The Volume Knob (Keith Serry)

As I mentioned in the opening of the show I've been attending classes and performing off and on at Montreal Improv for years. I've met friends there and made things and none of it wouldn't have happened without Vinny and the community that he and his friends created. For his effort, and that of others, I am truly grateful. 

Vinny's newest improv venture is called Improv College and, like I said, it features students and performers from all over the world. You can check it out here or follow Improv College on Twitter. You can also learn more about Vinny on Twitter and Instagram.  

This week's playlist is called With My Own Hands and it features a bunch of sing-alongable mid-nineties to early-aughts "rockin tunes" (to use Vinny's words). I hope you enjoy it.  

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Ronna lives in Brooklyn but is a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan. She is a Moth Slam winner, has been featured on the PBS-WGBH Stories from the Stage series, and is a National Storytelling Network (US) slam finalist. You can learn more about her by visiting her web site or following her on Instagram or Twitter.

If you're interested in getting tickets to see Keith (and five very talented storytellers) at the PHI Centre in Montreal, just follow this link! Hope to see you there.

As for Lionel Richie's All Night Long (All Night) (YES! That's the full title) it's pretty easy to underestimate as a cultural phenomenon in the early 80s. First of all, those of us of (um) a certain age will remember that Richie performed it at the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. The single itself went to number one in six different countries (including Canada) and the video (which, to be honest, is a hilarious throwback for me today) was actually produced by Mike Nesmith of the Monkees. Too much 80s pop culture!!!  As always, the story might sound even a little bit more interesting to you if you listen to the whole song. (Or if you're interested in a little rabbit-hole, Jacob Collier's Grammy winning re-arrangement)

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

Hey everyone! Thanks a million to the lovely Greg Halpen for pitching the show and sharing his story this week. You can learn more about Greg at his website or by following him on the Instas.

As I said in the intro this week, Greg's story really reminds me of a queer John Hughes movie. In light of that, it might be time to inform you that Smashmouth actually covered Simple Minds' classic Don't You (Forget About Me). You don't really want to hear it. The phrase "Smashmouth covering Simple Minds" should be enough. Oh wait, you're going to do it anyway? Oh well, don't say I didn't warn you.

As promised here's the ticket link to my show The List: A Traumady About Probiotic Masculinity at the Montreal Fringe .

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook .

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Devan is such a remarkable human being! Such a pleasure to spend time with him and help him share his story. 

You can learn more about Devan and his work on his website.  In addition to his appearances on The Moth and NPR as a storyteller, Devan is also the co-founder of Unreeling Storytelling a Brooklyn-based organisation providing a storytelling platform for people of colour, women, and others marginalised folks.  You can also follow Devan on Twitter, and Instagram.

If you've never made the time to listen to a Volume Knob playlist, this week is the week to do it. This week's playlist (entitled How Much Time?) includes some of my favourite tracks which were inspired by (or made me think of) the death of George Floyd. 

It's funny how, during the Trump administration, there was a lot of talk about how social strife was "good for art" or "bound to result in a bunch of great punk rock". 

That hasn't been my experience. 

On the contrary, the black community's outpouring of anger and frustration has resulted in some vital, important music in the last 18 months. What's sad (and it's something that Devan points out in his story) is how much G-Smoke and Sault in 2020 sound like Syl Johnson in 1969 or Gil Scott-Heron in 1972. 

How much time, indeed.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Every episode I thank my guests for their time and their vulnerability. 

Sharing personal stories requires bravery; not only the bravery required to let the story "out there" and belong, in a sense, to the rest of the world, but also to confront the emotional content of a time in one's life which may be scary, embarrassing or painful. 

In that way, Kate is the bravest guest I've had on the show. Clearly, her story is difficult for her to tell, but she told me several times in pre-production that telling it was a way of honouring her sister's memory. I myself am honoured that she took the time to do it on the show. A thousand times thank you, Kate.

I have to admit that I, like Kate in the story, had never heard For King and Country until very recently. That said, they're kind of a big deal in the space of contemporary christian music (who knew?) having won two Grammies in 2015 and another two in 2020. 

As always, I encourage you to listen to the whole song either before or after you listen to Kate's story. (the Assasin's Creed-y video for Shoulders has over 45 Million views!!) They've been referred to as "Australia's answer to Coldplay" by American Songwriter, if that's your cup of tea.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about a song that saved your life? Be sure to send it to the pod at volumeknobpod@gmail.com 

I wasn't just blowing smoke when I said that Ben's podcast 20 Square Blocks is  great stuff.  As soon as I heard it I reached out to him to see if we could work together.  The humanity of the stories told and the silence Ben uses to listen to his guests is really worth seeking out. Once again, many thanks to him for appearing on my show. 

It was pretty interesting to hear how Por Jud is Daid has been treated by different productions of Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic over the years. From the "straight up" version from 1955 featuring Gordon MacRae and Rod Steiger. To this almost Lyle Lovett-esque  version from the 2019 Broadway cast recording. The clips that you heard in the show were from the London cast recording from 1998 featuring Shuler Hensley as Jud and Ben's fellow Aussie Hugh Jackman as Curly. As always, I'd encourage you to listen to the whole track either before or after you listen to this weeks show (or both!)  

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Johnathan and I have been working for -- no exaggeration -- over a year on bringing this story to you. I hope you think the results are as worth the wait as I do.  

He's an amazing storyteller and the writer of the one-man rideshare show We Are Traffic which you can learn more about here. If you're interested you can also follow Jonathan on Twitter and Instagram.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook .

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

What a pleasure to have John on the show this week. Many thanks to him for his time, good humour and vulnerability. As I mentioned in the show, Tomato Tomato has a new record out called It'll Come Around. Check it out if you love sweet harmonies. Also thanks to Tim at Sound of Pop (Tomato Tomato's publishers) for permission to use Chasing Rainbows at the end of the show.  

Iron Horse's cover of Float On (as always, I'd encourage you to listen to the whole track either before or after you listen to this week's show!) is part of a remarkably large sub-genre I'd broadly label as "bluegrass covers of pop music". Though I'd always loved some of these things as novelties (The Gourds' cover of Gin n Juice comes to mind) I had no idea of how much of this stuff was out there before researching John's story! 

Iron Horse alone have recorded two separate Metallica tributes, a Guns n' Roses record, as well as tributes to Nirvana and The Shins.  What I like about Iron Horse is that they seem to come by their practice of bluegrass honestly rather than playing it for "let's laugh at the poors" yucks as some of the bigger bluegrass "tributes" like this cover of Thunderstruck by Finnish band Steve n' Seagulls does.  

Anyway, if you want to keep digging, there's a spotify playlist  or (even better IMHO) you can just google "bluegrass cover" of any great pop song - the harmonies and musicianship of great bluegrass players really pull out the sweetness of good pop music.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

You don't have to be someone Keith knows to have your story on the show! John's story was pitched via volumeknobpod@gmail.com. You should send me the story of the song that saved your life, too!

