Mark Shepard’s DrumSongStory

Archive for February, 2009

Abi yo yo was as big as a house...

An Annoyingly Dysfunctional Family Saves a Dysfunctional Town From a Giant with a BIG Personal Hygiene Problem!

This is the first story I ever told. I learned it as a kid off of a Pete Seeger record. Seeger’s original version takes about 8 minutes. Mine takes about 45 minutes! Let’s just say I’ve had a lot of fun with my adaptation techniques!

In Pete’s original the boy plays a ukulele. Since I’m always getting in trouble for playing the drums I had him be a drummer…

To summarize the story, Abi Yo Yo comes into this town every once in a while eating everything in site, cows, horses, whole flocks of sheep. By the time he gets to the edge of town he is usually ready for dessert. (”Yum! Pee-pull! Goood!”)
Now in the town they usually ostracize any body who can’t follow all the rules perfectly. And the edge of town is where those people live. It’s a simple way to get rid of trouble makers. But then Abi Yo Yo doesn’t show up for such a long time that people start flaunting the rules and getting on each others nerves.

• Children refuse to eat broccoli.
• Drivers stop stopping at stop signs.
• People throw their garbage all over etc.

Eventually three members of one family start to get so out of line that it begins to really bug the other residents!.

Suffice it to say that the main characters are a trio of “creative” types:

• We have a drummer who practices ALL THE TIME!.

• We have his sister, a painter who uses public buildings for her “canvases”. And,

• We have their father, a magician who is constantly making stuff disappear.

Eventually they get ostracized. Of course Abi Yo Yo shows up and it is the outcasts that save everyone else from becoming “dessert”
Program Length: 45-60 minutes

Age Appropriate: K-12
Note: Can be easily adapted to support the “Pillars of Character” Program or any other “character” education themes.

Drums:

• Irish Bodhran
• Siberian Shaman Drum
• African Djembe
• African Djun-djun
• and more

Sound effects:

• “The Wooo Sound”
• Thunder Tubes
• Palm Nut Shakers,
• Wrench Chimes
• and more

To book this program now call 1-888-598-7709 or e-mail mark[at]markshepard.com

See what other DrumSongStory Programs are available for:

• Schools, Family Concerts
• Colleges, Universities
• Corporations, Non Profits, Conferences

The Arctic Wolf - Drums Songs & Stories of Northern Lands and Peoples

Drums, Songs & Stories of the Peoples of the Far North

This program is lighter on the songs and heavier on the spoken stories although several of the stories have songs sung within them. It was originally commissioned by Columbus Elementary School (Thornewood, NY) in 1999 as part of their third grade Social Studies Curriculum. I returned in January of 2000 to do a two week residency focusing on adapting Inuit tales.

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Songs: The Silkie (Ireland) Similar tales also show up in the Inuit tradition…

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Stories: This program can Focus solely on Inuit Tales or take a story from each culture or focus on one or two related cultures (ie. Inuit and Siberian or Russian and Scandinavian).

Beneath the Northern Sky - Drums, Songs & Stories of Northern People & Lands

Inuit Tales:

• Skeleton Woman,


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• Little Bear
• Land of the Birds
• Spider Woman
• The Dancing Fox,
• Worms & Lice
• (with the exception of Skeleton Woman, these tales were developed with 3rd graders during a residency at Columbus Ave. Elementary School.)

Irish Tales:

• The Silkie

Scandinavian Tales:

• The “foolish” Farmer
• A taste of Scandinavian Humor
• Pathfinder.

Russian Tales:

• Baba Yaga

Siberian and Alaskan Tales:

• Raven Stops the Rain


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• Raven Releases the Sun
• Why Shaman’s Drums Only Have One Head

Instruments Used:

• African Djembe
• African Djun-Djun
• Irish Bodhran
• Siberian Shaman Drum
• Guitar
• Wooden Irish Low Whistle

Mark Shepard's DrumSongStory Interactive Programs for all ages

Sound Effects:

• Wind Tubes
• Thunder Tubes
• Tunder Drum (the Dgiant Djun-Djun)
• Shakers
• Ocean Drum
• & more…

To book this program now call 1-888-598-7709 or e-mail mark[at]markshepard.com

See what other DrumSongStory Programs are available for:

• Schools, Family Concerts
• Colleges, Universities
• Corporations, Non Profits, Conferences

Elementary school children transfixed by a DrumSongStory program

How To Book A Great Cultural Enrichment Assembly Program for Your School and…

• Lower your stress level
• Save your school money
• Eliminate the risk of a “dud”
• Make a positive difference in the lives of your students & teachers

With One Phone Call!

