Monthly Archives

December 2019

Dec 20
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Community Center Meeting Room Opens

By | News

By Leslie Parker, Director of Environmental Services 

Wake Robin’s new meeting room!

Another milestone in Wake Robin’s Phase III construction is complete! The new Community Center meeting room opened in late November. During the first CUP of Conversation held within the space, Leslie Parker, Director of Environmental Services, and Meagan Buckley, Director of Resident and Health Services, highlighted the room’s new features to both residents and staff alike.

The multi-purpose meeting room offers a telecoil hearing loop, acoustical panels, a large projection screen for presentations and Blu-ray movies, plus custom lighting controls. Musical performances are enhanced by the Steinway grand piano that graces the stage and dances are expected to take full advantage of the 36’ by 24’ dance floor.

The Holiday Market recently used the new multi-purpose room to great success. Many Wake Robin committees look forward to utilizing the new space including the Wake Robin Singers choral group, the Hand Bell Ensemble, and English Country Dance. Popular annual events, such as the New Year’s Eve and Kentucky Derby parties, will also take advantage of this wonderful new room.

Holiday Market

Peter Wilder, from Audio Visual Environments (AVE), worked extensively on the meeting room and offered the following insight: “Wake Robin’s multi-purpose meeting room and community space has been designed to facilitate education events with live presenters, dramatic presentations and video content. The loudspeakers have been engineered with considerable ‘headroom’ to offer crystal clear audio reproduction and vocal sound reinforcement, and the easy-to-use touch panel interface for room control simplifies the room’s operation. Finally, because the system is completely programmable and expandable, the room’s AV capabilities can adapt with minimal fuss and hassle.”

Wake Robin is a vibrant, engaged community with a rich history of supporting educational opportunities, social activities, and the performing arts. With the opening of the community center meeting room, we are extremely excited to have a new home to further enhance the resident experience.

Dec 17
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Residents Share Stories in Moth-Style Slam Event

By | Blog, Events

It has to be true. It has to be told from your perspective. And, oh yes, you have to tell it live with no notes.

Those are the three main rules for Moth-style storytelling. Sounds intimidating, right? Nevertheless a group of Wake Robin residents learned the art in the Moth-style Storytelling Workshop as part of Inquire, Wake Robin’s lifelong learning this semester.

The workshop would culminate in a spotlighted live performance in Wake Robin’s brand new Meeting Room.

Discovering the Meaning of a Good Story

Sue Schmidt breaking down the composition of a story.

The workshops began in October and were led by comedic storyteller Sue Schmidt.

Sue is a master Moth storyteller and a big believer in the power of storytelling. As she writes on her website, stories “connect us to each other and define who we are, where we have been, and where we hope to go.”

Wake Robin residents gathered with Sue on Thursday afternoons and unpacked what makes a good story. For one: raise the stakes. What do you stand to gain or lose in your story? Perhaps of more importance: start with an opening line that takes hold of the audience’s imagination. Other key elements Sue stressed to her Wake Robin students included knowing your intention for the story and connecting with the audience through vulnerability.

Testing Boundaries

The storytellers performed in front of a packed crowd in Wake Robin’s brand new Meeting Room!

Many residents doubted whether they could perform live, worrying about remembering and properly delivering their tales. Some were much more comfortable writing down their stories and were challenged by translating them into spoken word. On top of that, there was a time limit, only 5 minutes per story.

During practice, residents kept honing their tales, and Sue, as a seasoned storyteller, had some well-informed advice – embrace your fear.

Performance Night

A Wake Robin artist delivering her slam story

Residents mustered the courage to share their tales live on stage. Alone in the spotlight, each one shared tales that moved the audience. Stories ranged from helping a cow in distress to a serendipitous cab ride!

After the cheers and applause, the Wake Robin storytellers stood on the stage with their teacher for a memorable photo.

Reflecting on the entire process, one workshop member commented, “It was a really great experience because afterwards everyone knew more deeply about the others. And that helps strengthen our community.”

Such is the power of storytelling here at Wake Robin.

To learn more about Moth storytelling, you can visit their website. 

The Moth-style storytellers and teacher Sue Schmidt.