by Sven Kelling | Mar 27, 2019
Donald Davis was born in a Southern Appalachian mountain world rich in stories. While he heard many traditional stories about Jack and other heroic characters, he was most attracted to the stories of his own family and places of origin. Davis began retelling the stories he heard and adding his own new stories until he was repeatedly asked to “tell it again, on purpose.”
During his twenty-five year career as a United Methodist Minister, Davis began to use stories more and more. He was also asked to perform at festivals and in other settings until he retired from the church to tell stories full time.
The author of eighteen books and more than forty original recordings, Davis is the recipient of both the Circle of Excellence and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the National Storytelling Network.
by Sven Kelling | Mar 27, 2019
Since 1991, British storyteller, humorist and raconteur Simon Brooks has been telling to audiences from all over the world. Simon became a full-time, professional storyteller in 2003, released his first CD in 2006, and his first collection of folk and fairy tales in 2018. Simon has won awards and honors for his storytelling albums from Storytelling World and Parent’s Choice. Simon travels all over New England and to other parts of the USA, and has told his tales in Europe. He presents anywhere you want him, be it a school, college, library, festival, camp, hospital, business, restaurant, coffee house or home.
Simon has completely reinvented himself to accommodate on-line presentations and workshops. These are high-quality events with much in the way of new material and presentation styles.
At the onset of the COVID-19 ‘lock-down’ Simon immediately recorded a podcast for kids – his audio rendering of Lindyline, an adventure story for young people. He also began a weekly kid’s show – Wednesday Stories – which ended mid-summer 2020. Another weekly on-line show Simon produces is Friday with Friends, geared for parents and other grown-ups, where he virtually chats with storytelling and musician friends. This lighthearted on-line event has become a staple for some viewers because of its humor and light atmosphere.
Simon lives in New London, New Hampshire, New England, New World with his wife, two children, a cat, and a dog called Moe. He is a Children’s Literacy Foundation presenter, a member of the National Storytelling Network, North East Story Telling, and the New Hampshire Storytelling Alliance.
by timpfest | Feb 7, 2019
Andy Hedges is a songster, reciter and storyteller. His varied repertoire includes classic cowboy poetry recitations, obscure cowboy songs, dust bowl ballads, and blues. Andy taught himself to play the guitar when he was 14 and began collecting classic cowboy poems and traditional cowboy songs. He has released nine albums including four joint projects with songwriter Andy Wilkinson. He also hosts a podcast called Cowboy Crossroads which features interviews with poets, musicians, songwriters and historians. Andy lives in Lubbock, Texas, with his wife and children.
by timpfest | Feb 6, 2019
Adam Booth’s storytelling blends traditional folklore, music, and an awareness of contemporary Appalachia. His original voice, both humorous and touching, is influenced by generations of diverse storytellers from West Virginia. His telling appearances have included Teller-In-Residence at the International Storytelling Center, New Voice at the National Storytelling Festival, resident at the Banff (Alberta) Spoken Word program, collaborations with the West Virginia Dance Company and Goose Route Dance Company, and multiple events in seventeen states. Equally at home as a teller and educator, his research and presentations have included the Berea Appalachian Sound Archives Fellowship, the National Academy of Medicine, Ghost Ranch, the National Storytelling Conference, the Appalachian Studies Association Conference, and the National Endowment for the Humanities Voices from the Misty Mountains summer seminars and institute. He is a member of the Recording Academy and his recordings have been honored with two Parents’ Choice Silver Honors, four Storytelling World Awards and Honors, the NSN’s J.J. Reneaux Mentorship Grant to work with Dovie Thomason, and four West Virginia Liars’ Contest wins. He teaches Appalachian studies at Shepherd University and is the founding director of the Speak Story Series. Adam is most at home sharing stories and music with the next generation of listeners and tellers throughout Appalachia.
by timpfest | Jan 22, 2019
Antonio Rocha, a native of Brazil, began his career in the performing arts in 1985. In 1988 he received a Partners of the Americas grant to come to the USA to perform and deepen his mime skills with Master Tony Montanaro. Since then he has earned a Summa Cum Laude Theater BA from USM (University of Southern Maine) and studied with Master Marcel Marceau. Mr. Rocha’s unique solo shows of stories and mime have been performed from Singapore to Hawaii and many places in between including 14 countries on 6 continents. Some of the venues include The Singapore Festival of the Arts, Wolf Trap, The National Storytelling Festival, The Kennedy Center, The Smithsonian Institution, The National Geographic, The Tales of Graz in Austria, Dunya Festival in Holland as well as many other Storytelling Festivals and educational institutions around The USA. Antonio has some fun and award winning DVDs and a brand new picture book too!