Dear PTA/PTO Cultural Enrichment Chair, Principal, Teacher, Librarian,

Somehow it happened. You “volunteered” to book the cultural enrichment assembly programs.

You’ve been handed the “FOLDER.”

It’s bulging with brochures, fliers, catalogs, and postcards trumpeting a dizzying array of cultural arts programs. You know the one right?

• Where to start?
• How do you know what’s good and what’s not (or even available)?
• How do you avoid hours and hours of research and telephone tag?

If you give me a few moments of your attention, I can help you save time, hassle & money.

My name is Mark Shepard.

You may find some of my “DrumSongStory” K-12 School Programs in the “Folder”. Since 1993 I have dedicated my life to creating and performing the very best multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural enrichment programs for schools.

Over the course of thousands of performances throughout CT, RI, MA, NH, VT, ME, NY, NJ, PA I’ve learned how to make your job of booking cultural enrichment programs easy and hassle free.

Listen. I know you’re a volunteer. If you are like most of the PTA / PTO folks I work with, you have

• 2.5 kids
• 2 cats
• a Labrador Retriever
• a stressed out spouse
• and are also holding down a full time job.

The way I see it, the last thing you need is a hassle. Right?

Once you get a feel for my programs you’ll find they are extremely valuable. In some ways however, the content of the program may be less important than the essential factors that can make your life easy or hard.

As you think about your programming for this coming programming season, please consider the following:

• My proven, kid and teacher tested assembly programs support school themes and curriculum areas, inspire love of learning, even help teachers teach better.

• I’m dependable and “compulsively” early. Since 1993 and thousands of shows I’ve never canceled and only postponed 3. I usually arrive at least an hour and a half before show time. You don’t have to wait around wondering if I’m going to show up or not. This saves you stress and possible embarrassment.

• I’m easy to work with. I’ve heard plenty of stories about other performers who didn’t know how to deal with special-ed kids or with the tight time constraints of a school schedule. It’s no accident that I get compliments all the time about how well I handle mid-program distractions. That reflects positively on you.

• I’m on the CT Commission of the Arts which means I’m eligible for CT grants and NEFA touring funds. It also means I’ve been checked out and trained by some of the best Arts In Education specialists in the country.

• I come prepared. I bring a trailer full of state of the art sound system, drums from all over the world and a HUGE drum I carved out of a tree trunk that lights up from inside. So you don’t need to worry about whether it will sound and look good. It will.

• I’m easy to set up for. All I usually need from you is 3 armless chairs. It’s that simple.

• I do my own booking. This means you don’t have to deal with a middle man. When you call to find out if a date is available, you don’t have to wait for my booking agent to call me and me to call my agent back and then the agent give you a return call. I’m reachable directly. I give you my e-mail and cell phone. I usually return my calls within the same day. Less “Phone Tag” for you. Even better, my operations manager, Karen Clark, makes sure that all the details are handled. She brings years of experience to DrumSongStory as a school secretary and personal assistant to superintendents of schools. She also has two young children so she “gets” what you are dealing with.

• I can handle a wide age and developmental range. Because what I do works on so many levels I frequently do shows for audiences of K-8 as well as family concerts. Not many other artists can handle that age range successfully. What’s that worth?

• My programs are affordable. If you divide my single show fee by the typical audience size of 300 it works out to about $3.33 per child. For a large school where three performances are needed, the price often works out more like $1.83 per child.

Time is running out. Dates are limited and are booking fast. So call today!

I look forward to positively touching the hearts & minds of your students and bringing vibrant, enriching programs to your school. All this while making your life easier and saving your school money.

