The Dancing Hippo

The Dancing Hippo

DID you reserve YOUR book? If you have reserved it yet we recommend getting yours reserved and cash in on the free standard Ebook with your Signed Hardback book! 

YOU ALREADY reserved your book! Good Job! Did you know the enhanced Ebook has Bright Hawk reading the story to the listener with her handpan music and sound effects! Don’t miss this $14.99 value! Simply attend the Book Release Party, celebrate, enjoy the interviews and previews AND see the special guest! AND you get a free Enhanced Ebook on top of your Hardback signed copy and your standard Ebook. 

The long-awaited Dancing Hippo Book is on sale NOW for presales! There are several ways to pre-order your book.

-Attend the Book release party and Reserve your Signed Hardback Copy to get the newly developed Enhanced Ebook FREE (audio/visual experience – Bright Hawk’s music, storytelling & videos) as well as a FREE standard Ebook. (mailed on 11/27/20)

Order your Signed Hardback Copy and get a free standard Ebook all mailed to you on (mailed on 11/27/20)

Reserve your book on Amazon but give up the freebies and signed book. (paperback available) (mailed on 11/27/20)

We are so excited to release this beautifully illustrated book just in time for the next generation! Help kids learn how to manage hard emotions, overcome naysayers, and be their most authentic selves. This book has even folded in gender inclusivity so ALL children can see themselves in this story. GLBTQIA+ friendly.

Adventure Stories with the Handpan

Adventure Stories with the Handpan

 

By Hollis Taylor

If you know Bright Hawk either by the fire, in spiritual community, as a musician, or in a facility you know that she holds a special talent in bringing people together. Bright Hawk’s work with Let’s Dance has lead her to tremendous growth in a way that is beyond words and sentences on your screen. I find her tremendous talent as a storyteller best shown when she combines it with her delightful abilities with the handpan. Here is her most recent video including a performance with the “Women of the World” as well as pieces of her “Dancing Happy Hippo Storytime Adventure” that can help you understand this dynamic being of peace and light. Her delightful smile and amazing talent of the handpan combined with her shiny personality and inspirational messages take her to gatherings around the world. Festivals all over the world delight in Bright Hawk’s presence at their events as well as libraries, schools, and other family based events.

Never before seen! Amazing Storyteller Handpan Player! Adventure Stories about Traveling and Bright Hawk’s very own creative stories for children of all ages. We invite you to WATCH FREE with these videos or DOWNLOAD THIS VIDEO FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES!

Furthermore, notice how Bright Hawk’s stories bring communities together, over and over again. Inspired by Bright Hawk’s stories and hand pan music many communities experience great inspiration by her presence.

Bright Hawk also has been playing the African Drum, Djembe for over 20 years. Many would first notice her amazing abilities rhythmically and honor her for her profound experience with both beginners and professionals alike! Here she is featured with the group “Women of the World”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac5uh2jVAp0

Percussionist Concert?

Percussionist Concert?

Bright Hawk has over 20 years experience as a percussionist. Her background began with African rhythms on the Djembe, branched out into marimba, and now is combined on the hand pan, Hang PANAart. The Hang is a very special instrument and for sure deserves the attention it gets but also neglecting to bring Bright Hawk’s percussion talents to the stage would leave us all missing out.

Bright Hawk is best known for her work on the Djembe and most people in the drumming world know who she is and respect her talents. She drums along side may names and along with many well known bands, including String Cheese Incident. Her percussion abilities are rarely matched and she is unique among other female drummers. Bright Hawk has had a long time vision of playing with a DJ for parties, concerts, and shows.

Recently she joined forces with Izzy Ahee, a new DJ, creating the Crazy Monkeys. Simply a DJ who lays down some fun beats that fit the audience. Songs that inspire our hearts, bring life to your feet, and bring community together with music. Their debut show is at Cannon Mine Coffee in Lafeyette, CO on March 31st, 2016 at 7pm.

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By Hollis Taylor

A Story! A Story!

A Story! A Story!

A story! A story! Bright Hawk is a storyteller that crosses the lines between children, young adults, families, and even the elderly. Her ability to capture her audience in a way that transcends age, cultures, and even belief systems. Her original story “The Dancing Happy Hippo” is one of those age old tales that any audience can enjoy. The story unfolds in a way that helps us fall in love with the main character, Mvuu. The magic is certainly ever present in this story!

