Billy and Grace endeavor to open creative pathways that empower
children, teens, and adults to craft their words, move their bodies,
feel their internal rhythms, and develop self-confidence to share
their stories with their community.
Basic Outline of a Workshop with Billy and Grace Tea
Arts learning goals:
~ rhythm in the body and the voice
~ physical coordination
~ confidence in vocal expression
~ creative writing, story-telling, and song composition skills
~ hands-on crafting skills
Each workshop participant will work with a "rhythm kit” provided by Billy and Grace Tea.
A rhythm kit consists of a rattle, slapstick, stomp box, and bells.
Both hands and both feet actively engage
as participants develop their rhythm and coordination. They will
practice singing and speaking as they keep the beat, experiencing
what it is to improvise and compose songs and stories alone
and in collaboration with the other participants.
Each participant will respond to four to six writing prompts.
They will begin with stream-of-consciousness
writing in response to these prompts, then develop one to three of these pieces with
the rhythm kits and in performance.
Participants will take part in improvisation exercises that engage the
body and voice. These exercises call on participants to be fully
present, to activate their imaginations, and to
articulate themselves with clarity and confidence.
Each participant will build a rattle. Everyone will begin with a walk in
the woods to find a handle for their rattles. The next step is to make
the head of the rattle, which involves creating a pattern, transferring
the idea to wet bison or deer hide, cutting out the form, punching holes
around the perimeter of the skin, sewing the pieces together, and then
filling the pouch with sand to hold the form until the hide is dry.
After the hide is dry and the sand removed, the participant
will add seeds, stones, or beans to the rattle.
This personally hand-crafted instrument will become a centerpiece for
all aspects of the workshop. Its use will strengthen the participant's
ability to keep beat, initiate changes in tempo and dynamics, and it
brings the mind, ear, and hand into basic coordination. The rattle is
a link to memory, a place to store crafted creation with words and
song. To sing and speak while shaking a rattle helps soften the
jitters and keeps the mind focused.
Participants will bring their composed stories, songs, and poems
to their rhythms, working individually, in pairs, and with the whole
group to experiment with tempo, dynamics, volume, call and response,
and the nature of collaboration. The experimenting will lead to crafting
compositions, culminating in a performance for the school or community.
