Loren Niemi rocks at Passim's

Last night, Loren Niemi told at Passim's - wow.  As I mentioned at the time, I enjoyed the sensation of surrendering myself to the Story of Fata Morgana, the Widow, the Countess, the Baker, and the Map-Maker, as Loren was telling it, being carried away by a combination of his words and my self-generated images.  Storytelling is truly a collaborative venture for this reason: both storyteller and listener co-create the experience as it is occurring.  Even in the act of "surrendering to story" we listeners are still driving the (in the case, broken-down VW bug) bus alongside of the Storyteller.  What a privilege!  I felt like the red dog (fox?) that jumped through the window of the bus to obstinately sit next to the Baker, looking expectantly at him, as if to say "Okay, where to next?"

Tell on, oh tellers, tell on!

A hearty cheer and hug to the inimitable Laura Packer for making this marvelous event a reality.  It was a great show and a packed house!

New Gal concert series

Last night at the Community Music Center in South Boston, we enjoyed a marvelous concert.  It was part of Sarah Bob's New Gallery Concert Series, and it featured the artwork of Jessica Burko, as well as the music of my better half, Curtis Hughes, and other marvelous composers such as Lee Hyla, Donald Martino, Helmut Lachenmann and Arvo Part.  A glorious smorgasbord of music and art!  I had the chance to talk briefly about my grandmother, artist Rosemarie Beck, whose work was also featured last night, in the form of a marvelous self-portrait which she painted in 1955.  To give a sense of the scope of her work, here's something from early on in her career:

House of Venus III, 1957

....and here's something from later on:

Safely in the Harbor, from The Tempest, 1976-77

It was an incredibly satisfying experience for both eye and ear, and I was thrilled at how beautifully members of the Firebird Ensemble played "The Beck Journals Volume 1" and "The Beck Journals Volume 2".  Went home floating on a cloud!

Am I Blue?

Last night was my first night back at Brother Blue and Ruth's open mic in longer than I can remember.  It is truly a privilege to be able to both attend and participate at this strange and marvelous event.  Every time I go, I have the chance to grow as a teller.  How wonderful to see and feel the friendly faces of fellow tellers beaming upon me as I find my way through my latest "discovery".  

This time I tried out a Nigerian-Yoruban folk tale that captured my interest quite some time ago, about a brash young man and a talking skull that teaches him a tough lesson.  (Anyone know this one?  I'm planning on researching it further, I think it has a lot to teach me....)  Part-way through, I realized that I was telling this West African tale as if it was a jewish joke!?!  I've been telling so many of those lately - as I always do this time of year - because of Passover.  Funny how things spill over from one telling to another; in my mind, stories are so inter-connected with each other, I sometimes find it hard to separate them!  But strangely, it is by means of my mental "web" that I remember each one of them so distinctly........

Tonight we had our annual Passover seder, and as usual we told silly Jewish jokes to help keep us going until we could eat.

What's the difference between matzoh and cardboard?

Cardboard doesn't leave crumbs on the carpet!

What did the seder plate say to the matzoh?  Dinner's on me!        

Hey, I didn't say they were good jokes.  I found a "Bag of Plagues" which everybody enjoyed.  And the matzoh ball soup was the best it's ever been!  Now I am STUFFED.  One thing about matzoh, it is very, er, filling.  Anyone who eats enough of it learns the hard way the true meaning behind Moses's famous words: "Let my people go!"  Hence the necessity of adding prunes to the Passover brisket.

Happy Passover!

On Saturday my mother's clan celebrated my grandmother's 85th birthday in Baltimore (at left, you can see her at about age 2).  Naturally, we ate crabcakes and chocolate, and we all sang my ridiculous re-write of "Tradition" from Fiddler on the Roof.  My grandmother is still beautiful at 85, despite having recently finished chemo treatments for lymphoma.  I can only hope that I look half that good at her age.  But at least she has passed on to me her love of books, along with chocolate-lust and good taste in men.  Too bad I didn't also inherit her slender figure, but we can't have everything in life!

I told the story of "Grandmother Spider" (found in Choctaw, Cherokee and Kiowa traditions) in her honor on Saturday night, and it inspired my grandfather to tell a story!!  His telling was so priceless, I just have to pass it on.  Not that I can do him justice, but here goes:

***WARNING*** The following story is rated PG-13***

"Once upon a time all the dogs of the world had a conference.  At the doors of the conference room, there were many pegs on which people could hang their coats.  The dogs didn't have coats, so they hung their @ssholes on the pegs, and then went in.  While they were having their conference, there was a fire.  In the panic and confusion, all the dogs ran out of the conference room and grabbed whatever @sshole they could find.  And that's why, to this day, whenever dogs meet each other, they sniff each others' @ssholes, trying to find their original one."

Watching my grandfather tell a story - and tell it, moreover, with joy and enthusiasm - was a truly moving experience for me, so much so that I could almost forgive him for his inappropriate choice of language in front of my daughter.  At 88, he's earned the right to do or say almost anything.  I just hope his great granddaughter doesn't pick this one for Sharing Time at school someday...........

 

"Guess what my great grampa told me!"

Storytelling with 4-year-olds is fun!

In April of 2007 I had the wonderful opportunity of leading a storytelling workshop for pre-school children at the Cambridge Montessori School during their April Vacation Program. We all had a blast!

Concerts in May

My husband, Curtis, is gearing up for a couple of big performances of several of his pieces in early May.  Naturally, he is nervous. 

 

Curtis, however, takes the art of being nervous to new heights.  

I'd say he's about here now: 

By next week he'll be about here:   Note the coffee.  This is entirely normal for him, and I'm sure plenty of other composers can relate.  Writing music is like gestating and then birthing a baby... and then handing it over to someone else to take care of.  He has to place his trust entirely in the performers, in this case, these folks:

The Radius Ensemble is an incredibly talented and joyous bunch of folks, and totally capable of playing the cr@p out of anything he hands them, so I think it will be fine.  That being said, I am very thankful that, as a Storyteller, I am in charge of my own performances!  From start to finish, it is entirely up to ME and no one else, to see a story through from beginning to end.  If I screw up, no one else is to blame.  And if I can make the audience laugh - or at least chuckle - I can take that with me, too.