Billy Jonas (Loyd Artists) – Music and Storytelling

At a Distance, Creative Writing, ELA, Music, Science, StorytellingLeave a comment

Billy Jonas believes that creating a bright future starts with kids. Using homemade and re-cyclable “re-percussion” instruments, songs that celebrate community, as well as personal and planetary ecology, his think-outside-the-box educational performances occur at schools, colleges, universities and libraries around the country. Billy’s goal is to plant musical seeds, that will help grow creative, open-minded, engaged and open-hearted citizens of the world.

Some ask: “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” Billy Jonas asks: “What is the sound of 600 sets of keys jingling on the downbeat? And how shall we inspire the audience to do it?” For 25 years, Billy Jonas, performer, singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and educator, has perfected the art of the neo-tribal hootenanny around the globe – original songs performed with a generous dose of audience participation. Jonas and his band perform using voice, guitar, and industrial re-percussion – homemade creations of buckets and barrels, keys and cans, bells and body percussion. Each concert is a soul-spelunking, heart healing, joy-filled journey of spirited music that is accessible to anyone and everyone, regard- less of age or cultural background.

Doug Berky (Loyd Artists) – Storytelling

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Doug Berky has been creating and evolving his own brand of physical theater for over thirty years. His performances weave together classic theatre forms of mime, mask theatre, circus arts, physical comedy and storytelling. Doug is also known internationally for his mask construction. He designs and constructs the masks for his own performances as well as creates all of the sets, choreography, scripts and many of the costumes.

Hobey Ford’s Golden Rod Puppets (Loyd Artists) – Puppet Storytelling

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Internationally renowned in the puppetry field, and an award-winning performer, Hobey Ford is known for his excellence in puppetry performance and craft as well as his skill as a master storyteller. He designs and constructs all of his Golden Rod Puppets as well as the beautiful sets that surround them, and he performs his original works all over the world. His performances incorporate a variety of puppetry styles: Bunraku, rod marionettes, Foamies and shadow puppetry.

Hobey has received the highest awards for his brilliant and priceless contributions to the world of puppetry: two-time winner of puppetry’s highest honor, the UNIMA Citation of Excellence, recipient of three Jim Hensen Foundation grants and The Hermitage Fellowship.

He tours a number of family and student performances as well as conducts community, student and teacher workshops. Mr. Ford tours one performance per tour.

Scott Ainslie (Loyd Artists) – Musical Storytelling

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Scott Ainslie is a traditional acoustic Blues singer, guitarist, historian and songwriter with personal roots in the Civil Rights era and a great affection for cross-cultural exchange. He is a powerful musician, a fine singer and a masterful storyteller. Peppered with humor and stories, Ainslie’s teaching concerts help students and teachers learn to listen for the musical building blocks that continue to influence the music they hear all around them today – contemporary Rock, Bluegrass, Country, Gospel, Metal, R & B, and Hip-Hop.