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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

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!”

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…

See what other DrumSongStory Programs are available for:

• School Assemblies

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

or if you would prefer I contact you, simply fill out the handy form below!

Mark Shepard performing the Drum of the Elephant King

A Magical, Musical Adventure Story From Haiti

An extremely interactive, magical, musical adventure story and teaching tale from Haiti combining African and European story forms.

While this folktale is exquisitely entertaining, it also teaches several lessons:

1. It’s a geography lesson about the island of Hispaniola which Haiti shares with the Dominican Republic
2. The story explains why there are no elephants in the New World (Haitian culture is to this day heavily influenced by it’s origins in West Africa.
3. It explains why there are so many drums and so many drummers in Haiti.

What makes this program special is that I hand out over 100 sound effects instruments to the audience as well as elicit incredible participation from EVERY audience member even if they have no physical instrument in their hands.

This program can also be combined with a “Cool Sound Effects Instrument Making Workshop” prior to the performance.

Hear the entire story:

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 Hispaniola, 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 888+598+7709 or e-mail mark[at]markshepard.com

Elementary School Assemblies

Middle School Assemblies

High School Assemblies

Family Concerts

Want me to contact you? Simply fill in the form below and submit!

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