Bonnie Phipps - Storytelling

Bonnie Phipps- Storytelling- EDUCATIONAL PERFORMANCES :: WORKSHOPS :: ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
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BONNIE PHIPPS - MUSIC & STORYTELLING

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

Bonnie Phipps is a multiple Parent's Choice and National Parenting Awards winner, a published author and recording artist, a national Autoharp Champion, a contemporary folk singer, a spoons, limber-jack, and jaw harp player, a storyteller, a former Kindergarten teacher, AND . . . an undeniable hit with children! She was voted “Best Children’s Performer” by a "Colorado Parent" magazine reader’s poll and has been written up in Entertainment Weekly. Bonnie also made two recordings for “adult” audiences, "Autoharpin’" and "Colorado Folk Ensemble" which featured Autoharp, cello, violin, guitar and vocals. The ensemble toured the Western States for three years for Columbia Artists Management. Bonnie now performs exclusively for young audiences as a solo artist in schools, libraries and theaters, or with THE ELASTIC BAND. A few children's performance highlights include concerts for the Tampa Bay Performance Arts Center (FL), the Lincoln Center (CO), the Maui Philharmonic (HI), Bridges Auditorium (CA), the Richmond Children’s Festival (VA) and the Guam Association for the Education of Young Children.



EDUCATIONAL PERFORMANCES

A PATCHWORK OF RHYTHM, RHYME, SONG AND STORY
Bonnie Phipps, Parent’s Choice Awards winner, tickles your imagination with song and story, sharing her constant companions of Rhythm, Rhyme, and Melody. This participatory performance reflects the best of oral and literacy traditions. Bonnie uses her hot pink and turquoise Autoharps to accompany her songs and to heighten the action in her stories. She also plays the spoons, limberjack, and jaw harp, which she learned during her travels through Appalachia. She is fun, funny, fabulous!

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
* To develop language, listening and thinking skills while presenting songs and storytelling to children.
* To create a spring board for post-concert language activities in the classroom. Children are encouraged to write sequels to open ended songs.
* To introduce a variety of folk instruments, including the Autoharp, spoons, and jaw harp to young audiences.
* To introduce a variety of folk tales from around the world.
* To create an atmosphere of fun and interest through material that is age appropriate, diverse and participatory.
* To celebrate the joy of music, stories and song.



SINGLE WORKSHOP EXPERIENCES

GOOD VIBRATIONS
Workshop on Sound
Bonnie uses her Autoharps, spoons, jaw harps, and vocal cords to help students explore the origins of sound, pitch, and volume. Children will also learn to play rhythms on fake Autoharps and to play the spoons.

THE LANGUAGE OF MUSIC
Alliteration, rhymes, and story elements collide with music, movement and rhythm in this hands-on workshop where students help make up and complete verses, create rhymes, produce endings to an open ended song, and act out musical story lines through movement.

TO MAKE IT YOUR OWN
Storytelling Workshop
The workshop will begin with a whole school music/storytelling assembly. Then each class (or grade level depending on the length of the residency) will be visited by the artist. The students will learn techniques of bringing stories to life through discussion, examples, and participation in short, hands-on storytelling exercises. Each class will be presented with a different short folk tale to learn, and students will work on telling it in their own individual way.