Many thanks to Michael for sharing his story with us this week. 

You can read a bunch of his writing on his blog Radio Free Canuckistan  or by picking up one of his books.

Learning more about Condition is tougher. You can pick up a copy of their 1985 record Mumbo Jumbo (which features Play Me That Rhythm) on Discogs. There is little to no other evidence of the band on the 'net!

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Awkward Teenage Years  is the name of the storytelling series that Will co-founded. You can follow them on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Twitch (?). You can also follow Will directly on Twitter and the 'gram.

This week's playlist is called  Songs About Blood and Whiskey (hold the blood, frankly). A list of songs about the drink and what comes after. I hope you enjoy it. 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Chi miigwetch to Waubgeshig for his time and vulnerability this week.

Waub is currently working on a sequel to his bestseller the award-winning novel Moon of the Crusted Snow. 

If you weren't a teenager or in your early 20s in the early 1990s you may have missed out on the deeply angry and wholly political landmark that is Rage Against the Machine's self-titled record (featuring Take the Power Back). That said, you should definitely give the whole song a listen either before or after you listen to Waub's story. While you're at it, peep the lyrics so you don't end up like a certain insurance broker in Michigan... 

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about a song that saved your life? Be sure to send it to the pod at volumeknobpod@gmail.com 

If you heard Adam's story and thought "that seems like a really remarkable human being" your instincts are exactly right.  I know I say this a lot, but I feel genuinely privileged to have gotten to know Adam through this process.  The reason he is one of the masters of this art form (he's won 20 Moth Story slams!! 20!!!) is that he is absolutely, completely authentic. 

By that I don't mean authentic in the backhanded complement way (like when you're diplomatically calling someone irascible or weird). The Adam Wade who tells you a story is the genuine article, with a completely honest and emotionally brave interaction with the world. 

You could do much worse than spend some time reading this profile of Adam in the New Yorker, listening to any of his stories which have been recorded for The Moth or watching any one of his Moth slam appearances.   You could also listen to either of his albums Live at the Magnet Theatre (which is now free on Youtube) or You Ought to Know. 

Adam also teaches personal storytelling at the Magnet Theatre. So, if you're looking for another pando project, you might want to consider learning from one of the best. While you're at it, be sure to give him a follow on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

As for Space Oddity, what more can be said? Wonderful, odd, inspiring, otherworldly and, as familiar as it may be, still a piece of art that reveals itself to me in a different way, every time I hear it (also, how about Myles' review this week? You'll have to believe me when I tell you he hadn't heard Adam's story). In this week's playlist -- Is There Tang On Mars? -- I try to give Adam's Hoboken space walk its own soundtrack.  

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Many thanks to James for his time, talent and vulnerability this week. You can check out James' music on his Bandcamp  page or by watching the video that he and his landlord (!) made for All of Arkansas the lead single on his most recent album Stars Blue Wheel. You can also follow him on the socials.  

As you may have gathered from Katie's review this week, Songs: Ohia is a band in pretty heavy rotation here at TVK HQ. Accordingly, when James proposed a story based on Farewell Transmission I was pretty excited. 

If you were listening closely, I used brief clips of two versions of the song in this week's episode. The album version and the demo which is all the more lovely for having been, seemingly recorded outside with the birds and cicadas playing their part. As always, I'd encourage you to listen to the whole song either before or after you listen to the show and if you, like me, end up falling hard for Jason Molina's work you might want to listen to Didn't it Rain , The Lioness (which has, for my money, one of the sexiest choruses ever recorded) or maybe this acoustic version of Hold On Magnolia  which has stopped my heart more than once during the production of this week's show. Such a great talent, taken too soon.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Where do you begin talking about a talent like Michele Carlo?

She's been in the New York storytelling game for a long time appearing across the U.S., including NPR with Latino U.S.A., the Clearwater Music & Arts Festival, RISK! live shows and podcast, Story Collider, PBS’ Stories from the Stage, and the MOTH's GrandSlams and Mainstage in NYC. Many of Michele’s early Moth stories appear in her book Fish Out Of Agua: My life on neither side of the (subway) tracks (Citadel/Kensington). You can also find her on twitter and instagram as well as her website. 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

See you in two weeks!

It's hard to think about storytelling here in my home town of Montreal without thinking of Johanne Pelletier. She'll soon be appearing on WGBH Boston's Stories From the Stage and is a regular at events here in Montreal and in the states. You can keep an eye on her work via Youtube, Twitter and Instagram. 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

So outstanding to have Laurel on the show this week. Many thanks to her for her time and her vulnerability. Laurel's latest album as Little Scream came out on Merge Records last fall. It's is called Speed Queen and it's fantastic. Check out the video for Dear Leader and tell me Laurel hasn't achieved her goal of making political art.  While you're at it, you might want to listen to the final, recorded version of the Heron and the Fox which came out on the first Little Scream album The Golden Record.  I think it's remarkable to hear the difference between the "skype-mic'd" demo and the final, lushly-produced (but still intimate) version.  Thanks again to Laurel and Third Side Music for permission to use the demo.

I'm going to fail miserably if I attempt to say anything new about the genius that is Patti Smith and her 1975 debut Horses. It's a landmark how about I stop at that?

That said, I was pleased to read that Laurel's song pick from Horses, Birdland was based A Book of Dreams a childhood memoir of radical Austrian psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich which was also the inspiration for my favourite Kate Bush song Cloudbusting.

As always, I'd encourage you to listen to the whole track either before or after you listen to this weeks show (or both!)  Even if Katie is glad she never has to do it again... 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

When I talk about how storytellers are great people, I'm talking about people like Sandi Marx. She's warm, wise and more than a little wacky. What a pleasure to spend time with her. 

If you're interested in hearing more of Sandi's unique brand of humour and storytelling be sure to check out her website which has links to her appearances on Risk! and The Moth and to follow her on Twitter Facebook and Instagram.  While you're on Sandi's web page, be sure to watch the trailer for The Fabulist the 2020 documentary about her storytelling journey.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

As always, many thanks to Arn for his time and vulnerability (especially for digging up his 30-plus-year-old diaries for me to virtually rummage through). You can learn more about him and his research into the interaction between resource companies and indigenous communities on his web site.  

The Whole of the Moon is an interesting track with some serious staying power despite it's rather dated sounding production. The Waterboys' lead singer Mike Scott has always been a little cryptic in his descriptions of the subject of the song. He's contradicted suggestions that it's written for CS Lewis  or Prince, telling The Guardian that "The Whole of the Moon is about someone like CS Lewis, who seemed to see so much and explore issues much more deeply than most people, or it could be about a Jimi Hendrix-type person who comes 'like a comet, blazing your trail' and is gone too soon, but it’s not specifically about anyone."  