Yours truly,

Mark Shepard
www.DrumSongStory.com

For Booking Call: 1-888-598-7709 or E-mail: Mark [at] MarkShepard.com

See what DrumSongStory Programs are available for:

• K-12 Schools, Family Concerts, Fundraising Events
• Colleges, Universities
• Corporations, Non Profits, Conferences

Birds Don't Carry Suitcases They Just Fly!

Birds Don’t Carry Suitcases…They Just Fly!

Drums, Songs and Stories About Birds

For most of my life I have been an avid birder. I watch birds, I read about them, I feed them, I listen to their amazing music. What I didn’t realize was how deeply birds have permeated my songwriting over the past 25 years. As symbols of freedom and joy. As metaphors for growth and transformation. At the same time I found myself gravitating towards folktales with birds in them. Some serious, some silly. They all seemed to have a lesson for me in particular and all of us silly humans in general

Depending upon the age and sophistication of the audience as well as time factors this program picks and chooses from the following menu of possibilities.
Original Songs:

• “Birds”
• “Thirsty For The Sky”
• “Chickadee”
• “Raptor Rap”
• “Fly, Fly, Fly”
• “Kite Flight”
• “Scarecrow Boy”
• “Yours For Free”
• “Be Patient With Your Flying” and more

Stories:

• Land of the Birds (Inuit): a man finds a wife from among the Bird People. She takes their son and leaves him to return to the Land of the Birds. He follows and after many adventures rejoins his family. (Lots of sound effects possibilities with this story which I had the privilege of developing with a wonderful group of 3rd graders at Columbus Ave. Elementary School in Thornewood, NY)

• Why The Swallow Has a Forked Tail (Palestine) Explains why mosquito’s whine, Why they like to bite Humans, why snakes eat frogs and of course why swallows have those beautiful forked tails.

• The King of Birds (Tunisia) Little Ruby Crowned Kinglet, one of the smallest of birds accepts Lion’s challenge to a contest of strength. Of course Kinglet wins which explains why he wears his tiny crown to this day

• Why Woodpeckers Play the Drums (original) Wendell the Woodpecker just can’t seem to learn how to sing so he goes off alone in the forest to find his own way of doing things.

• True-Life Bird Stories

1. The Song Sparrow who had no tail. (Molting, Predator/Prey Relationships)
2. Great Blue Heron Catches A Huge Fish (Patience, Taking Appropriate Action)
3. Tom Turkey attacks my car! (mating habits, courtship displays)
4. Green Heron Catches a lot of Little Fish (different survival strategies)

Drums, songs and stories about birds by Mark Shepard

Instruments: Guitar, Djembe, Djun-Djun, Shaman Drum, Bodhran, Congas, “Bob The BIG Drum”, & more

Sound Effects: Cuicas, Wind Tubes, Thunder Tubes, Thunder Drum (the Djun-Djun), shakers, Ocean Drum, Space Phones, audience whistles, hand slaps, Paint Stick Clackers & more…

To book this program now call 1-888-598-7709  or e-mail mark[at]markshepard.com

See what other DrumSongStory Programs are available for:

• Schools, Family Concerts
• Colleges, Universities
• Corporations, Non Profits, Conferences

This is a review of my program “Breathing Underwater: Drums, Songs & Stories about the Sea” written by a passionate young 7th grade writer named Matthew Connolly. Personally, I think he’s a genius! – Mark

“Drums, Songs And Stories: Mark Shepard”

by Matthew Connolly

From the moment I walked into the gym, to the moment I walked out, it was safe to say I, and the rest of the school were spellbound by the talent and enthusiasm of one amazing man: Mark Shepard.

This wonderful singer, drummer, and storyteller wowed students and teachers alike with a fun, amazing show that made me forget I was learning about ancient cultures and sea animals! First he told us the bittersweet tale of the Silky, followed by songs telling about sharks and a story song about a day at the pool. The whole school was tapping toes and singing.

Finally, with the interactive fable “Raven Stops The Rain” and the final song, “Sail Away,” Mr. Shepard did something no one else could achieve. He equally entertained every grade in the school (Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School, Middletown, NY, K-8), and received loud applause.

Mark loves to read, and is talented as a drummer because he has practiced since he was a child.

