StorytellinG - In PERSON & virtual!

Bring Kemp Harris to your school, EITHER IN-PERSON OR virtually!

To arrange for Kemp to visit your class or school, please click here to contact Brittany.

In addition to school visits, Kemp is available for storytelling or musical performance at virtual birthday parties for any age, as well as virtual private video messages or events for Mother’s Day, anniversaries, parties, etc. To arrange, please be in touch with Brittany: brittany@ralphjaccodine.com.

Kemp mesmerizes the kids with his theatrics and storytelling. The kids learned so much about storytelling, singing, dancing, and how to bring stories to life!

- Kindergarten Teacher, Newton Public Schools, Newton MA

Kemp Harris has been involved in the lives of children as a teacher and a storyteller for many years.  He taught Kindergarten in Newton, MA for 38 years before semi-retiring.

Kemp's teaching skills as well has his background in music and theater are ever present in his performances. In addition to traditional concerts, he has performed at storytelling festivals, libraries and schools. Kemp adamantly believes that the incorporation of movement and expression is essential to the oral tradition of “telling," and it is solely responsible for keeping the art form exciting and relevant. Audience participation and interaction are hallmarks of his performances.

Kemp’s repertoire includes African folk tales, original stories and familiar stories in literature. He has presented to pre-school to family concerts and every age in between. Shows are tailored to each audience and age group. Kemp published his first children’s book/song “Snow”, and continues to create new stories for his listening audience.

Kemp Harris on WGBH

I was so excited to film this segment with Geoff Adams for the PBS children’s program, “Pinkalicious”. We met at a coffee shop in Arlington, got acquainted with the children and then we were off and running. There was a lot of improvisation involved and the children were up for the challenge. Thanks for a great experience Geoff.

• Peace, Kemp

  CLICK HERE FOR THE AIRING SCHEDULE

Teacher Workshops

Kemp tries to dispel the notion that storytelling is for professionals only. He engages teachers in participatory activities to bolster confidence in “performing” before a live and very captive audience. Music, theater techniques, hands-on craft ideas, and improvisation are just a few of Kemp's tools for bringing educational stories to life. 

In his workshops, Kemp explains the ways in which storytelling can align with modern literary curriculums, and he encourages teachers to make storytelling a fundamental part of their daily routine. It is Kemp's mission to keep the oral tradition alive. 

Speaking Engagements

Since the late 1990s, the Newton Lifetime Learning Distinguished Lecture Series has featured exceptional pundits of state, national, and global issues. Over the years it has consistently sought to bring expert insights to an audience of elders from Newton, Massachusetts and surrounding communities.

In addition to Kemp Harris, past speakers include Governor Dukakis, Barney Frank, Boston Globe Editor Brian McGrory, Sylvia Nasar (author, A Beautiful Mind), and Yannis Miaoulis, President of the Museum of Science.

Upcoming Storytelling

Past Storytelling venues

• Boston Public Library, Boston, MA

• Barrows School - Reading, MA

• Beacon Academy - Boston, MA

• Beacon Hill Nursery School - Boston, MA

• Bishop School - Arlington, MA

• Bowen School - Newton, MA

• Bridge Elementary School, Lexington, MA

• Brown School - Natick, MA

• Cabot School - Newton, MA

• Chittick School - Boston, MA

• Countryside School - Newton, MA

• Deerfield School - Westwood, MA

• Fisher School - Walpole, MA

• Friends School - Arlington, MA

• Great Expectations - Arlington, MA

• Hartwell School - Lincoln, MA

• Horace-Mann School - Newton, MA

• JFK School - Boston, MA

• Lesley Ellis School - Arlington, MA

• Lincoln-Elliot School - Newton, MA

• Mason-Rice School - Newton, MA

• Match Community Charter - Boston, MA

Past educational Workshops

BAEYC Conference/Emmanuel College – Boston, MA
Children’s Museum – Boston, MA
Images Of A Culture — Palo Alto, CA
Lesley College Summer Literacy Institute – Cambridge, MA
Newton K Teachers — Newton, MA
TEC (The Education Cooperative) — E. Walpole, MA
Unitarian Universalist Church — Reading, MA
Wang Center/Young At Arts – Boston, MA
Westwood Pre-K — Westwood, MA

references & FEEDBACK

Great presentation, we love having Kemp and he is wonderful with the kindergarten students. All classes were engaged and loved hearing the different stories and songs.

LOVE HIM!

Excellent It would have been nice to have a larger space for the program. Kemp gave a fantastic performance. The first graders were enthralled!

Kemp's storytelling was absolutely wonderful. The kids loved it and they were engaged the whole time. We would love to have Kemp come in again!

Kemp Harris is very talented and the children loved his performance on story telling! We would love to have him visit again!

The students loved this presentation. Both the adults and students enjoy his humor!

LOVE Kemp and the way he "entrances" kids and excites them about the light and joy that comes from telling and listening to a great story

He's great! If next year he could come even a month sooner it would coincide perfectly with our classic tales unit. Just an idea :)

Excellent One of my favorite performances each year!