Secrets of a Successful Storyteller Workshop (Advanced) © 2008

What is not Story? Everything has it own morphic language and is a story! Tom has been performing as a Touring storyteller for 21 years. How has he maintained his health traveling and performing three months solid every summer? (Touring 6,000-to-8,000 miles through three to seven states each summer presenting from two to five performances per day)

What things does he do to prepare before performance touring on the road? How to prevent problems? How does McCormack insure successful shows under stressful conditions? What does this Story Master do to prepare for a performance? What does he not do? What are effective voice and body warm-ups? How does the Teller care for his or her voice? What constitutes a successful performance? What standards of assessment criteria does Tom use? What are the different applications of this art-form? How do tellers move their story-gifts beyond personified egoism?

What type of vehicle does he drive and why? How does one prevent back problems? What are the usual storytelling venues? And what are top-paying lesser known venues? How does the storyteller read each audience? How do you determine what stories to tell? How does a story teller set the venue rates and prevent devaluation of his or her services? How does a performing artist successfully negotiate with difficult clients? And overcome the financial obstacles? What are different ways to prevent political entanglement?

What type of professional agreement does a storyteller use? What is a
press-packet and how is it put together? How does the storyseller produce exceptional audio-recordings, multimedia products and the best web applications? How does a Storyteller find funding sources and successful partnerships for his "no budget" clients? When does a spoken word artist start teaching and promoting storytelling workshops? Why does Story Master's workshop outlines contain only questions? And more!

The workshop format is lecture (minimal), demonstration, open-discussion, and experiental. There is a question and answer period with a summary at the conclusion. Tom provides participants with valuable handout and resource sheets.

Story Treking!
© 1988 (Revised 2008)
Tom McCormack

Sharing tales is an outdoor adventure! (Not limited to the sheltered imagination of ones mind.) Join Story Master as we explore, listen and exchange stories in nature. Tom demonstrates creative imaginative exercises to access and express indigenous story cosmology. How do we dream up new tales and improve existing ones? Writing down and sharing our story dreams in the morning is an ancient tradition that provides visionary insights!

There will be in depth discovery of wilderness writing practices as it relates to story wecology™ (1989). These weekend story treks are held in the mountains towering above the east-side of Lake Tahoe. The atmosphere is relaxed as some choose to story climb, while other's use a voice activated recorder to document new story plots and concepts.

Naturally, the group explores Native American mythology and ancient tales from Global cultures. Critiquing stories is up to individual preference in the group.

Two night's of camping make this a great de-stressing retreat that is a fun experience. The cost for this wetreat™ is reasonable... and group rates apply. Tom can travel to outdoor locations anywhere in the world and create a memorable experience for your group... regardless of the occasion.

McCormack offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced Story Treks. Why spend thousands for a "storytelling workshop" only to be stuck in a stale building in a polluted city? (stagnating for three days)  A Story Treking wilderness map is provided along with a Teller Tale resource sheet.

Story Dreaming Workshop
© 1994 (Revised 2008)

Learn an exciting system to improve existing stories and acquire new material. An array of eclectic primer exercises sets the stage for this remarkable story making tool. The presenter demonstrates how he has achieved results applying this sequenced storydreaming process. Tom empowers spoken word artists with story alchemy tools that bring results.

A summary with Question and Answer period at the conclusion.
A story dreaming map is given to participants.

Story Healing Workshop
© 1998 (Revised 2008)

Become a story doctor! Tom shares an array of verbal and listening tools to help individuals discover deeper causes of health problems. Through personal catharsis a process emerges from the
multidimensional realm of story. This model shows how to deepen and accelerate the healing process through circle-work. How does one open up a synergistic window to multiply ones positive attitude towards health? Come and find out. A synergistic healing map is included.

A summary with Question and Answer at the conclusion. A story healing triagram sheet is also provided. Tom has shared this program with healthcare professionals the past 11 years. He addresses substance abuse prevention issues and demonstrates ways to improve existing treatment programs.

Benefits:

Participants hear healing stories and the therapeutic application to be demonstrated by the presenter.

Participants experience the power of sharing healing stories one on one… and through circle-work therapy.

Participants discover how to use story healing dynamics to identify and change deeper causes of health issues.

Teacher Storytelling Workshop

This teacher in-service training demonstrates how ethnic cultural stories and music unleash learning in students. During this workshop, there is a window where teachers experience remarkable teaching tools. They become acquainted with McCormack's Synergistic Intelligence Learning model. (© 2001)

A summary with Question and Answer is at the conclusion. A Professional Development resource sheet along with a Synergistic Intelligence teaching map is provided. The format of this education in-service is in a two hour intensive, three hour interactive or a four hour indepth experiental presentation.

Teen Story Building Workshop
© 1995 (Revised 2008)

Storymaking is an art. This workshop provides teens with an exciting process for story creation drawing on their own originality. Tom provides fun warm-up ice-breakers to get the momentum flowing. Then he shares a story that relates to the pulse of teen youth. He implements an array of eclectic tools that access the mental, emotional and physical senses revealing the synergistic learning process in teens.

Initially, Tom quickly demonstrates the cycle of this process, so it's not intimidating to the class. There is an open story window for class discussion. This is followed by presentation exercises to help youth develop performing and speech skills. The conclusion shows teens how to multiply and deepen this entire process through story dreaming. A question and answer period is at the conclusion. Ideally, this storytelling program is presented to the same class(es) over three consecutive days. School teachers and district administrators are welcome to observe this program.

