Album Notes

Debra Olson Tolar is an accomplished storyteller who has delighted audiences from kindergartners to senior citizens. Her world folktales and personal stories are empowering, educational, and entertaining. Whether telling stories of strong women and girls or tales of wisdom and wonder, her enthusiastic style sweeps listeners into another time and place. According to one reporter, \"This talented lady has certainly perfected the art of storytelling. She had us all on the edge of our seats waiting for her words.\"

Debra has shared her stories at the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Los Angeles World Storytelling Festival, and the Texas Storytelling Festival, as well as at many schools, libraries, festivals, women\'s conferences, meetings, and churches. In addition to telling throughout California, she has traveled to Colorado, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Texas to tell stories and present storytelling workshops.

Debra\'s background includes a B.A. degree in Acting, an M.A. in Communication (both from the University of Northern Colorado) and a Ph.D. (from the University of Denver) in Speech Communication. She was a Professor of Communication Studies at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, CA, for 19 years, where she taught \"The Art of Storytelling\" and \"Studies in Storytelling.\"

In addition to performing, Debra conducts workshops for teachers on using storytelling in the classroom, teaches intensive weekend workshops for other storytellers, and conducts individual and small group coaching sessions for those who want feedback on their storytelling skills.

Debra is a member of the National Storytelling Network, and presented workshops at their national conferences in July 2004 and July 2006.