What are your memories from the 2008 YES! Pre-Conference or Kids' Koncert? What would make it even better?

[Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance]

We always are in need of your thoughts to any event put out by YES! including the Pre-Conference and Kids' Koncert. Please share what things should stay the same, be added, or be taken away.

[Lois Sprengnether Keel (LoiS)]

Can't believe there have been no comments to this. Maybe if I start, others will join in sharing what stayed with them. The YES! preconference was a fine intro to the NSN conference. (Yes, I have a YES! bias since I'm on the Board, but it gave solid cases for the reasons storytelling belongs in the schools & ideas for doing it.) I really liked the way the wrap-up was done, giving each presenter 15 mins. to give us a brief taste of their workshop & then another 20 mins. for us to ask questions. The problem with having 2 sessions opposite each other is you usually haven't a chance to get anything from the sessions you don't attend. This method helped & you always had the option of talking further with each with presenter. The Preconference was intimate enough that you weren't 1 of several hundred wanting to ask those questions.

The Kids Koncert also showed us an awesome talent developing in Doug Elliott's son, Todd. Todd incorporates fiddle playing & humor & general showmanship beyond his years (see what happens when kids pay attention to storytellers!), but his use of Stephen Vincent Benet's the Mountain Whippoorwill was made for him. I've heard others tell it, but this was definitely his. The others in the concert were good, too, but Todd was outstanding in my opinion.

While on the topic of youth, Chloe Clunis was poised & lively. Her experiences with Eth-Noh-Tec in China & the National Youth Storytelling Showcase, among others, have given her a headstart on being truly professional whether storytelling, emceeing, or presenting a workshop.