He said, “Kids are fun, because even in the TV Age, they still enjoy the songs and stories I tell and sing about.” I can only hope that Mr. Shepard returns with more songs, drums and stories. Until then we can all take his advice, “Read a lot, learn a lot, and have a lot of fun!”

Breathing Underwater - Drums, Songs & Stories Above, Beneath & Beyond the Sea

Drums, Songs & Stories Above, Beneath & Beyond the Sea

- a mix of songs with a choice of two interactive tales, Raven Stops the Rain (Siberia) or Skeleton Woman (Inuit)

Breathing Underwater CD is Now
Available for Instant Digital Down Load
Regularly $15 | For A Limited Time Only: $5.00

Review of this Program by 7th Grader Matthew Connolly

Songs:

• Sharks!: A very upbeat song that manages to reflect on the fact that Sharks have a lot more to fear from us than we have to fear from them…


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• The Silkie: My own adaptation of an old Irish story about magic seals that incidentally also shows up in the Eskimo/Inuit tradition.


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• Sail Away: The Ballad of Nathaniel Bowditch: A Story song about the self-taught “Father of Modern Navigation” whose manual is still published by the US Government.


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• If I had a Boat: Just a fun song about…if I had a boat!


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• Humpback Whale Song: A song about whales written with a class of 5th graders.


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• Navigation: a rap about navigation written with a different class of 5th graders.


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Just the above songs are plenty for a one hour program! What I usually end up doing is performing three or four of the songs along with one of the following stories. The stories each use a lot of cool sound effects instruments played by the audience.

Stories:

• Raven Stops the Rain (Siberia) this is a creation Myth that explains how Universe created the rain, the
  

  Mark Shepard sings "The Silkie" w help of young audience volunteer

  thunder, the wind and the ocean. As well as everything else. Raven ends up being the one to regulate the weather…(I usually do this story for the younger grades)

  
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• Skeleton Woman (Inuit) A young woman refuses all suitors in her village until a mysterious man all dressed in white arrives from the North. She leaves her home to follow him. He turns out to be a polar bear and she undertakes a journey of profound transformation underneath the frozen Arctic Sea. (I usually use this story for 3rd graders on up to adult audiences..)


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Instruments Used: Djembe, Djun-Djun, Bodhran, Shaman Drum, Guitar
Sound Effects: Wind Tubes, Thunder Tubes, Thunder Drum (the Djun-Djun), shakers, Ocean Drum & more…

Breathing Underwater CD is Now Available for Instant Digital Down Load
Regularly $15 | For A Limited Time Only: $5.00

To book this program now call 1-888-589-7709 or e-mail mark[at]markshepard.com

See what other DrumSongStory Programs are available for:

• Schools, Family Concerts
• Colleges, Universities
• Corporations, Non Profits, Conferences

A Talking Drum made by Mark Shepard out of a piece of house column

Drums, Songs and Stories Celebrating Africa and the African Diaspora

Please Note: You’ll notice there is some overlap between this program and Trickster Tales

An interactive program for all ages featuring:

Drums:

• Djembe
• Djun-Djun
• Talking Drum
• Congas
• Tar
• Riq,
• and other percussion instruments from Africa and the the African Diaspora as well as cool sound effects instruments played by the audience (where and when appropriate)

Songs/Rhythms:

• Funga Alafia – welcoming song/rhythm


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• The Samba
• Congo Square
• The Rhumba – and other infectious rhythms

Stories:

• “Monkey & Leopard” – why monkeys live in trees, why leopards eat meat & why you never mess with a drummer’s drum without asking permission.


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• Anansi & the Talking Drum – Anansi discovers the secret name of the king’s daughter but is so shy he can only
  

  Mark Shepard telling "Monkey & Leopard", African Trickster Tale

  play it on his talking drum…

• That’s Ridiculous! – Various vegetables, animals and inanimate objects talk to people.

• Why Lions Don’t Have Wings – Frog puts an end to Lion’s flyin’.