As always, I'd suggest that you listen to the song in full either before or after you listen to the show. 

Please get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net (newsletters and interesting stuff soon to come to mailing list subscribers!).

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

An honour to have Emira give of her time and vulnerability this week. I have to admit it, I was surprisingly moved by listening to What a Feeling, while mixing the show. 

I found it really strange to hear something that I'd heard so many times associated with true emotion rather than mocked for being ubiquitous or silly (even if it might actually be both).  As always, I'd encourage you to spend a few minutes listening to the entire song either before or after you listen to the episode (or even both).

As Emira mentioned, she is a writer in addition to being a lawyer. Her essays can be found on her blog Montreal Murmurs  or in the pieces she wrote as the the CBC/Quebec Writers' Federation Writer in residence.  Her work has also appeared in The Montreal Gazette  and  The Globe and Mail.  Emira's storytelling has also been featured at a Montreal Confabulation show that you can listen to here. Check out her stuff!

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

It's not everyone who can speak so frankly and thoughtfully about being both an angsty retro-teen and also a wife and mom wrestling with questions as powerful as "should we open our marriage?" Teri is that person and I'm really grateful she took the time to tell me her story. Grateful to call her friend, too.

You can get copies of Teri's books, Bats or Swallows and Escape Plans by visiting her page at her publisher Invisible Publishing.  You might want to hunt her down on Twitter or Instagram if you are looking to buy a copy of her latest Zine.

I thought about calling this week's playlist Fairy Bread  or Nonpareils but settled on the more direct option and called it Hundreds and Thousands. Whatever you call it, it was a fun trip for me if a little bit off in all directions. You'll find some of my favourite Canadian (and non-Canadian) indie and lo-fi music of the early 90s and other stuff that's inspired by it. I hope you enjoy it! 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

What energy! What pace! What a treat to work with Jamie Brickhouse.

You really ought to check out more about him including his website (which includes links to fantastic videos of several of his live performances) and his instagram and facebook feeds. While you're there, be sure to check out Jamie's book Dangerous When Wet. 

Jamie also has a pretty significant presence on YouTube and is one of the only storytellers I'm aware of who is taking full advantage of TikTok.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Many thanks to Vesna for her time and vulnerability this week. 

You can learn more about Vesna's coaching practice on her website or by checking her out on Instagram. 

I had a B-L-A-S-T researching this week's episode. In large part because it gave me the opportunity to listen to literally DOZENS of covers of Stevie Wonder's Don't Worry 'bout a Thing.  If you're into falling down music rabbit holes, I created a Youtube playlist  so you can hear as many as you'd like.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Howard was a very generous and thoughtful guest. Many thanks to him for being on the show. You learn more about his Gateway Music Podcast on Facebook and you can hear the episode with me on it here on February the 12th. 

Though Katie wasn't fond of it I really liked the stark, open spaces in The Other Side of Mt Heart Attack. I'm also convinced that every time I hear it, I'll have an image of a slightly spooked young doctor, shuffling his feet down the hallway of a maternity ward. Such is the power of pairing up human stories with music. As always, I strongly encourage you to listen to the full version of the song before and/or after you listen to this week's episode. You'll be glad you did! 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Thanks to Jeff for his time, vulnerability and good humour this week. 

You can learn more about him on his website.  You should also keep an eye out for his storytelling courses. He's an excellent teacher (he taught me!) who has been doing online work during the pandemic.

As always, I encourage you to seek out a copy of the song that inspired the story and listen to it either before or after you listen to the show. While you're at it, if you haven't already heard the synth-heavy original version -- released in 1985 by The Family, a Prince "side project" -- you might want to give it some time. It's one of those rare cases of the original being significantly less well known than the cover (on a list of many, but, some of my faves include The Tide is High, What a Man, Respect and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun).

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

You can learn a lot more about Lea (and her performances and writing) by visiting her website.  Or following her on Instagram.

You can get tickets to The Volume Knob and Confabulation Present: The Songs that Saved Your Life (live!) right here. I really hope to see you there in big numbers.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

Once again my thanks to everyone at Confabulation Montreal for having me on Saturday. It was a real honour to be on the stage of the Centaur Theatre.

Many thanks as well to Mario for his time and vulnerability. 

In addition to being a journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Mario drums in the Ottawa band Gentlemen of the Woods. He also shares his very photogenic adventures in Italian food and culture through his Instagram account This Italian Kitchen. 

In case you haven't heard it, you really ought to take a moment to listen to Caravan of Love and enjoy the intense, very-80s religiosity of the music video (bonus points for id'ing a 23-year-old Fatboy Slim). 

If you're falling down a rabbit hole, you might also want to hear the -- very different sounding -- original version of Caravan recorded by Isley Jasper Isley . It was the title track of their album released in 1985.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Emily doesn't have a very high public profile as a storyteller but you might want to follow her on Instagram in case she decides to start telling the world about her up and coming exploits as a storyteller.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that at some point in the future I'm going to proudly say "I had Jameer Pond on this podcast before he hit it big."

This guy is talented, charming and clearly an absolute grinder. In addition, he's a pleasure to work with. Remember the name, friends.

And, in case you don't want to wait for Jameer to hit it big before you learn a little more about him, feel free to follow him on Twitter and Insta. You can see the "live" version of his interaction with Travis Scott at Summer Jam right here. The retelling of this story to buzzfeed is also available here and this is a clip of Jameer's work hosting on BET.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list (which is the best place to get updates on when season 5 of the show will be available).

See you soon! Be kind to someone (even yourself) today.

Before I go on about how cool, and brave and inspiring Louise is and how lucky I am to have had the chance to spend time with her, can we all just take a second to admire how great her voice recording sounded? Seriously, though, professional equipment recorded in a professional voice booth.  -- Chef's_kiss.gif --

Apart from that, though, it WAS very cool to spend time with Louise and to have an excuse to listen to her very impressive output of music. You can find her solo work here on her bandcamp page and you can also have a listen to her work with her band Gold & Youth. Once you've done that, be sure to give Louise a follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

This week's playlist is called Unaware I'm Tearing You Asunder (from my favourite lyric in Running Up That Hill).  It features not only Kate Bush but some of her contemporaries and some more recent artists that remind me of her. If you enjoy it, please drop me a line to let me know.  

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Aida Zilelian is an American-Armenian writer, educator and storyteller. She has been featured in the Huffington Post, NPR's Takeaway, Kirkus Reviews, among other literary and media platforms. Her novel All the Ways We Lied is slated for release in January 2024. You can follow her on Instagram or Facebook.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Matt Storrs is, in addition to being a very bright and very friendly guy, a very funny comic and storyteller with a surprisingly large following on TikTok?

You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about him from his website and get info on the next How Was It? storytelling show on Facebook. 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.
 

