gestures simple and natural. Gestures should add to the story, not detract from it. Be careful in being overly dramatic and trying to change the voice in a too dramatic way. This may actually be distracting. Also, it is extremely difficult to maintain this. The character may end up speaking with the wrong voice. The gesture should feel "right" at the spot where you are using it. The story is important and avoid showy movements which detract from the story. The audience has a very important role in storytelling - for their minds are the canvas on which the teller paints his tale. Here Vernon understands children's mind very well and chose a story which fits them well. He also looked to that the story gives the message everyone has their own purpose. This serves to teach the younger minds of the moral values. Mike Lockett - Anansi and the Snake Mike is also very much professional in creating the interest by his maneuvers. But he looks pretty hurried up in narrating the story. He starts the story in full swing and ends it the same way. He doesn't give his audience time to settle down to his narration speed. Storytelling is best done in a relaxed atmosphere. The audience ought to be comfortable and close. But he has this tool of driving the attention of the audience through his mimics. Here is mimicking of the snake and Ananci drew the attention. Many factors affect the attention of your listeners. A storyteller always needs to be sensitive to his audience and may need to regain their attention before continuing. He also uses his voice to create the atmosphere or tension as the story progresses. He also adds some selected phrases to provide the regional color. Watch that the attempts at dialect are not interpreted as making fun of someone's "accent." He made investigation of classic editions of works, the dialects used and the culture of the source country. To retain the original flavor and vigor, he has learnt the characteristic phrases which recur throughout the story. He also doesn't hesitate to use the dialects of the original story so as to create a feel for the source culture among the audience. He modulates his voice to help establish the mood. Sometimes lowering the voice is more effective in establishing suspense than raising it. Further he introduces classic tales which all well-informed people should know. Mike Miller -Benny the Frog Probably mike comes first to me in narrating the story to younger audience. He is pretty calm and relaxed in narrating the story. He starts the story with a narration about the frog and doesn't hesitate to repeat the phrase to match the understanding capabilities of children. Attention spans are shorter and more demanding, more sophisticated, yet less able to independently imagine or visualize. People seem to need more visual stimulation. Mike understands these things and gives the audience ample time to visualize whatever he says. He takes the story as close to them as he can. He maintains eye contact with the audience, moving his eyes around the audience rather than concentrating in one area. This is useful for holding attention. He will also be aware if the children are restless. For young audiences or audiences with short attention spans, more use of body movement or a little more drama in presentation may be useful in holding their attention. Don't overdo it, however. He also doesn't hesitate to make fun of himself whenever he has the chance. People like you when you use self-effacing humor because they see themselves mirrored in your weaknesses. However keep those humorous stories short as they may affect the story flow. Conclusion: Effective storytelling is a fine and beautiful art. A well-developed and presented story can cut across age barriers and will hold the interest and reach its listeners. Stories will be remembered long after other orations. Knowing and applying the basics of storytelling will strengthen one's stories. This way the storytelling technique weighs sometimes more than the story itself in reaching the audience Select stories to match the intelligence, experience, occupation, and age of the audience as well as the nature of the occasion. There is no point in narrating some complex stories to the younger audience as they won't understand. It doesn't serve the main purposes of story telling. It introduces the child to oral language patterns and develops a child's listening skills. It must happen in a relaxed atmosphere than due to compulsion. When crafting a story, use people, places, and things the audience knows. When the audience is familiar with the elements in the story, they will become even more involved. Use terms like Imagine this, Have you ever had an experience where ... Let me take you with me to ... to draw the audience into your stories. Emphasize the adjectives and verbs in your stories to make them sound more interesting. Try it. Really put punch behind the adjectives and verbs and see how the description comes to life. Also don't hesitate to introduce new terms and words in your but don't be too complex. It must be just enough to trigger the curiosity among the children. If children are unfamiliar with certain words or ask what a word means, try to incorporate a brief definition within the story. If the story is not going well, one may have mismatched story and group. If this happens, consider trying to wrap the story up and finish quickly. Or find a good stopping place and suggest that the children might like to find how it ended by reading the book. This develops a positive attitude on the part of the child for books and reading. Storytelling is an excellent means of introducing the children to the wonderful world of books. Be sure to have a supply of books on hand so that children can read books similar to stories told. The storyteller must be careful in choosing the story. It must not be a complete fantasy without any ethical or moral message nor an unentertaining one with lots of advice. The story must entertain and amuse the child as well as Aid in development of an ethical value system. It should also enrich the various areas of the curriculum, as English, history or science. Help the child appreciate his own cultural heritage, as well as the heritage of others. Choose only the best stories, stories which by virtue of style, theme, and plot beg to be told. Children deserve the best which we can give them. Second rate is not good enough. Choose stories from all genres--legends, fantasy, biography, poetry and so on. If the chosen story is from another culture try to use as many dialects as possibleDialect can be very difficult to do unless you are a native speaker. You may find it more effective to use your own words but add some selected phrases to provide the regional color. Consider starting your story with no gestures at all. Add gestures where they seem to fit naturally and are appropriate to the story. Ziskind suggests that gestures should precede the spot in the story where the spoken word is uttered. Be relaxed when story time comes. Have all preparations which need to be made in advance completed before the audience assembles. Welcome the children, using a carefully modulated voice - neither too high nor too low. Set a low key atmosphere. Sometimes brief introductory material about the story being told may be presented to the audience. Background necessary to understand the story may in some cases be required. Always give the source of your story: another storyteller; a book; etc. Storytelling is best done in a relaxed atmosphere free of distractions. The audience ought to be comfortable and close. Candle light and campfires are ideal situations for telling stories, but often impractical. The teller needs to give careful attention to the setting before hand - and be prepared to rearrange a room to bring his hearers closer, or use a backdrop or hangings to create atmosphere - especially in classroom settings. The child's world view is expanded through story experiences in a non-threatening and loving atmosphere. Storytelling is an exceptionally personal experience. The intrinsic nature of stories was described by Reynolds Price, when he wrote:" A need to tell and hear stories is essential to the species Homo sapiens--second in necessity apparently after nourishment and before love and shelter. Millions survive without love or home, almost none in silence; the opposite of silence leads quickly to narrative, and the sound of story is the dominant sound of our lives, from the small accounts of our day's events to the vast incommunicable constructs of psychopaths." References Geisler, Harlynne (1997). Storytelling Professionally: The Nuts and Bolts of a Working Performer. New Hampshire: Libraries Unlimited. McWilliams, Barry. (1998). Effective Storytelling A manual for beginners. 3/5/08 from http://www.eldrbarry.net/roos/eest.htm Read More