Sound Effects:

• Thunder Tubes
• Thunder Drum (the Djun-Djun)
• Cuicas
• Shakers
• Ocean Drum,
• & more…

Please Note: This program can be combined with drumming and/or instrument making workshops for maximum educational impact

To book this program now call 1-888-598-7709 or e-mail mark[at]markshepard.com

See what other DrumSongStory Programs are available for:

• Schools, Family Concerts
• Colleges, Universities
• Corporations, Non Profits, Conferences

Mark Shepard Tells A DrumSongStory with the help of a young audience volunteer

Drums, Songs & Stories Exploring The Trickster Archetype In Many Cultures

Of course this is the funniest program I do. It is after all, stories celebrating tricksters: Fox, Coyote, Rabbit, Anansi the Spider, Monkey, Crow, Turtle…all of these non-human characters have much to teach us about ourselves. Almost always the trickster gets tricked. Coyote always gets bested by roadrunner. But some tricksters like Bugs Bunny always seem to come out on top.

• “Monkey & Leopard” (Africa)


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• “All Stories Are Anansi’s” (Africa)
• “Coyote & Cicada” (N. America)
• “Coyote & Turtle” (N. America)
• “The Lying Contest” (Armenia)
• “Anansi & The Talking Drum” (Africa)
• “The Pointing Finger” (China)
• “Djuha Borrows A Pot” (Syria)
• “Fox, Crow and the Piece of Cheese” (Aesop)
• “For Sale: The Eiffel Tower -Tale Of A Modern Trickster” and more…

To book this program now call 1-888-598-7709 or e-mail mark[at]markshepard.com

See what other DrumSongStory Programs are available for:

• Schools, Family Concerts
• Colleges, Universities
• Corporations, Non Profits, Conferences

Mark Shepard performing the Drum of the Elephant King

A Magical, Musical Adventure Story From Haiti

Hear the entire story:

 

 Drum of The Elephant King by Mark Shepard: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

How Folktales Can Nurture Interdisciplinary Learning

Little did I know when I first read this Haitian folktale that it would change my life and take me in dozens of new directions. I was just beginning to combine the original songs I’d written for years together with traditional hand drums and stories from around the world.

My first telling of the Drum of the Elephant King was very basic. Back in 1993 I stood up with a hand held microphone while my drum teacher played softly in the background. But there was something missing. I wanted to get the audience involved so it would become their story too.

So I began to research what environmental sounds there were in Haiti.

I had shakers. But there were no rattle snakes on the Island of Espaniola, so the shakers became “Insects buzzing in the the grass”.

I then learned that there are many chickens in Haiti. So I added a simple friction drum called a Cuica or Guica. It’s other name is “Chicken in a Cup”.

Now the audience had two sounds.

Another sound heard in the Caribbean is that of goat and cowbells. So the audience members were soon playing those instruments as well.

home made rain sticks sound great!

What time of year did the story take place? The rainy season. Soon homemade rain sticks joined the orchestra.

Then an Ocean drum provided the gentle sounds of the “turquoise blue Caribbean sea”.

I couldn’t afford to buy a lot of the instruments so I began to make them. That led to teaching other people how to make them as well.

But wait there’s more! The Caribbean is home to many kinds of birds. They add their songs to the year round avian inhabitants. Soon the audience members were making bird calls. (Since there are not always enough instruments to go around in a large group it is important to give every one in the audience something to do.)

And that is just the natural sounds of the countryside. Later on in the story we have the sounds of Elephants stampeding, and magic happening.

I found ways of introducing to audiences the fact that the country of Haiti is bi-lingual. I had the main character ask a question in French (do you know where I can find the drum of the Elephant King?) to be answered by the villagers (the audience) in Creole, Haiti’s unique language combining French and African language roots.

But I was not done! I had kind of wondered at the strange “set up” for the story. An old man getting ready to die asks his three sons what kind of coffin they will bury him in. One son eventually goes off looking for the Drum of the Elephant King to be his father’s coffin! My first thought was “oh that’s kind of morbid.”

Then, one Sunday morning as I read through the New York Times magazine section, I found an article full of beautiful colored pictures all about the coffin makers of Ghana in Western Africa. In that country to this day it is very important what kind of a coffin one is buried in. A fisherman will have a huge fish carved, a car dealer his favorite model auto, etc.

In my research I had learned that many if not most of the slaves brought to Espaniola by the French Colonists were from Western Africa. So suddenly here was a deep-rooted cultural connection preserved in the form of a story.

