Why should you waste a valuable hour of your school day with an assembly performer? I understand the sentiment. There is less money and time to go around in most schools, and what good does it actually do? Let me give you at least three good reasons.
Number 1: Your children need to learn to be a good audience. To listen without thinking they have to say something. If I have noticed any differences in audiences since I first started, it is the tendency to believe that listening is not as important as making sure people can hear you. Less children are willing to just...listen. They feel the need to be heard whenever they want to be heard. But in a society that is so fractured we are losing the ability to actually hear what someone else says. The First Amendment only works if we are willing to respect the rights of all people to make their case. I am very proud of the fact that students learn to listen at my assembly programs.
Number 2: There is no way for a child to learn problem solving without imagination. Just stop for a second, and consider how your mind works through a problem. You have to stop, concentrate, and formulate yourself around difficult situations. That's how any good idea comes into being. If we never give kids the opportunity to expand those imagination muscles, they will not be as well equipped to step into the problem solving that we need as adults. What I do, as a storyteller, is crack open the imagination door. I speak the words, but the children create the worlds that are on the other side of that door.
Number 3: Often, my performances are the very first time many of these children will see a live performance, and what I offer is stories that are about kindness, generosity, goodness, and empathy. My earliest memories of life were stories. Teachers at school and church encouraging me to be the best person I can be through wonderful stories. I make it my mission to communicate how people can be their very best in any situation. We need to start making sure children learn to put the best foot forward in a world that doesn't care much for those values anymore. I am totally dedicated to that proposition. I believe in what I do.
Therefore, I have decided to offer a discounted price for Assembly programs for April. Usually, my charge is $450.00 for the first assembly program, and $250.00 for a second show at the same school. For April 2020, I am discounting the first assembly to $300.00, with a second performance rate of $200.00. That's a $200.00 discount for a two performance day! So, look over the assembly programs I offer on the main page of this website, and send me an e-mail at hartman01@aol.com or give me a call at 412.734.5111 if you have any questions. Looking forward to hear from you!