In case it wasn't obvious from the clips of me snickering, Jeff had me in stitches throughout our interview. He's a genuinely funny (and very bright and articulate) dude. 

If you're interested in hearing more from him, definitely check out his podcast The Reluctant Phoenix which is a series of conversations with a wide variety of people who have restarted their lives whether or not they really wanted to in the first place.  As I mentioned on the show, Jeff's 2020 album Why You Should be Happy is available on all the regular platforms. You can also follow Jeff on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

I had a lot (like, a LOT) of fun putting this week's fuzzy, crunchy, stonery playlist together. It's called That Lizard Ate My Pants. Feel free to drop me a line and tell me if you think it's a good enough mixed tape to convince you (or Michelle Obama) to consider an open marriage.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Katya is the author of the public transit blog “Tales from the Bus.” She is a frequent participant in storytelling shows and contests in Los Angeles, and is a Moth StorySLAM winner. You can learn more about Katya by following her on twitter or instagram.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

It's a pleasure to have someone with Rory's comic timing on the show. You can learn more about his comedy by following him on Instagram. 

This week's mix is called Funky Baby. It's perfect for adding a little tempo and shake to your lazy afternoons. Hope you enjoy it.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Many thanks to Charlie for his time and unbelievable sense of humour this week (the Tina Turner impression KILLED me). He really is a force of nature! 

I have to admit that musicals have never been my cup of tea. That said, in preparing this episode I've been left humming Lida Rose/Will I Ever Tell You ... a lot! The kids have complained particularly that the quartet melody has sneaked its way into the nightly lullaby.  As always, you should take a minute to listen to the music before or after (or both!) you listen to the episode.

Please get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net (newsletters and interesting stuff soon to come to mailing list subscribers!).  Also, if you use Apple Podcasts to listen to the show, please take a moment to leave a review! It definitely helps others discover these tremendous stories.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

In case it wasn't obvious, Leslie and I had a fantastic time working on this week's episode. Many thanks to her for her good humour and fantastic TALENT. 

You can learn more about Leslie (and see her wide range of work) on her website. You can also follow her on twitter and instagram.  While you're learning more about Leslie, make sure to check out her weekly virtual karaoke nights every Saturday at the virtual piano bar of Sid Gold's Request Room.

I've always found it kind of wild that John Waters went from producing Female Trouble (a dark comedy partly inspired by Waters' friendship with a member of the Manson Family) in the 1970s and advocating on behalf of Salo to being the source material for a musical that my kids know all the words to.  Waters' original 1988 film (upon which the musical was based) was his first to receive a PG rating. Most of his previous work was rated X by the MPAA. 

As always, I strongly encourage you to listen to the full version of the song before and/or after you listen to this week's episode. You'll be glad you did! 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Sara and I met while doing improv at Impro Montreal. These days she is the founder and a member of They Go Low, We Go Laugh (If you're in Montreal, you should check them out!) and a producer for Confabulation.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of the Rush rabbit hole I went down while editing/mixing Jake's story.  I, for example, had no idea that they had recorded most of their biggest hits at Le Studio in Morin Heights (just a short drive up the road from here in Montreal).  In fact the videos for Tom Sawyer and  Limelight  both feature the Laurentians quite prominently. 

There is no official video for YYZ though this live concert from Rio in (I think) 2002 is definitely a trip (not every day you see a crowd of 10s of thousands of people singing along to an instrumental). 

Jake did a fantastic job of telling some of the story of YYZ but did you know it lost out on the 1982 Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental to Behind My Camel by The Police?  (And that Sting refused to play on Behind My Camel?)  The more you know... 

If you want to hear the original studio version, you really ought to to check it out here either before or after you hear Jake tell his story!   

Be sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net. The newsletter will be especially interesting over the next few weeks if you're interested in getting details about the launch of Season 2 in the new year.

If you have a story that you think might be interesting for Season 2 please feel free to send an email to volumeknobpod@gmail.com!

Happy Holidays! I'll see you in the new year.

Once again, many thanks to Julie for her time and her vulnerability this week. The complexity of her feelings towards her decisions and her partner and his kids were fascinating to me, and deeply human. I'm really proud she felt comfortable enough to express her thoughts, even if some of them may have seemed taboo.

I'm also really (really!) glad that Julie introduced me to Lucy Dacus. Since Julie told me that Night Shift was the song that she wanted to talk about, I've been listening to Dacus' 2018 record Historian on pretty heavy repeat. I'm not keeping as close an eye on these things as I used to, but is "big" sounding indie rock now pretty much completely dominated by amazing 20-something queer women? (Dacus, Courtney Barnett, Phoebe Bridgers and  Lindsey -- Snail Mail -- Jordan). Worth a ponder and definitely worth a listen to Night Shift before and/or after you hear this week's show. 

Oh, and if you like stuff that sounds like that, be sure to check out this duet of Phoebe Bridgers and Courtney Barnett covering Gillian Welch's Everything is Free. The guitar tone on that recording hits me. Right. There.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

In addition to her work as a comic and storyteller, Robin is the longstanding producer of the Yums the Word storytelling series in NYC. You can learn more about Robin from her website or by following her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

Fantastic to work with a professional like Marc this week. You can learn more about his work as a personal storyteller (and a writer of horror fiction) from his web site or by following him on Twitter and Facebook.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

As a producer, sometimes you have to deal with requests from the talented folks that you work with, week in and out. That said, this episode is nearly 80 shows into making TVK and Amber is absolutely the first ever person to ask specifically to have Kate review the song that saved her life. I honestly wish Katie had been a little against type and found some of the magic that Amber obviously did when she was younger.

Amber is a talented freelance writer with a list of clips as long as your arm. You can read some of them on her website (where you can also find examples of her storytelling and other writing credits -- including a piece she did for McSweeny's). You can also follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list (which is the best place to get updates on when season 5 of the show will be available).

See you next week! Be kind to someone (even yourself) today.

How about the incredible warmth, charm and empathy in the storytelling of the talented Devin Wilson?  The video of Devin's Live Out Loud subway concert is available here (her performance of She Used to be Mine starts at the 9:30 mark). 

You can also learn more about Devin's work as a storyteller and social advocate on her website or by giving her a follow on instagram or twitter.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Dan wrote his own bio!

Back in 2011 I, along with a group of best friends started Story Luck, a Chicago based Non Profit.

It has been my life’s grand adventure. Where I’ve gotten a chance to create art so awesome, if I died today, I’d die happy and proud of what I’ve accomplished. From producing giant city wide games of tag wrapped in the story of a robot apocalypse ,to making a living teaching the art of storytelling via group cohorts. I’m grateful to be part of this universe where a guy like me can dedicate so much to storytelling.

Follow me on the social platform formally known as twitter @StoryLuck. There I help you tell better stories about your life through daily essays and writing tips.