At the time, I was studying West African drumming twice a week in earnest to learn more about the roots of the transplanted culture that spawned this story…

And then I sought out information on the history Haiti.

• Did you know that Haiti is the 2nd oldest republic in the New World?
  
• Did you know tha Haiti was formed as the result of the only successful slave rebellion in the history of the world?

Collage of Mark Shepard performing Drum of the Elephant King

The journey continued:
In my reading I saw a picture taken from the air along the border with the Dominican Republic. On one side was Haiti – totally deforested. On the other side were the thick trees of the Dominican Republic. Trees that once covered the entire Island. So now I was being exposed to the environmental aspects of this country…

I couldn’t stop! I looked at old maps and found “the Pine Forest” “The Saltwater Lake” and the “Giant River” that are created by magic in the story. The story was a geography lesson!

But my point is, story telling and folktales can literally be keys that unlock a thousand doorways of interdisciplinary, multiply intelligent learning. But more importantly they can be used as tools to make learning into a joyful journey of discovery!

To book this program now call 1-888-598-7709 or e-mail mark[at]markshepard.com

See what other DrumSongStory Programs are available for:

• Schools, Family Concerts
• Colleges, Universities
• Corporations, Non Profits, Conferences

Mark Shepard plays Irish Bodhran accomapnied by audience volunteer on ocean drum

Drums, Songs and Stories Celebrating Cultural Collaboration

Starting and ending with the haunting sounds of Overtone Singing from Central Asia and making stops around the world, “Beyond the Borders” celebrates how cultures come together and influence each other.

A World of Vocals:
A combination of several different vocalization styles from Tuvan/Mongolian Overtone Singing, to Tibetan Undertone Singing all mixed in with Throat Whistling and a kind of African Yodeling, accompanied by Siberian Shaman Drum

Curiosity: An old African story that I’ve turned into an “Olde” Irish song. Accompanied by Irish Bodhran and plenty of audience participation

Funga Alafia: an african welcoming song and rhythm. I invite several audience members to join me on stage and with the help of the audience we create an African Polyrhythm.

Jack N The Beanstalk: Traditional European story turned into a song accompanied on guitar with traditional Mississippi Delta Blues (an African derivative style)

Mark Shepard Tells A DrumSongStory with the help of a young audience volunteer

The Silkie: This is an old Irish Story that has a lot in common with many Eskimo (Inuit) tales. Primarily seals that turn into human being and vice versa. I play the wooden whistle at the beginning and the end accompanying the chorus with Bodhran. I usually ask for a volunteer from the audience to play the ocean drum as accompaniment.

 

 The Silkie by Mark Shepard: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Depending upon the situation, time available, the theme, the age mix of the audience and my intuition, I may move at this point into a spoken (rather than sung) story: Picking one of several possible choices:

Monkey & Leopard:
A very funny African story which I tell in a very modern way. It works for all age groups but especially well for younger audiences who may need to lighten things up at this point in the program. (It is also lighter on the sound effects so there is no time spent handing stuff out etc).

Skeleton Woman:
An Inuit tale about personal transformation. It is fairly serious but has a few funny parts that make for perfect comic relief. It has a lot of Sound effects possibilities.

Coyote & Cicada:
A Native American tale explaining why Coyotes howl and have sharp teeth and why Cicada’s shed their skin. quite funny with a modest amount of sound effects. Most audiences enjoy the opportunity at the end of the story to get in a good “Howl”.

Overtone Singing to finish…

Instruments Used: Djembe, Djun-Djun, Bodhran, Shaman Drum, Guitar, Wooden Whistle/Flute
Sound Effects: Wind Tubes, Thunder Tubes, Thunder Drum (the Djun-Djun), shakers, Ocean Drum & more…

To book this program now call 1-888-598-7709 or e-mail mark[at]markshepard.com

See what other DrumSongStory Programs are available for:

• Schools, Family Concerts
• Colleges, Universities
• Corporations, Non Profits, Conferences

DrumSongStory at CT Storytelling Festival w/ young audience volunteer

An eclectic, ever-changing, shape-shifting, globe-circling, archetype-exploring, bridge-building, boundary-breaking, mind/heart/ear opening, combination of Drums, Songs & Stories.

