MUSICAL STORYTELLING
For the past two years I have been writing stories that combine traditional storytelling with music, songs and recorded sound.

In my stories, I music as an equal partner to the 'words' and not only in the background as a
‘mood enhancer’. Singing, instrument playing, sound effects, field recordings - all these things are allowed to
become the focus of the stories for shorter or longer period of times.

With many of the stories I write my first thought is how to express an idea or a concept through sound/music. In "Mouse
and the Mysterious Sound" I play a 'walking theme' on the piano in 6 different ways to illustrate the various textures
and places the little mouse passes through. In "We are Going to Catch a Lion" (not featured on the site) an African
drum is played with brushes, sticks, fingertips and hands to illustrate running, tiptoeing, jumping across rivers, walking
on sand - all the things the villagers do in their search for the lion.

I also develop 'sound-collage stories' using field recordings and sound effects. These are often created in response to
sessions I am asked to do at various Museums. My most recent sound collage, based on Museum in Dockland’s
"Warehouses of the World" exhibition takes the children on a 'trade journey' from China to India to the Carribean
and, finally, to Africa. The sound collage alternates sailing music (a sea shanty and the sound of waves) with
traditional music from the regions the children 'visit' in their ships (recordings of tabla music for India, erhu music
for China etc).

The juxtaposition of storytelling and music/sound creates a dynamic that children, especially, find intriguing
and captivating. When I manage to incorporate the music in a creative and functional way I tend to get a very good
response to the stories.

In many ways I am just in the beginning stages of this kind of exploration. Every day I am learning new things and
find new ways of integrating music, songs and sound into stories.

Contact me on paul_rubinstein@yahoo.co.uk if you are interested in a musical story session at your school,
museum or group.