Siobhán Quinn

So often at the end of a teaching week a young child will come up to SiobhÁN, give her a big hug and say: do you have to go?!?! So often it's been so much fun that, frankly, Siobhán doesn't want to go home either...

Frankly, everybody has a blast!

Siobhán's background in the tradition

For as long as she can remember Siobhán Quinn has learned traditional folk songs from her parents. Her father came to America from Dublin, Ireland, with her mother who was from Rickmansworth, England. Her mother, the self-selected tradition bearer of her own family passed the love of tradition and music onto Siobhán. At the age of thirteen Siobhán began her own "formal" training as the tradition bearer of her combined heritage. Through this gift of songs sung and stories told in her parents' Irish & English traditions, Siobhán passes on the love, respect and enthusiasm of different cultural traditions to all her audiences.

The Programs

Siobhán's arts education programs focus on the language arts and the making of oral histories, through the medium of music and storytelling, and will create a broad understanding by students of oral traditions through folk song. Drawn from a centuries-old unaccompanied singing tradition, many of the songs she sings have been a part of her repertoire since childhood and without exception they continue to impress her audiences, young and old, with their quiet intensity.

LEARN HOW ORAL TRADITIONS ARE CREATED:
English, Irish and Celtic folk tales & folk songs

LEARN SOME FOLK TRADITIONS, HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY OF THE AMERICAN GREAT BIG WILD WILD WEST:
Wild tales and big folksongs

MEDIEVAL MAYHEM
taught by a team of super qualified arts education instructors including, Siobhán Quinn (creative writing, storytelling, song), Scott Payne (stage movement, maypole, dragons and other props) and Sue Roberts (dance, costume, props). This team has been teaching together on and off for years and finally decided to make it official!

PIRATES!, LARGER THAN LIFE, RAINFOREST, and many more...

Siobhán has worked with children using many different themes (usually geographic, folk or fairytale, or historically based) to write and then tell stories. No two programs are exactly alike but you are certain to see a topographical map come out to teach the children about place, many many books brought for a resource table, a treasure chest full of weird things and a big old trunk full of costumes with which to inspire the stories.

Siobhán's teaching goals

create a broad understanding of oral traditions stressing oral tradition through song.
encourage respect for oral traditions and pride in students' own oral traditions and heritage.
develop an understanding by students of the role of storyteller, interpreter, and artist in relation to art of all kinds, but in particular that of the folk musician and storyteller.
spark connections to other areas of the language arts, histories, geography, and music styles.
To have a darn good time!

Even more details!

Residencies and workshops are currently $350 per diem for the same program in up to three different classrooms (c. 25 students) in one school on the same day plus travel expenses for programs outside 40 mile radius from Artist's homebase in Troy. Programs are appropriate for school, museum and library settings. Target Ages:

2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grades, circa 7-12 years
Jr. High , 13-14 yrs
special ed, 8-14 years
Senior High