This is a totally flexible format where I mix a little of everything I do to create a performance custom tailored to each audience.

Depending upon what I pull out of my DrumSongStory bag, this program can be a celebration of Creativity, Language Arts, Multi-Culturalism, Nature, Tolerance, Character Education, etc. Or, it can be adapted to whatever theme you might be working with.

Featuring -

• Songs: From a repertoire of over 300, a lifetime of subjects. Example: Porcupine Ice Cream


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• Stories: From all over the world featuring drums and cool sound effects instruments as well as audience participation. Example: Coyote & Cicada


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• Drums: African Djembe & Djun-Djun, Irish Bodhran, Siberian Shaman Drum and more. Example: Funga Alafia – Western African Welcoming Song & Rhythm


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• “DrumSongStories”: Silkie (Ireland/Eskimo), Curiosity (Africa/Ireland), Jack ‘N The Beanstalk (Europe/N.America), Pool Rap (suburbia), and more. Example: Curiosity


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• Overtone Singing & Throat Whistling: You just have to hear it…


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Program Length: 45-60 minutes (or longer if appropriate) Appropriate ages: K through 12 and on up to Adults Can be Combined with: Drumming, Songwriting, Storytelling, or Instrument Making Workshops

To book this program now call 1-800-378-4971 or e-mail mark[at]markshepard.com

See what other DrumSongStory Programs are available for:

• School Assemblies, Family Concerts
• Colleges, Universities
• Corporations, Non Profits, Conferences

A multi-disciplinary approach: Mark Shepard’s motivational and educational programs combine disciplines in a unique, powerful and unforgettable way. As a classic Renaissance man, he does many things masterfully. He is fueled by an insatiable curiosity and desire to learn and teach in a way that deeply enriches the living/working experience. Shepard is equally at ease and eloquent in a variety of settings using language, storytelling, theater, humor, visual arts, original songs and world percussion to motivate, inspire, teach and heal.

At the center of his communication arsenal are Shepard’s powerful original songs, which use cutting edge linguistic techniques to set up and “lock in” positive learning and motivational states. For the meat of his programs Shepard utilizes an interactive style of storytelling that works on many levels at once. Not only has storytelling been the preferred method of teaching for thousands of years, recent studies prove conclusively that illustrative stories are often the only portion of a talk the audience remembers. Shepard also assists participants to maintain a high level of curiosity and alertness by integrating breathing and movement throughout the presentation.

Formal & Informal Education/Training:
In addition to a BA in comparative Religion (cum laude) from Manhattanville College, and a year of graduate work at Princeton Theological Seminary, Shepard has received extensive training from the Westchester Arts Council, The New York State Council on the Arts and the CT Commission on the Arts in multiple intelligences and arts based techniques to support training & development, creativity and innovation. In 2001 Mark was awarded the designation of “Master Teaching Artist” by the CT Commission on the Arts.

He has also studied African Polyrhythmic Drumming with Kazi Oliver and Yoga with numerous teachers. As a self motivated learner, he has read thousands of books on a huge array of pertinent subjects, which filter into and through his performances and presentations. He also carves huge and unusual drums and paints large abstract acrylic canvases.

Mark Shepard is available as a performer, speaker, and workshop leader on a number of innovative motivational, organizational, and educational themes. He particularly enjoys adapting one or more of his many areas of expertise to your theme or needs.

In addition to his creative arts work, for 25 years Shepard has been on a quest for understanding leading him to study alternative healing, Hypnosis, Neuro-Linguistic Programming and other modalities of personal empowerment. In 2002 he became certified as a Hypnotherapist through the New England Institute of Hypnotherapy. In 2003 He became a certified master practitioner of NLP , Clinical Hypnosis and TimeLine Therapy.. He maintains a private practice as a hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner in New Haven, CT. For more about that aspect of Mark’s work please visit www.ModernJedi.com

Mark Shepard's DrumSongStory

As of today, I’m converting my old static website to an interactive blog format.

it will take me a little while to do this so in the meantime please check out these links to the previous information:

K-12 School programs

College Programs

Corporate Programs