First stop on the tour is South Butler Primary School in Saxonburg PA. Other dates are still available for the week of February 27-March 2nd. If you’re interested in having me come to your school or organization for any of my programs please call me ASAP at 203-804-1208.

Beyond the Borders was originally created 10 years ago for the Easton CT Middle School.  Over the years it has proven to be as appropriate and adaptable for elementary school students as well as junior and senior high school audiences, colleges and corporate conferences. It is perfect for family concerts as well where there is a range of ages.

Learn more about: Beyond The Borders: Drums, Songs & Stories Celebrating Multicultural Tolerance and Divirsity

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Ultimately the “Bully’s Secret” is that people who engage in what we call “bullying” are actually people in pain attempting to get themselves out of pain. They are desperately trying to make themselves feel better. They may lash out at someone younger, weaker, more sensitive or whatever. This does not condone or excuse bullying behavior but when we adults simply punish “bullying” without looking into the actual dynamics beneath the surface we are actually acting a lot like… Bullies. For more info on my Bullying Prevention programs visit http://BullyingPreventionNow.com

visit the Letters To Daddy Musical Website
Please share this with as many people as you can!

Letters To Daddy Orange County NY Premiere

Several years ago I wrote a dozen or so songs for a project called “Letters To Daddy”.

It started out as a vehicle for 12 year old Rillee O’Neill, an amazing young singer but then grew well beyond that as a story line emerged that addressed significant issues facing our kids today, bullying, teasing, name calling, self esteem and the stresses of growing up.

The Letters to Daddy Project has had several lives.

One version, titled “Letters To Daddy Jr.” was presented at the New York Musical Theater Festival (NYMF) in 2009.

The current version will be premiered October 6th, 2011 at Orange Hall
SUNY ORANGE, Middletown campus
Reception 5:30pm Morrison Hall
Curtain opens 7pm

If you happen to be in the area you might want to check it out!
Admission is free and space is running out
Reserve your seats immediately by sending an email to: RSVP@4eproductions.com

Summer Reading Time Is HERE! HEAR At Your Library!

Since I’ve recently moved to the Albany, NY area I’m excited to have so many of the Mohawk Valley & Upper Hudson  libraries inviting me to do my DrumSongStory programs for kids and families this July. Here’s an update of where you can find me in the next two weeks:

• July 18th: Northville Library, Beyond the Borders, 10 AM
• July 18th: Voorheesvile Library  DrumSongStory, 2PM
• July 19th: Canajoharie Library, Trickster Tales, 6 PM
• July 21st: East Greenbush Library, The Drum of the Elephant King,  7:00 PM
• July 26th: Menands Libary, The Drum of the Elephant King, 10 AM
• July 26th: Guilderland Library, Beyond The Borders, 2:00 PM
• July 28th: Colonie Library, The Drum of the Elephant King, 7 PM

Any questions? Please feel free to call 888-598-7709 or email me at mark [at] markshepard.com

or if you would prefer that I contact you, fill out the handy form below! (and click send)

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

Just confirmed that I’ll be in Springfield, MA on Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011 at 1:00 PM performing my DrumSongStory Family Concert as part of the Springfield Museums’ Summer Family Concert Series. I look forward to seeing you in a wonderful, relaxed atmosphere in (hopefully) sunny August.

(as I write this, it’s the first of April and there’s snow falling here in Albany, NY. So I’m thinking longingly of the SUMMER!)

For details you’ll probably want to check the website: http://www.springfieldmuseums.org/

If you have questions feel free to fill out the handy contact form below and click send!

Summer Reading Time At Your Library!

I know there is still snow on the ground BUT…It’s Summer Reading Program Booking Time!

Every summer growing up I would check out STACKS of books from my local library and I would read and read and read and read. hmmmm I wonder if that had anything to do with my becoming a storyteller? Nah Probably just a coincidence. )

Anyway, since I’ve just moved to the Albany, NY area I’m excited to have so many of the local libraries inviting me to do programs for kids and families this summer. Here’s where you can find me in July:

• July 18th: Northville Library, Beyond the Borders, 10 AM
• July 19th: Canajoharie Library, Trickster Tales, 6 PM
• July 26th: Guilderland Library, Beyond The Borders, 2:00 PM
• July 28th: Colonie Library, The Drum of the Elephant King, 7 PM

Any questions? Please feel free to call 888-598-7709 or email me at mark [at] markshepard.com

or if you would prefer that I contact you, fill out the handy form below! (and click send)

Just a quick post to let you know that I will be in CT at the end of April with my DrumSongStory School Assemblies as well as my Bullying Prevention Programs and will be offering my block booking discounts to any schools or libraries interested in the following dates:

Monday, April 25th: AVAILABLE

Tuesday, April 26th: Bully Free Me. Bully Free Us! at Regan Elementary School, Waterbury CT

Wednesday, April 27th: The Drum of the Elephant King at Laurel Ledge Elementary School, Beacon Falls, CT

Thursday, April 28th: Bully Free Me. Bully Free Us! at Holmes Elementary School, New Britain, CT (school assemblies during the day).  Bully Proof Your Child Program for Parents in the evening (7 PM)

Friday, April 29th: AVAILABLE

Saturday, April 30th: AVAILABLE

Please call or email as soon as possible because these dates may not be available for very long.