(A storymaking map and story dreaming model handout is provided for teens and teachers)

Family Storytelling Workshop
© 1988 (Revised 2008)

This workshop gives parents effective tools to open up communication and deepen the relationship with their children. Parents and kid's yearn for more reality-time™ together so they don't become cyber robots. Positive alternatives to reverse internet addiction to be explored. What kind of reality future will be created by virtual children?  Despite the plethora of virtual mediums, storytelling improves the quality of family life. Now more than ever, storytelling is a necessity for successful parenting. This fun workshop offers an assortment of exciting activities to enhance family life. How does story change the future? Come and find out! McCormack has 21 years experience presenting this workshop. This program is presented in a 2-hour, 3-hour or 4-hour format.

Benefits:

Parents experience how to interact in different ways with their children (beyond the cyber-world).

Parents benefit by finding healthy alternatives to balance out the variety of virtual mediums families are swept away by.

Children benefit by thinking for themselves, experiencing their own childhood and more reality-time™ with their friends.

Artist in Education School Residency (K-12)

Arts Educator: Tom McCormack © 2001 (Revised 2008)

As an artist in residence, I inspire youth through the joy of performance so they transcend cultural boundaries. This helps students understand the universal relationship of indigenous people. I motivate the class to learn and express Native American stories at a place where reality meets the dream world.

Residency Description:

Tom introduces youth to the Native American life pattern and the cross-cultural indigenous links. Students select a Native American legend to learn and eventually present. An option is for teachers to put students in small cluster-groups and they work cooperatively to learn and perform one Native story (like a skit or in a theater format). There are a series of classroom exercises with indigenous cultural objects (IE- applying essential oils from sage, sweetgrass or cedar on pads as a sensorial tool). The students experience how the atmosphere and feelings helps them learn their tale and enhance their ability to present it!

Tom demonstrates keys that help students determine what to edit, what to leave in and what to add to their story. The class critique segment provides a window for students to explain what changes they made in their story and why. Students practice their presentation skills in small cluster groups, and then perform their tale to the entire class. The students who excel, present their Native stories to the upper grades and the rest of the class will present their tales to the lower grades. After this process, the best students perform during an all school assembly (at the conclusion of the residency) If the Gifted and Talented students handle this first project with ease, they will be given advanced exercises to create an original Native story, and present it.

Here is another AIE residency program available for the 4-7th graders. McCormack has them research, write and present Pioneer Trail history with balanced Native American and pioneer perspectives. The 8-10th graders research, write and present pioneer history of the trail strictly through the eyes of Native American people. Mr. McCormack helps them with the story building sequence process and provide presentation skills. The Oregon, Applegate and California Trails are the focus of this residency.

The 11th and 12th graders will rewrite Pioneer and Native American history!
If acculturation, assimulation and exploitation of Native people did not occur. If a harmonious relationship was established and nurtured between Native American's and the pioneers, what would contemporary America be like today? (students examine and gain an understanding of indigenous circle dynamics for transmutual empowerment) What far reaching global impact would this have on international indigenous cultures during this millenium? (this progressive offering is adapted and available for 7-9th graders as well)
A Native and Pioneer story building map is provided students and a resource sheet. This residency is available in a one week and ideally two week program. The fee is negotiable depending on travel distance, lodging and meal arrangements (or reimbursement of those expenses).

Residency Requirements:
Digital Video Recorder and a quality digital camera with memory card. An adult volunteer (or school staff) is required to record video footage.
A volunteer photographs the student works in progress and document the final all school assembly performance. A music room or multipurpose room is preferred, but story master is flexible working with the facilities available.

Teacher In-Service Opportunity:
Storytelling Through The Natural World: Integrating Native American Perspectives in Your Classroom Teaching Strategies and Learning Environment. Other workshops and community performances are available on request.

Dream Interpretation Workshop
© 2008

What are dreams?  McCormack shares effective ways to open up ones dream life, purify it and utilize this dynamic tool for positive change. Dreams are the essence of Psyche (soul) which reveals fascinating mysteries and deeper truths. Whether your interest in dreaming is curiosity or practical application, this upbeat workshop inspires investigation. The interpretive keys to translate dreams will be demonstrated and shared through informal circle-work. There are practical ways to convert dreams into reality. (I term this scientific synthesis – dreamality)

The daydreaming contrast and nocturnal dream experiences to be explored. 

Workshop objectives:

1. Participants learn the modus operandi and the synchronicity cycle of dreams.
2. Participants learn how to open-up, purify, interpret and apply dreams.
3. Participants discover positive tools to help enhance ones dream life.
4. Participants learn how to implement dream tools to acheive success.
5. Participants learn how to evaluate dream synthesis and assess the results.

The last half hour will focus on individual dream intepretation with a question and answer period. An experiental dream map will be provided to guide participants in their noctural exploration. 

Biography:

Since 1973, Tom has inspired dreamspeaking as a powerful self healing tool to transform reality. He is a featured presenter at health and education conferences on the power of dream alchemy. He is also an interpretive specialist regarding cultural diversity issues and practices. 

Story Master's fee's are subject to the number of presentations and are negotiable.