You listened to my story today, your attention is valuable and I’d like to reward it. As such, DM me with a link to your favorite episode of the Volume Knob (pro tip: don’t pick my episode!) and I’ll send you a free gift pdf of 10 Storytelling Mistakes, why you’re making them and how to fix them.

Thanks, Dan!  So glad to be back sharing Volume Knob stories with you all! As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

Mariah is a first-time storyteller but a careful and talented performer. Working with her was a great experience.  Just a caveat that most of Mariah's online presence is NSFW. Now that you've been warned, here she is appearing on an episode of the Guys We Fcked Podcast and her Instagram and Tik Tok accounts.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

In case it isn't immediately obvious, Ria Spencer is a whole lot of fun to spend time with. What a joy to have had the chance to record her story and to share it with you.

If you're interested, you can hear more of Ria on shows like Risk and The Antidote. You can also follow Ria on Instagram.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

See you in two weeks!

James does stand up comedy in the NYC area under the stage name "James Mac" you can learn more about that part of his life by following him on Instagram, Youtube and Facebook. He also produces a comedy night at Mulligan's Pub in Hoboken NJ which you can learn more about here. Check him out!

Even though Katie was, once again, not overly impressed by Zac Brown Band's Toes, I found it catchy as hell. Sometimes there's a reason why popular music becomes popular, after all.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

Scott and his production partner Katherine Mohr were a great deal of fun to work with on this episode of their podcast This is the Greatest Song I've Ever Heard in My Entire Life which you can also  follow on Twitter and Instagram.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

In addition to his work as a storyteller, Morgan is a producer and a talented cartoonist. You can read more about Morgan's work on his website and by following him on Twitter.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.
 

Ophira Eisenberg may be Americans' favourite Calgarian. 

Perhaps this damns her by faint praise given that America's most famous Calgarian is probably Ted Cruz. 

At any rate, it's for good reason that Ophira is so well and widely loved; she's almost embarrassingly multi-talented. She's an author, radio/podcast talent, stand up and a frequent host of many a live event at The Moth.  She's a houseplant gardener. 

She's also really nice. 

It was a real pleasure spending time (and making this episode) with her. You can (and should) learn more about Ophira at her web site, or by following her on twitter and instagram.

As you can imagine, I get to spend a lot of time with each of the "songs of the week" and few of them are as pleasurable to spend time with as Let's Go Crazy.  It's not only a shiny piece of candy from the days of my youth, it also has a little something in it for the law/copyright geek in me (the guy whose day job pays for this podcasting problem I have).

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

See you in two weeks!

Grant is a co-founder of the Awkward Teenage Years  storytelling series with Will Clegg from Episode 25. As I mentioned during Will's Episode, ATY is a fun project that you can follow on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Twitch (?).  Grant is also active on Twitter and Insta. You can also learn more about him on his web site.

This week's playlist is kinda silly. I'm calling it Mr. Fahrenheit but it's a list of (mostly) covers on the theme of "don't stop".  You may only listen to it once, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Where to begin? 

Cyndi is a force of nature who has been teaching, producing and inspiring storytellers in New York City for a very long time. You can learn more about her on her website and by following her on twitter, facebook and instagram.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Tracey is a fixture on the New York storytelling scene. If you want to hear more of her work, make sure to head to QED in Queens for one of their events or to check out her Instagram account where she has posted a series of one-minute stories. Tracey is also a producer of the Telling Favourites series.

No playlist this week (I know, I know... if you miss them, tell me so at volumeknobpod@gmail.com) but I do have an anecdote. Unlike Tracey, I was able to attend Pearl Jam's first ever headlining tour (Montreal's Doughboys opened for them at the Robert Guertin Arena in what was then called Hull, Quebec). The story of getting those tickets was remarkable enough, but it wasn't until I heard Tracey's story that I realised that I'd been mishearing the lyrics to Once for almost 30 years (no, Keith, you dummy it's not "Once, oh party time"). 

Sigh. 

As always, I think the stories sound better if you listen to the whole song either before or afterwards.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Valarie is so brave and brilliant.

Don't believe me? Even after listening to this beautiful story she's shared with TVK this week? OK, take six minutes to listen  to this amazing story she shared with The Moth. Just  lovely stuff.

Valarie isn't big on social media, but she is a very committed activist in NYC. This here, is an article of her work as an organizer of New York's annual Dyke March.  She also acted in a landmark film in New Queer cinema called The Watermelon Woman.  You can see one of Valarie's scenes in that film here.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list!

Thanks to Peter for his time and vulnerability this week. 

Pete is the promotion brains behind Ottawa's Flora Hall Brewing. 

As always, you really ought to take a second to listen to all eight-and-a-half-minutes of Pictures of You  before or after you hear Pete's story. It's pretty interesting to compare Pete's recounting of walking around the bay, to the snowy images of the band  in the video, shot in 1990 in Ballachulish, Scotland.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

What a treat to have Sage on the show this week. 

To be honest, when I started the show earlier this year, there were three lists of people that I wanted as guests: 

1) The people who knew me well enough to say yes; 

2) The people I kinda knew, but wanted to get to know better; and,

3) People who I had never met, but had admired as storytellers/artists/others. 

This 3rd group features the folks that I wanted to reach out to once I was confident enough in the show to feel that it merited their talents. Sage is one of the first guests from that list. She's a very experienced storyteller having taught storytelling at The Second City in Toronto and having won the Moth Grand Slam earlier this year. (Trust me non storytelling geeks, that's kind of a big deal). 

If you're interested in learning more about Sage and her work you should definitely check out her web site and follow her on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram or check out one of these videos of her telling stories at different events.

Though I am, like Sage, a child of the 70s, I had not heard Free to Be you and Me before recording this podcast (check out that BANJO, tho). 

It's an interesting project, though. As Sage describes it was a feminist, children's entertainment project conceived and executive produced by Marlo Thomas which featured some HUGE names (including Michael Jackson and Roberta Flack). The New Seekers were also a mystery to me before my interview with Sage but I WAS interested to find out that they were responsible for I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (which was a number 1 hit in the UK  but only after being a Coca Cola commercial). The more you know...

Anyway, as always, I encourage you to listen to the whole song either before or after you listen to the storyteller do their thing!

Be sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net. The newsletter will be especially interesting over the next few weeks if you're interested in getting details about the launch of Season 2 in the new year.

If you have a story that you think might be interesting for Season 2 please feel free to send an email to volumeknobpod@gmail.com!

Happy Holidays! I'll see you in the new year.

Claire's storytelling talents have been featured all over including several different episodes of Confabulation. So many thanks to her for sharing her time and talents with the show.