Phone: 888-598-7709   Email: Mark [at] MarkShepard.com

Or if you would prefer that I call you, please fill out the handy form below! Thanks!

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Elementary School Middle School High School Family

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New York Connecticut Rhode Island Massachusetts Delaware New Jersey Pennsylvania Other

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This is a cool rainy day science project. Please do this with appropriate adult supervision!

The spirit of DrumSongStory is ALL about insatiable curiosity and love of learning.

Got questions?

• Call me at 888+598+7709
• e-mail me at Mark [at] MarkShepard.com
• Or Fill out the handy form below and I’ll contact You!

Your Name

School Name

Email

Telephone

Age Range

Elementary School Middle School High School Family

State

New York Connecticut Rhode Island Massachusetts Delaware New Jersey Pennsylvania Other

Please Prove You're Human!

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Please copy the letters and or numbers into the field

Anti-bullying Wristband Scheme Backfires

Interesting news item I stumbled across while I was thinking about my Middle School and High School bullying programs:

Evidently there is a government program in the UK that involves distributing blue wristbands that say “Beat Bullying” on them. Championed by Bono, David Beckham and other celebrities, the wristbands have been actually making the wearers targets of bullies.

Read the full article here:

Anti Bullying Wristbands Backfire in UK

There is a reason why this kind of top-down program will never work. The focus of so many anti bullying programs is basically trying to educate the kids who are the bullies into not being bullies any more.

But no matter where we go in life we will be exposed to people as well as events that seem intent on crushing or hurting us. The first step in any program or assembly designed to stop bullying is to focus on the person who is being bullied and teach him or her how to change the things going on inside themselves that a. attract bullying b. tolerate bullying and c. internalize and expand the external bullying into something they do to themselves.

In my work as an NLP Master Practitioner and Trainer as well as in my own personal experience as “the kid who everyone picked on, teased and bullied” is that “zero tolerance for bullying” is an inside job.

What happens to the kids who go through school where everyone is nice and supportive all the time and then as adults they come face to face with a bully on the job in the form of their boss or even an abusive customer?  Without experience in using what I call “Modern Jedi Mind Mastery” tools, they are even more vulnerable to being bullied.

Do we need to educate children with the aim of keeping our kids from becoming bullies? Absolutely. But focusing only on that approach or instituting some “top-down” program of wearing a wrist band or a button that says: “Bullying is bad” or whatever, isn’t going to stop bullying.

In fact, in the article about the program in the UK the kids interviewed said basically that wearing the wristband identified them as particularly good targets for….bullying.

Read the full article here:

Anti Bullying Wristbands Backfire in UK

Success, Self Esteem, Happiness, Confidence, Courage, Character, Strength, Safety, Well Being… these are internal processes that can be taught. Wearing a wristband doesn’t change the thought processes of either the wearer or the person looking for someone easy to prey on. Please give me a call or drop me an e-mail about sharing my knowledge with your students and staff on this important subject. Thank you

Phone: 888+598+7709  |  e-mail: mark [at] MarkShepard.com

or if you would prefer that I contact you, please fill out the form below! Thanks!

Anti Bullying Assembly

Bully Free Me:
How to Prevent Bullying in a Peaceful Yet Powerful Way.

Bully Free Me is a School Assembly Program that does more than just preach at kids about bullying. Mark Shepard uses his Drums, Songs and Stories in support of his 10 years of experience as a Master Practitioner and Trainer of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) to entertain and educate while delivering powerful “take away” tools to assist students to defuse potentially dangerous confrontations with bullies while keeping their self esteem and self respect intact.

As a chronic victim of bullying throughout elementary and middle school, Singer/songwriter, guitarist, percussionist, storyteller, storyteller, author, personal coach, NLP Trainer, Mark Shepard shares his story in a humorous and compelling way while sharing tips for dealing with bullies and other difficult people.

“Billy Is A Bully” written and performed by Mark Shepard

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In order for a Bully to exist, he or she must have a victim. As a kid growing up I provided that service to a wide range of bullies. I was not aware that there were certain thoughts and actions I was engaging in that attracted bullies and teasing.

It was my timidity. My tendency to get my feelings hurt easily. It was my passiveness. When I started standing up for my self they started backing off. Strangely enough many of my former bullies wanted to be my friend once I stopped allowing them to push me around. Huh!?!

Please understand me. I am not in any shape or form advocating fighting as a solution to bullying.
I am advocating learning how to stand up for yourself in ways that no longer invite aggression..

The process first starts with you. Inside you. By changing how we perceive of bullies we can change our reactions to be more effective.

If we understand what creates a bully then we can learn how to defuse him or her.
If we understand how our own behavior attracts bullies we can change that.

I also teach audiences  some “Modern Jedi Mind Mastery” tools that can help defuse any bullying situation for the rest of their lives.

To learn more about this program please call 888+598+7709 or email mark [at] MarkShepard.com

For more information about Mark Shepard’s DrumSongStory programs for K-12 audiences Please follow the links below:

• Elementary School Assemblies - School Shows for Elementary Audiences
• Middle School Assemblies – School Shows for Middle School audiences
• High School Assemblies – School Shows for High School audiences
• Family Concerts – Interactive, Inspirational, Multicultural programs for Family audiences

Would you rather have me contact you? Please fill out the form below and click “send”. Thanks!