Storytelling with Music

Humans need stories, always have, and always will, and music has gone with stories for thousands of years - the Ancient Greeks almost certainly weren't the first to combine them.

Traditional stories have evolved over time, ( see The Stories ), with themes surviving only because they appeal to listeners.

But why with music?

Music is harder-wired into the human brain than language

Why else do nearly all films and TV programmes have music tracks? - One short snatch of the theme, and the emotion of the film comes right back to you!

Well-chosen live music greatly can deeply enrich the experience of hearing the stories. This isn't just my own belief, or claim, it's what my listeners, adult and family audiences, teachers, and children, regularly feed back both informally and in written evaluations.

"Richard's music encourages interaction with the audience and creates a festive and fun atmosphere." Laura Malpas, Visitor Operations Manager, National Trust Canons Ashby House.

"The music set the scene and settled the children into a state where they were engaged and receptive." Juliet Keefe, Applecroft School, Welwyn Garden City.

"We/I/The children loved the music!" - repeated various forms of this in written evaluations by teachers.

If you've booked a session of stories linked to a particular period in British or Western European history, I will as far as possible play music of that period, on period style instruments.

"Children were mesmerised... they spoke about it all day, with older children talking to parents about it."
Crick Primary School, Northants.