Paul McCartney has told interviewers that She Loves You  was initially written  in Newcastle while the Beatles were on tour with Roy Orbison and Gerry and the Pacemakers and completed at his home in Liverpool. He says the song was initially inspired the call and response pattern in Forget Him by teen idol Bobby Rydell (check out the Brylcreem in that dreamboat photo!)  I don't hear it, myself. But I guess that's why he's a billionaire OBE and I'm...not. As always, I'd encourage you to listen to the song before (and even again after) you hear the episode. I find it's especially interesting to hear a song as well known as She Loves you from someone else's perspective. 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Believe me when I tell you that I had an absolute blast working on this story with Bryan. He's a guy who not only understands storytelling but as a podcaster himself (check out his show Love Hurts in all the places you download) he was a really fun and easy guy to record and brainstorm with. Thanks a million, Bryan.

If you'd like to hear more of Bryan's work as a storyteller, producer and comic you should check out his website, and follow him on Instagram and Twitter or give Love Hurts a like on Facebook. 

As you can imagine, I end up listening to the song that saved each storyteller's life dozens of times during a production cycle. It's been awhile since I enjoyed spending that much time with one track as I have with In Your Eyes this week. What an amazing song! Funny thing is, I didn't know that it was (at least supposedly) written for actress Rosanna Arquette who Peter Gabriel was dating in the mid-eighties. I also didn't know (thank you, internet rabbit holes) that Arquette was also supposedly the inspiration for Toto's 1982 hit Rosanna. Talk about the face that launched 1000 ships...

As always, I love to hear from you. Be sure to follow the show on Twitter, Insta and Facebook and to get yourself over to the website to sign up for the mailing list! 

If you have a pitch for TVK Live (May 13th at Sala Rosa in Montreal) please don't hesitate to send it to me or to the fine folks at Confabulation . Their email is tellastory@confabulation.ca

An honour to have Emira give of her time and vulnerability this week. I have to admit it, I was surprisingly moved by listening to What a Feeling, while mixing the show. 

I found it really strange to hear something that I'd heard so many times associated with true emotion rather than mocked for being ubiquitous or silly (even if it might actually be both).  As always, I'd encourage you to spend a few minutes listening to the entire song either before or after you listen to the episode (or even both).

As Emira mentioned, she is a writer in addition to being a lawyer. Her essays can be found on her blog Montreal Murmurs  or in the pieces she wrote as the the CBC/Quebec Writers' Federation Writer in residence.  Her work has also appeared in The Montreal Gazette  and  The Globe and Mail.  Emira's storytelling has also been featured at a Montreal Confabulation show that you can listen to here. Check out her stuff!

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

What a treat to hang out with Catherine without the burden of a stack of legal paperwork between us. Many thanks to her for her time and her vulnerability. 

If you're interested in Catherine's writing you should check out her website  where you can get links to her Facebook , Twitter and Instagram accounts. While you're there, don't forget to check out info about all of Catherine's novels including a pre-order link for her next book Six Weeks to Live which will be released on May 4th, 2021.

Full confession: even though my sister-in-law was a producer on the Canadian version I have never watched an episode of American Idol.  As such, I have very little pithy to say about Daniel Powter's worldwide smash hit.  While researching it, however, I learned that the song first reached the public consciousness after being used in a Coca Cola commercial, so there's that.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Has there been a more charming guest on the show than Gastor Almonte? Hard to think of one. His presence, timing, sense of humour and humanity are all larger than life. What a complete and total pleasure to have him share his talent and vulnerability with me this week. Do yourself a favour and watch this (it's one of the Comedy Central appearances Gastor referred to in the story and its hilarious) when you're done watching that check out his story Heavy High & Far which originally introduced me to this guy's talents. Gastor also has his own podcast (The War Report) which he co-hosts with fellow stand up Shalewa Sharpe. You should check it out and follow Gastor on Twitter, Insta and Facebook.  Oh, and don't forget to listen to his record Immigrant Made. 

I have been going down a MAJOR 90s (and related) hip hop rabbit hole since recording my interview with Gastor a couple of months back. As such, it was super fun to put together this week's playlist From Queensbridge to East New York. The list looks a little like the train trip I described in the intro to this week's show (minus the Jay Z. Just not my thing). I hope you enjoy it. 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Alexia is just starting out as a storyteller (I met her back in September when her story about dating a man nearly twice her age brought the house down at Confabulation's Summer Love show). As such, you can't get much about her storytelling from her web presence. That said, watch out! She's talented and energetic and just a little fearless. You may well be hearing from her again soon.

Attentive listeners may have noticed some alternate recordings of Bowie's Heroes in this week's mix. I rather enjoyed this version featuring the Gothenburg Symphony. It's not the original, obviously, but I'm quite fond of covers which take songs in directions very different from the originals. 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

The Volume Knob is an exploration of personal stories through music. 

Every week I’m going to ask an interesting person to share a story about how music has shaped them by getting them to describe the Song that Saved their Life. 

The cool thing about these stories is that they end up being about more than music. They’re stories about the essential emotions that music inspires: thought provoking, funny and sometimes sad.

The Volume Knob will be available later this summer anywhere you get your podcasts so get over to www.volumeknob.net and sign up for our mailing list or check us out on twitter and instagram. 

Hey everyone! Thanks a million to the lovely Meg Stafford for sharing her story this week. As I mentioned in the intro, Meg and I met on the set of PBS' Stories from the Stage. You can find Meg's story from that show here.  You can also learn a tonne about her work (including her two memoires, Topic of Cancer: Riding the Waves of the Big C, and Who Will Accompany You? My Mother-Daughter Journeys Far From Home and Close to the Heart) on her website. 

As a saxophone-playing teenager, I've always been amazed by Charlie Parker. That said, my all-time favourite sax player has always been John Coltrane. For the longest time the ringtone on my phone was Giant Steps. So, why don't we call it this week's "this story reminds me of" track.

As promised here's the ticket link to my show The List: A Traumady About Probiotic Masculinity at the Montreal Fringe.  Also, there are only a limited number of tickets still available to the preview reading of the show at Variations Mile End on May 10th. You can get one of those here.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook .

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Katie IS a warm, generous, talented and enthusiastic storyteller. 

What Katie IS NOT is an aggressive self-promoter. She has no twitter account and her Instagram is private. So, if you want to learn more about her work you could do worse than getting to know New York's self-proclaimed "second longest running personal storytelling show" The Nights of Our Lives where  Katie is a frequent performer.  You can also follow The Nights of Our Lives on Twitter or subscribe to their podcast.

