Rachel Hedman
PO Box 274
West Jordan, UT 84084
(801) 870-5799
[email protected]
Director and Storyteller Rachel Hedman, as family folklore expert and youth storytelling advocate, looks to the future by first looking in the home. She promotes positive communication and relationships through the Family Famine Series while revealing emotions that are often hidden in the heart. Sometimes Rachel adopts musicians, singers, dancers and tellers for collaborative efforts much like a reunion of artists.
What Makes Rachel Unique?
1. Family Folklore Expert
To tap into the essence of the father/daughter relationship, Rachel researched 72 King Midas versions. She dedicates time for each tale in the Folktales About Families Series as a sign of respect to the culture as well as to the roles found within the home. Her Storytelling Masters thesis explores the adoptive parent/child relationship through adoption folktales from around the world. You can find that thesis along with summaries of 12 adoption folktales and 37 story games here.
2. Youth Storytelling Advocate
She stumbled upon the path of storyteller as a sophomore in high school, and she wished to make the path more visible for future generations. She serves as friend and mentor to youth tellers on local, national, and international levels. Request a free 20-page pdf booklet on Storytelling Basics by Geoff Draper and edited by Rachel Hedman by emailing [email protected].
3. Visionary/Leader of Global Storytelling Movements
Through a how-to blog and an e-newsletter, she shares trends and ideas that sometimes inspire the art’s future, especially with the younger generation. Rachel has founded, created, or led several storytelling organizations since 1997. She imagines a time when a story coalition with United Nations/Olympics influences will exist to guide the human family in the art.
Reserve today for Professional Storyteller Rachel Hedman
Background
Ever since a sophomore in high school, the stage has beckoned to me. My former National Forensics League Coach would laugh at how I have progressed with my skills since my first telling when plot was scrambled, voices were mixed up, and ending was forgotten. Upon this failure I wondered if I should continue but decided to prove to myself that I was a great storyteller. By senior year, I received 5th place at the Wisconsin State Tournament.
When entering college, I saw storytelling as my career and chose my major accordingly: Communications Marketing. Meanwhile, I jumpstarted the BYU Storytelling Club.
All other storytelling leadership positions have been influenced from these high school and college days.
Sometimes the journey of life is so clear that it almost seems there are no choices in the matter. But there were always choices. I could have quit storytelling from the moment I stumbled the story during sophomore year. I could have focused more fully on college studies and ignored the impulse to create a club. There were so many things I could have chosen not to do. Then I smile and remember what I have chosen.