These are notes I took at the roots and wings storytellers’ conference this year. Any inaccuracies are the fault of the note taker.

Who: who would you like you to tell to? Who would you invite? Who are your ideal audience members? Who would be stragitic invites to your gigs for getting future gigs? For example, Rachel Headman is a stragitic contact. She has influence on many future opportunities. Maybe invite business or social directors’ community directors

When you think of who. You have to appreciate the stories they bring to the table. Maybe there are fun stories that had poignant content. Maybe one of your tellers does well at marketing. Sometimes you may want a program that has a mix heavy with some comedy.

Knowing who you want to tell is empowering. If you’re doing children keep them, their parents may not be engaged. You don’t have to babysit. See if you can break up school assemblies from younger to older.

If you need to practice story: always looking for free concerts.

What

What stories would you want to tell

What theme would you tell?

Would you record or not record?

What stories do you feel comfortable with?

What incomes do you want from your events?

Some tell personal stories that have humor. others may be geared to have poignancy. There may be stories of founding fathers. Folktales can provide international flavors. There is universality in folk tales. Get people to think and grow a little in good things. Build more stories and get new material. Do family home evening and builds communities.

When: target to the people you want to come. Will it be a single time event is it reoccurring? What would stretch you as a teller? You want to have a range of material that it can fit more themes. How often would a reoccurring to help you stretch without destroying you? Some tellers want to do an hour program? Contact a teacher. Do program on Greek mythology or another theme of the school.

House concerts are free but have a tip jar. House concert is about having a place to tell. Tellers pick and choose where do free work. If free bring out a new story. Some will mix new with known stuff for free concerts.

Schedule your planned concert and do it. If you never scheduled it’ll never happen.

Where: do you have friends or family who have a big home. Nondimensional church rent cheaply. Community centers. Neighborhood events. Know anyone who has a weekday building that is not scheduled? someone who has big backyards? One teller had a pie and story. the place does not have to be huge, any churches or senior citizens center, or parks or rent a bowery at a park for $25. Done in the front yard. Have people bring camp chairs. Using theater place. Black box Theater. Restaurants especially are quieter. The banquet room in restaurants. Consider telling in a bookshop. Find a place that is not noisy. Do for restaurant patrons. If you bring your social network for them to come to your place. Chose a day that is a slow day. A place for book readings or clubhouses. Consider a friendship center, and Quintus club, be flexible. Combine your efforts with other tellers. Talk to people that you already know. Ask people what venues they are aware of.

Why: why do you want to tell the site to the public? Teach people about the founding of America. Want to do house concerns it gives me the motivation to perform to get on the national stage… eventually. Get to record myself in front of an audience. It is fun when you’re told a story feels good when it works. One teller told of a little 3 yr old girl in the audience who giggled during their story. You don’t want to get old and not be growing. Family reunions is a place to tell. Grandpa becomes known as a teller. Way to communicate important ideas. It is fun to work with a partner.

How: how to make a successful house concert. There is a marketing person. Let Rachel know a month or two advance, it goes through crosswords. She will help you out. People of influence see you busy each mo. Every time have a house concern so people I can give emails to tell people of the next concert. I give pages contact info and page number. If you in a group. Have the person hosting be in charge. The host has the responsibility to get their people there. The host provides treats etc. a good way to get the audience to send out personal text one by one not as a group. And do a reminder the day of the event. Some doing a concert too often and people feel its too much. Personal text is best and reminders. A Facebook group is a way to promote. Milk it for what it’s worth. If you are going to do a reoccurring group thinks through what needs to happen to make it work for you. Everyone is responsible for performing in two concerts a year. It is the host who manages their assigned concert. Each member contributes to the team. Need to establish a good way of communication. Ask for help with deserts, ask for a potluck for people coming.

Turn off cell phones. Hostess with the mostess. If you want to get tips. It’s a lot easier when it’s not in your house. Have someone MC who can ask for the tips. Have the MC who is not the host to do tips. If set up a reoccurring group and have more and different peoples performing. Train people to expect entertainment needs to be paid. You can do one event and test out the water who you work with each other. Send announcements and the storytelling club will advertise.