Available for in-person visits: Durham Region, Northumberland County, Peterborough County, Brock Township, Kawartha Lakes Region
Craft: Storyteller
Target Audience: Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12
Cost for School and Public Presentation: $250.00, plus applicable taxes
Biography
Heather Whaley is best known as a Musical Storyteller and singer-songwriter for children, teens, and adults. She brings traditional tales and her own stories to life by interspersing the narrative with rhyme, chant, and song, and playing guitar and percussion instruments.
Presentations are designed to entertain, address themes and issues that appeal to various ages, meet grade-level curriculum in school, transcend all ages (including adults) and cultures, and preserve the dignity and heritage they embody.
Whether visiting a school, library, daycare, festival, formal stage, or house concert Heather includes participation and interaction, especially singing. She thrives on reeling her audiences in to feel joy, togetherness, and belonging.
For over 30 years she has been performing both nationally and internationally, and currently enjoys and prefers LIVE bookings east of the city closer to her home in Durham Region, Ontario.
Heather also performs ONLINE from her home studio.
Presentation Information:
Repertoire
Musical Storytelling - Linking Stories and Songs. Oral Language. Literacy. Entertainment.
Children (JK-Grade 1 / Grades 2 - 4 / Grades 5 - 6):
Lively rhythm and rhyme story sessions for little ones. Language development. Action and movement. Entertainment.
Participatory multicultural presentations for elementary ages. Develops and improves language skills and helps provide an appreciation for inclusiveness and having fun in a non-threatening environment with their peers.
Teens (Grades 7 - 8) and Adults:
Tales and Tunes that connect us to Life. Oral expression. Narrative. Spoken Word. Music and poetry. Lyrical expression.
Heather enjoys sharing fun-spirited, rich, and humourous folk tales, mysterious fairy tales, and even creepy tales. She shares family and memoir-type tales to encourage and inspire teens and adults to write and tell their own stories. Inspiring self-expression through song, poetry, and storytelling.
Workshops
Workshops for students and teachers introduce the importance of storytelling and encourage being authentic in finding "your voice."
Heather models diverse stories; folktales, legends & personal tales. These are delivered both casually and in performance (drama) style interspersed with music, props, songs, poetry, or narrative or spoken word only.
Heather also introduces songwriting inspiration and puppetry as additional tools for sharing stories.
The main goal is to help students feel confident hearing and using their unique voices, expressing, and using creativity while respecting others' beliefs, and introducing and welcoming inclusive cultural stories to help us embrace our sameness and differences.
" We are all the same / We are all different." (Say this ten times - let it sink in!)