The most creative manifestation of the story unfolds when she tells it live, with the Hang PANArt. The Hang, one of the original hand pans, brings an atmosphere type of feeling to the entire story. The story is unfolded verbally with Bright Hawk’s animated mannerisms combined with her emotional tones. When she gets the audience to participate we find ourselves as emotionally involved as the teller. She takes us for an emotional journey with the Hippo in a way that we all forget that she is a Hippo, until Bright Hawk teaches us Hippo sounds! Then laughter takes over the audience that delights most of us. The deep bliss the hippo experiences is remininse to many “trance dancers” since Bright Hawk uses those words when she describes the Hippo’s experience. This immediately helps the 20-40 somethings to identify with the “Trance dance” experience. Young children identify with the animals and love the participartory parts of the story. Bright Hawk’s wise lessons about being authentic and following our bliss gets adults and the elderly on board to support this amazing storyteller. Her delivery of the story with the instrument makes it so unique that almost anyone just walking bye is likely to stop and listen in. The instrument is not only atmospheric but she even has little songs that helps us feel that part of the emotional story. We can feel the struggle, the suprise, and the wisdom is delivered in many of the lyrics for the songs. The songs have catchy chorus that the audience is immediately inspired to sing along.

Bright Hawk’s storytelling has evolved into something uniquely refreshing. Her ablity to not only make music but also tell a little story around her music brings her into a type of storytelling we rarely see. Many storytellers have music put behind them. Bright Hawk’s amazing storytelling talents can easily hold a crowd without the music and often at festivals she will mix a few songs between her stories. Just recently she developed her story with songs and music to go with it. She is working on developing more of her stories this way. Her talents are already celebrated among communities all over the country including at Rights Of Spring in Massachusettes. This yearly festival features her for familys and youth festival attendees. She has developed as a storyteller with the support of this community. Currently, in the works, is a DVD of Bright Hawk telling her story as a fundraiser to publish her original story into a book. We are still in the filming process but the excitement builds as we approach a dream come true for Bright Hawk. Bright Hawk is currently available for live concerts and storytelling events. The diversity in which she can entertain is vast and she is excited to continue to develop her stories with music of the Hang PANArt.

Here’s a video from one of her Live Performances at Rights of Spring. Follow this blog to get announcements about the DVD of her original story – “The Dancing Happy Hippo”

Brik on York – Open Mic

Brik on York – Open Mic

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By Hollis Taylor

Open Mics are a service to the creative community! We visit them while we build Bright Hawk as a solo musician in order to network and promote upcoming concerts. Recently I was turned on to a new place in Denver for an Open Mic. Since I am always looking for places for Bright Hawk to get exposure and places to meet other artists, I asked her to take part in the open mic at Brik on York. I could tell by the website that this place was going to be unique.

Upon arrival I was comforted by the casual setting. This industrial style venue resembled many other new food places that also serve craft beers and wines in Denver. This place had a bit more style though in the art they held on the walls. The art, with closer inspection, was from high schoolers. So now the Brik has pulled on my value strings, creating space for artistic expression for youth is a great thing to do, most of us would agree. When I came in there was a film screening ending, yet another creative form of entertainment. As I looked around I noticed that Brik on York was becoming a space for artists to show their true colors, including the young and less experienced. The open mic is yet another way…

When it was time to sign up the owner was plugged in enough to his venue that he could create a line up that would celebrate everyone. The show was opened by a band of young people including the owner on percussion. Its always great to see when people come together to play music and cooperate. There was a bit of a jam session that was just right to bring shy artists out of their shell. It can be intimidating to get on stage and perform in front of people, even if you have practiced every day and you been told a million times your good. It takes practice and confidence to get on stage again and again….often what is before can help sooth nerves. Then someone else has taken a risk as well. I have experienced this myself as a performer although it does get easier the more you do it.

We were blessed some good acoustic guitar players and then interestingly a spoken word artist did an improv type performance. The artist asked for 3 words from the audience after words like kitten and apple she managed to work the words in a way that sounded inspirational. As if they were the center of us all. Really well done. Bright Hawk took stage with her amazing instrument, the Hang PANArt. The unusual style of the instrument always gets initial interest but she has a way of keeping people past that curious moment, without diminishing the curiosity. Her style is most unusual and she can easily talk and play the instrument, or at least it looks easy! She uses the insrument to create music but also as sound effects and background to her Storytelling. The instrument is so diverse that it gives her freedom to create variety in sound and rhythms from song to song. Showing her diversity Bright Hawl delivered a fun Irish Story along with her song “Dance of the Fae” and then showed her impressive skills by playing both sides of the instrument at the same time. To keep two hands doing two different sides at the same time to create a song is a special talent. Her ability to balance the Hang in between her legs is impressive and unique – even having a story to go along with this song. Feels like a lullabye and takes many of us back to gentle imaginative days of our youngest years.

She closed her set showing even more diversity by singing along to a fun upbeat song that tends to get everyone singing and dancing. Seven Generations her original composition for this age old value. Showing how we are all connected through her music she rocks us into a community song that helps us all know just how siginificant we each are, regardless of age. Her fun attitude and upbeat rhythms bring a strong feeling of unity to the song overall. Most of us feel experience a sense of humanity as a result of this uplifting song.

Overall I was grateful to have tried the Open Mic out, maybe we can make it next week! Thank you Brik on York for supporting artists and keep up the good work!