These are great events.  I get invited to some interesting training sessions in CT, PA and especially NJ.  I work a lot with Young Audiences of NJ with RR and as a solo, and truthfully say they’ve supported me and my family for a long time.  But then, RR has payed their salaries, as well.  Symbiosis.

 

Today, we had a fellow NJ storyteller present her work on community folk arts in Willingsboro, NJ.  …took a two year course on it as well.  She gave the group a task to fabricate a community arts program dealing with gang violence, in 30 minutes.  7 groups split up and came up with amazing ideas, though my group struggled to come up with a mission statement. Good workout, though.

 

Met up with fellow kids’ players David and Jenny Heitler-Klevans of Two of a Kind.  Nicest part of the day to chat with them both about the state of the art. Convergent and parallel paths in the trade.

 

The afternoon session was with a HOT school artist Cheryl H. who presented a full session on Multiple Intelligences, or ways that kids (and people) learn differently.  Let’s see if I can remember them: Linguistic/Verbal, Logical/Math, Musical, Bodily Kinesthetic, Visual/Spacial, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Nature.  There’s volumes of explication on all this stuff, but fairly obvious.

 

Everyone has ways to express themselves, and some of the ways creates discomfort.  Artists and teachers have to recognize these in ourselves and in the students, and be able to work with those strengths and weaknesses.

 

Nice techniques, nice modelling of the techniques, good information and good interaction amongst the folks, an amalgam of TA’s, teachers, etc.  Perhaps too much clowning/acting for me.  Lay it out and let me try it.

 

Nice to run in with dancers, poets, theatre folks, musicians, etc. and share our own community.  Good for the soul.

 

Tomorrow, back at the Farmers’ Market.