I had a lot of fun digging into my personal treasure trove of "dance-inspiring" music this week to make a playlist called A Steam Punk's Journey.  I found myself agreeing with Myles' review of Little Bird (ok, but not really for me). Despite this, though, it did lead me down some interesting (mostly 70s) rabbit holes. I hope you enjoy it.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.  While you're on the web, don't forget to sign up for the mailing list! I'd love to keep you up to date on the latest and greatest from Planet Volume Knob.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Kurt has told stories for PBS’s Stories from the Stage, the “RISK!” true stories podcast, and for GRIT: True Stories podcast, which he co-founded. He’s written for Powder, Paddler, Men’s Journal, Canoe & Kayak, Berkshire, and for websites, newspapers, and literary magazines. You can learn more about Kurt by checking out his website or following him on Twitter or Instagram.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

So happy to start off Season 3 of the show with a performer as talented (and fun to work with!) as Sandi.  If you're interested in hearing more of her unique brand of humour and storytelling be sure to check out Sandi's website which has links to her appearances on Risk! and The Moth and to follow her on Twitter Facebook and Instagram.  While you're on Sandi's web page, be sure to watch the trailer for The Fabulist the 2020 documentary about her storytelling journey.

I think Kate was right about the ubiquity of Hit Me With Your Best Shot which has to be recognisable to most folks 7 to 70.  That said, I didn't know that it was co-written by songwriter (and member of the Order of Canada) Eddie Schwartz. The more you know.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

So grateful to have as brilliant and unique a voice as Burke was able to bring to the show this week. As he alluded to in his introduction, Burke is a director, a photographer and director of photography. He recently was the DP on a season of Top Chef and his web site includes not only some amazing portraiture but also several of the music videos he has directed. Check it out! 

As I mentioned in the extro of this week's show, Burke brought his own music mix. It's most of the tracks from a mix tape that he and his high school friends exchanged in 1993. It's available here. If you were listening carefully, you might have heard that Burke's high school pal Colin from Helena Montana is actually Colin Meloy of the Decemberists. Small world.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Erica says it's her goal to tell compelling, authentic, and inspirational stories which incorporate the comedy and the tragedy of life, and reflect the universal power of the human spirit to harness positivity, make connections and survive. She's done so on Risk! The Moth and through her own monthly storytelling series Revealed in Glendale, CA. You can learn more about Erica by checking out her website or by following her on Instagram.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

It's not too blunt to say that Ed Gavagan is a big reason why I'm fascinated with personal storytelling as a craft. I first heard him telling stories on The Moth years ago and, when he and I were introduced and he indicated that he'd be willing to do a story for the show, I literally bounced up the stairs of my house yelling to my wife "I'm going to do a show with the guy who told Drowning on Sullivan Street."  

When your story is as big and life-changing as Ed's is, you can tell it in many different ways. I think the version he told The Moth is a love letter of sorts to New York. I'm very proud that the version of the story he told here on TVK was a reflection on good fortune and privilege, and on forgiveness. I really can't thank him enough for sharing it with me, and with you.

If you haven't had enough of Ed's fantastic pacing and compelling voice you can check out his Ted Talk and the version of his story he told The New Yorker  for its We Are Witnesses portrait of crime and punishment in America.

As for the music, this week's playlist is called Fairytale of New York and it features not only Elton John (our first ever "two-time-story-inspiring" artist here on the show) but also Tom Waits, LCD Soundsystem, The xx and Johnny Cash. 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Once again so many thanks to David Crabb for his dedication to the craft of storytelling and his generosity in sharing those talents on the show. 

If you enjoyed David's story this week, be sure to check out the episode of the show he recorded in May or the TVK mixtape he did in September. David's memoir, Bad Kid is a fantastic read that I'd highly recommend and there's more info about him (including links to his storytelling workshops) on his website. You can also follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

Also, as promised, here's that scene from Cabaret:

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Matt Goldberg isn't only a fantastic, warm and talented person he is also one of Montreal's most established storytelling producers.  Storytelling producers are ESPECIALLY fabulous people! 

Matt founded the Confabulation storytelling series in Montreal in 2010. Since then, Confabulation has not only put on dozens of shows here but they have their own podcast and shows in both Toronto and Victoria.  Whew! For that amount of work dedicated to doing good things in the world, Matt definitely deserves a follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Matt's assumption that In My Life contains a harpsichord is actually a common misconception. The song's bridge is actually a piano solo played by Sir George Martin and then sped up. (The more you know). As always, I'd encourage you to listen to the whole of the song either before or after your listen to the story.  And when you've done THAT feel free to listen to this week's playlist which features In My Life and some of its contemporaries both in pop and (more fun for me) soul along with some more modern stuff for good measure. 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Some music fans are storytellers and some storytellers are music fans but it was a rare treat for e to sit down with someone who combines both storytelling talent and music loving passion the way Emily did.  Emily is one of the producers behind Toronto's Replay Storytelling  which recently did a very exciting event along with the CBC's Doc Project (Featuring former TVK guest Nisha Coleman). 

Emily and I also had a fantastic chat about all SORTS of music (from hardcore to Lucy Dacus) when we were preparing to record their story. All in all, Emily is definitely worth a follow on instagram or twitter.  

As for Incendiary, were it not for Emily's story, I'd be drawing a complete blank. I can tell you they're fun as hell if you like 90s hardcore sounds. I can tell you they're responsible for ring entrance music for WWE superstar Aleister Black and also a reasonable cover (check out the distortion on the bass) of the Beastie's Sabotage. As always, I encourage you to sit down and listen to the whole of the song either before or after you listen to Emily's story (am I the only one hearing a little Zack de la Rocha in those vocals?).  And, if you're interested in taking a trip into the pit with me (and some of the hardcore that Emily's story reminded me of) you can check it out here.

Bonus points if, like me, you head banged... just a little.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Gastor is most definitely one of my favourite storytellers in North America. His presence, timing, sense of humour and humanity are all larger than life and it's always a pleasure to have him on the show. 

Do yourself a favour and watch this (it's one of the Comedy Central appearances Gastor referred to in the story and its hilarious) when you're done watching that check out his story Heavy High & Far which originally introduced me to this guy's talents. Gastor also has his own podcast (The War Report) which he co-hosts with fellow stand up Shalewa Sharpe. You should check it out and follow Gastor on Twitter, Insta and Facebook.  Oh, and don't forget to listen to his record Immigrant Made. 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

I was so honoured to have the chance to work with Carolyn Erickson to bring this story into the world, not only because it's powerful and finely wrought , but because it's one of the first times she's shared a story in public. She lives a little bit off the personal storytelling "beaten path" in Michoacán Mexico and doesn't have a big social media presence. It's just wonderful, though, that this pod keeps reaching all of these fantastic, brave and powerful people all over the world. Keep an eye out for Carolyn (I know she's talking about doing other podcasts and the like) I think she's amazing.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

David is an enthusiastic and professional guy whose fingerprints are all over the NY storytelling scene. 

You can learn more about him on his website or by following him on Insta or Twitter. He's also written a great piece on storytelling in Queens here.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Hey lovelies! So good to be back making audio-deliciousness for you and what a great way to start the season John's visit was. 

John is a fixture in the storytelling scene in Northern California.  He's a storytelling instructor, coach, and assistant events producer for Capital Storytelling in Sacramento and the host of the Do Tell! open mic series in Rancho Cordova. He's also, in case you can't tell from the sensitivity and emotional tone of his storytelling, a really nice guy. You can check out more of John's storytelling talent on Youtube or follow him on Instagram.

