Stories aren’t just for kids, and at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, the cast of professional storytellers will fill your soul with laughter, your heart with warmth, and your mind with lucid visions of humanity. You see, storytelling—in this sense—is a medium with as much power (if not more) than the written word or images on a screen. When you visit the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, you hear from all walks of life, and, despite their differences, their stories all ring with one single truth.
I get nervous, particularly in front of thousands of people. What do I do? – I trust the stories. I am just a conduit for a tale that has charmed, chilled, or thrilled audiences for hundreds-sometimes thousands- of years. If I can get out of my own way then the story will work its magic.
Bill Harley is more than just a storyteller. He’s a two-time Grammy award-winning artist, musician, author, playwright, and, yes, a storyteller too. His weapon of choice is humor (don’t worry, it’s a weapon for good), and with a knack for engaging both the young and the old, Bill is one teller you won’t want to miss at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival.
“Stories have been influencing story since the first hieroglyphics were scratched onto a cave wall. The vehicle that story uses and/or the way stories are shared may change on and off, but humans will never stop sharing stories face to face. State of the art will never replace state of the heart.”
“Hopefully, storytelling will continue to be a community experience where we share our human similarities and learn about our differences. Storytelling cannot “save the world,” but our stories can add to its grace and wisdom.”
“Storytelling is exactly where it needs to be. It is in every pocket of the world. It has become a buzzword and its’ popularity is only growing. It influences society in every sphere: politics, art, climate change, education, love.”
Sheila Arnold doesn’t just tell stories; she lives them. As a professional historical character interpreter, Ms. Sheila takes on the role of historical characters and tells stories through their eyes. She has also written poems, stories, fiction, and plays, starting when she was in the seventh grade. With a life seeped in storytelling, Sheila enthralls her audience of students of all ages with her character portrayals, motivational speeches, workshops, and storytelling.
Blending traditional mountain folklore with music and the contemporary Appalachia, Adam Booth’s approach to storytelling tickles the funny bone and tugs at heart strings.
I have attended every Festival, and have worked on the committee, in some capacity, for 28 of its 29 years. If you’re doing something for that long, you better have a really good reason—or two.
Each school year began with a trip to the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, and now retired after nearly 40 years, this award-winning teacher tells us how she first became a fan of the festival and how she used her experience to create memorable teaching and learning moments in the classroom.
