Simon recording "The Dragon and Monkey's Heart"- January 2008

Dear Friends,

"You can fly; that cocoon has got to go." Someone wrote that in a listserv posting that I liked, but not sure where it originally comes from, but it is all about change. And here we are in 2008. A new year has begun and I wonder what changes are there in store for us all? There are always changes, and sometimes we only see them as bad things, but sometimes they are good. Sometimes they are only about attitude, other times they are about 'physical' changes like those of work.

My son is back to school after a holiday filled with fun and friends and family and no work at all, just play. In a week he will be off again! And I am back to work with a couple of new projects - the CD (which is not really new, but is - sort of) and Beowulf. I am a little bothered about the latter as the movie has 'just' come out and so all those kids out there will think that the movie is the 'real' version of the story, but, of course, it is not. The writers (one of whom is Neil Gaiman whose knowledge of myth and folklore runs deep) have tried to answer a couple of puzzlers in the story of Beowulf and have done so in a clever way, but in doing so they change the story somewhat. As a huge fan of the original version (various translated versions!) of the poem I was somewhat disappointed with the film. I went with low expectations of it (Angelina Jolie as Grendle's mum?) but I was surprised by what the makers had done. If you are not a fan of the story, or have not read it, then you will most likely enjoy the romp the film takes you on. If you like CGI then it is a great film. I am learning it, the 'original version', and am hoping to take it to schools later this year. It is quite a project. I have five different translations that I am using and coming up with my own version, or take on the poem. I will most likely work on two versions, unless I feel I can get away with one. One version will be a longer fuller version, the other will be a shorter version that will be designed to fit in one or two class periods. It is a work in progress I began in late 2007 after years of badgering by my brother.

I created a blog two years ago and did not do much with it, but have jumped on it again and will try to drop a line in every now and again, sort of supplementing the newsletter. There may be a little duplication, but between the two, you should be kept in the loop of what is going on.

I wanted to mention that I had an amazing 2007, my best year so far. I had performances at over 90 venues in three N.E. states. Most of the performances took place at schools and libraries, but I also m.c.ed for the Friday Night Opener at Sharing the Fire, the LANES storytelling conference; told at the Three Apples Storytelling Festival; and performed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston amongst other wonderful gigs. Things continue to move and shift and grow organically, to become the business I want it to be.

Wiley and the Hairy Man - Performing Arts Center, Plaistow, NH, Aug 2007

CD

The new CD is continuing to grow! I have all four stories recorded. We (Steve Blanchard and me) need to do a little post-production work (make sure the levels are good), but they are essentially done. I went into the studio the day before St. Valentine's Day and recorded the music with Steve Glazer on guitar, Greg Gundlach on rhythm guitar and Rick Barrows on banjo and mandolin. It was great to be working with Steve and Rick again (we missed Maureen) and having Greg on board. All these fellows are good friends of mine and I am lucky to know them and count them as such. The four of us worked on the music, which is original, although I have to confess that Rick, Steve and Greg are owed most of the credit for the compositions. Like 'Second-hand Tales', there is a musical theme that runs through all the instrumental interludes yet each piece is different from the others. I will be putting the 'main piece' of music on the website once I know it is perfect and ready for consumption! We may even put an 'easter egg' on the cd, but that will depend on how much space there is once everything is put together. I have to say that Steve Blanchard is also making a huge artistic contribution to this recording and for that I know it will be a better recording. All flaws, I have to say, will be mine!

The current CD is always available from www.cdbaby.com/cd/simonbrooks and also locally here in the Upper Valley at Music Matters, West Lebanon (603-298-6625), Booked Solid, Bradford, VT (802-222-5826), the Norwich Bookstore, Norwich VT (802-649-1114), Mini Kids Corp, Lebanon (603-643-2633). By purchasing at these locally owned businesses, you are supporting the folks who invest in the Upper Valley. Also, you can buy the CD from me at a gig! Which leads me to:

Anyway, I should go as I am sure that my daughter will be waking from her nap very soon and we need some lunch!

Happy New Year!

Peace,

Simon Brooks, storyteller
Orford, NH
603-353-9305
http://www.DiamondScree.com

It's a World of Stories out there! Listen for them, share them!

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Member of LANES League for the Advancement of New England Storytellers
http://www.LANES.org