Animated, enthusiastic and captivating, Leticia Pizzino is a storyteller and musician with 20 years experience as a teaching artist. Her art residencies, projects and workshops have been with all ages and in settings as varied as schools, conferences and libraries to juvenile prison, adult day programs and family homes. Her storytelling performances have enlivened audiences throughout the U.S. at festivals, fairs and conferences, as well as in schools, libraries and centers. She earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Pedagogy at Brigham Young University and a maintains a private voice studio.

Leticia empowers students to voice their stories. Her storytelling skills — combined with her warmth, charm and her ability to express ideas and teach — bring the best out of students. She teaches the elements of a good oral story and the principles of excellent storytelling while guiding participants to find or create, and then present their stories. By collaborating with teachers or organizers, participants of all ages are richly rewarded from Leticia’s customized art residencies. Residency projects can include creative exercises, group storytelling, impromptu storytelling, personal stories, family stories, original stories, retold traditional folktales, historical stories, and stories that include music. Her residencies align with Utah Core Standards. Through interactive activities participants learn skills in listening, speaking, imagining, writing, memory and performance. In her workshops, educators can learn the application of the art storytelling in various curriculum areas and families can learn to relate and share through stories. Professionals can express their ideas convincingly and share data more effectively through story. Leticia believes that story listening and storytelling are essential skills for effective communication and human connection.