Honky-Tonk "Americana" Programs, Piano and Stories
"Politics,
armies, the Statue ofLibery and Saran Wrap are all important," says Ken
Bradbury, "but to know America, you've to hear it's music."
For
over forty years Ken Bradbury has been tinkling the keyboards across the
Midwest landscape, bringing the sounds of America's rich musical
heritage to
life. From tiny one-room schoolhouses to international conventions,
Ken's
honky-tonk piano stylings have delighted audiences and set feet to
tapping, no
matter the age of the shoe.
When
not cruising the Illinois River on Peoria's famed Spirit of Peoria
riverboat as
featured pianist or playing at the Abraham Lincoln Museum in
Springfield,
Illinois, Ken regularly appears at Chautauquas, faith-based conventions,
and
several of his works have appeared on Public Television.
Spinning
of mixture of our nation's melodies with stories of both the songs and
the
people who made them, Ken's presentations delight every family member,
no
matter the age.
You may know Bradbury from his writings since he has been named the
most-performed author of theatre materials in American public schools
ever year
since 1997, and his syndicated newspaper columns appear in 14 Midwest
newspapers where he writes under the pseudonym of Freida Marie Crump.
Improv-Mania
"I walked
out of the workshop thinking, 'Hey, I can do this!'" ... a comment often
heard at one of Ken Bradbury's Improv Workshops in elementary and middle
schools.
Bradbury's name has long been associated with speech and theatre since
he's
been the most-performed author in public school speech competitions in
the
United States every year since 1997. His scripts have won more honors in
the
U.S., Puerto Rico, and Great Britain than any other author.
"But the
really exciting part of acting," says Bradbury, "is watching kids
come up with their own stories. And that's what I help them do. In fact,
most
of them think we're just having fun until... bang! ...they realize
they've just
created their own story."
Using a wonderfully fun-filled series of improvisational games,
Bradbury leads
his young audiences into the world of acting...in fact, before they even
know
they're becoming actors and authors. For over thirty years Bradbury has
acted
as special consultant to the Illinois Elementary Association's speech
program,
traveling the Midwest to libraries, schools, and youth gatherings,
fitting his
presentation to the particular needs of that venue.
"I've
always felt that everyone's born an actor," says Bradbury. "And if we
just try a little, we can keep that tool in our valuable bag of life
skills." He freely admits that his goal is not to produce professional
actors, but to help young people open up their magic sack of
possibilities. "If
they perform professionally some day, that's fine," he says, "but I'm
more concerned with how they feel about themselves. Acting is a joyous
road to
discovering who you are and using your skills to the best advantage."
Ken has presented programs for state youth conventions, churches,
schools,
speech and dramatics teams, summer library reading programs, and
twenty-five
years ago established his own series of summer camps for the performing
arts.
| 