As promised, here's a link to the dramatic and wonderful Jerusalem by Dan Bern. (The release when he screams "I am the Messiah, I am the Messiah!" gets me every time.

You can get tickets to Confabulation's Food Fights here. Hope to see you there!

Oh! And also, at the time of uploading, I still don't have a ticket link for my show The List: A Traumady About Probiotic Masculinity, but you can get to the front of the line on news like that by going over to our website volumeknob.net and signing up for the newsletter.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook .

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

You can't sit in the same room as Sandi Marx (either virtually or in person) and not have a smile on your face. Her energy and unbridled enthusiasm for being herself are contagious. If you're interested in hearing more of Sandi's unique brand of personal storytelling be sure to get to her website which has links to her appearances on Risk! and The Moth and to follow her on Twitter Facebook and Instagram.  While you're on Sandi's web page, be sure to watch the trailer for The Fabulist the 2020 documentary about her storytelling journey.

The 50th Anniversary of the release of Carole King's Tapestry was just a few days ago (February 10th, 1971. Not in "69 or 70" as Sandi guessed).  Unlike a bunch of records released in the early months/years of my life (or, in this case, a little before I was born) I was truly unaware of its impact. Tapestry is not only one of the biggest-selling albums of all time, it was the single-biggest selling record of its era. It's also still one of the biggest-selling records ever recorded by a female artist. It was an interesting lesson on my own musical blind spots that I'd primarily thought of King as a songwriter and not a recording artist before doing this story with Sandi. The more you know… 

As always, I encourage you to sit down and listen to the whole of the song either before or after you listen to Sandi's story. It's a fantastic recording that, if you close your eyes, can really make you a fly on the wall in that room in Queens with Sandi, Rhonda and Strawberry.  Also, if you want to hear not only a bunch of 70s easy listening classics (and more modern stuff inspired by 70s easy listening classics) but also a few examples of the amazing breadth of Carole King's abilities as a songwriter, be sure to check out this playlist I put together inspired by Sandi's story.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

I am such a fan of Dr. Ray Christian. You can learn more about his work on his website or by following him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. His podcast, What's Ray Saying? is also definitely worth a look. 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net. Have a safe and restful holiday season. See you all in 2022!

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

David is one of the most enthusiastic and openhearted members of the New York storytelling community I've had the opportunity to work with. He's also TIRELESS. You can see his work everywhere, from The Moth, to Awkward Teenage Years. 

You can read him and his work here!  His site includes many examples of his writing (and some pictures of Dave during his shaved-head hardcore phase). You can also follow him on youtube and instagram. 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Hey! Great to be back for another season of the show and really great to start the season with Steve Zimmer (who was far too modest when he introduced himself as a "formerly very active amateur storyteller" in this week's show). 

Steve's work -- particularly in the "first wave" of New York storytelling around the turn of the century -- is not only funny, considered and wonderful, it's also very influential on many of the artists that I respect most in this space. Don't believe me? You can watch a bunch of Steve's work here. It's also worth mentioning as well that Steve recently finished his first novel, a black-comedy murder mystery set in the NYC storytelling scene,  and is currently seeking representation.

I don't want to get into another Bowie rabbit hole too quickly, but I did want to share one of the cool things I learned while listening to Young Americans on repeat over the last couple of weeks. Did you know that Luther Vandross got his big break singing back up on Young Americans? Now you do!

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

I met Frank in a storytelling workshop this spring and he has revealed himself to be one of the hardest-working and most creative storytellers and producers I've had the privilege to work with since starting TVK. 

Frank's show It's Funny Now is at the Crow in Santa Monica the second Monday of every month. You can learn more about it here or by listening to the It's Funny Now podcast. You can also follow Frank on Instagram.

You can get tickets to TVK and Confabulation present: The Songs that Saved Your Life (at Sala Rossa, November 23rd) right here.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

You'd think that, as a podcast producer, I make time to listen to a lot of podcasts myself. The truth is, before the dog entered our life in May, I didn't. 

That said, with an hour or two a day now spent wandering the same path through my neighbourhood, I now get to listen to all of my favourites on the regular. That list includes, probably unsurprisingly, The Moth. It's where I first heard John Mack's storytelling chops.  His story (about bringing his husband to his dying grandma's birthday party) is so precise and beautiful...I immediately looked him up and wrote him a fan email/invitation to appear on TVK as soon as I had put Theo's leash away. John Mack doesn't have any social media accounts, but you can send him fan mail via his web site. You can also hear episodes of The Gingham Altar, here. (Easter egg, the Gingham Altar Instagram account also has a vintage photo of Megan and John Mack. No telling if it was from homecoming, but I'd like to think it says a bit about their friendship). 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

I might be repeating myself but who cares: Holy SMOKES. Julie FREAKIN' Polk.

You should do yourself a favour and learn a little more about Julie by checking out her website and following her on Twitter and Instagram.  While you're surfing through there, be sure to check out this appearance she made on Risk! 

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list (which is the best place to get updates on when season 5 of the show will be available).

See you soon! Be kind to someone (even yourself) today.

If you, or someone you love is in need of support in the context of a situation of domestic violence in the United States you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline by phone at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or by texting START to 88788. In Canada, domestic violence resources are organised provincially and regionally. You can find a pretty comprehensive list of them here.

If you feel like supporting agencies that help folks in situations of domestic violence you can donate to The Hotline in the States. Here in Montreal we're lucky to have the work of SOS Violence Conguale and Chez Doris (which works with homeless women and not solely situations of domestic violence. They're a great organisation that I've supported for some time).   

What more can I say about Brittany Brave and her remarkable story except that it only shows one side of her talents. She is also a very funny stand up. You can learn a lot more about her (and see her work) on her web site and by following her on twitter, instagram and facebook. She also has a whackload of content on YouTube. 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Shalewa Sharpe is an effing boss! I'm so happy that she made time to be on the show. 

You can follow her on twitter, instagram and facebook; check out the podcast (The War Report with Gastor and Shalewa) that she hosts with friend of TVK Gastor Almonte or listen one of her comedy albums Stay Eating Cookies or So, You Just Out Here?  There's also a tonne of her material on Youtube including this legendary interaction between her, the late Chadwick Boseman and Jimmy Fallon. I repeat, funny, funny and smart SMART.

Unfortunately, I had to edit out a fantastic explanation that Shalewa gave about the musical significance of John Hendrix, his trio Lambert Hendrix and Ross and the vocalese movement that they were a major part of but, if you're interested you should at the very least listen to the whole version of Gimmie That Wine either before or after you hear Shalewa's story.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

As I mentioned in his intro, Matthew Dicks is one of North America's leading personal storytellers. You can learn more about him on his website which includes links to his twitter, instagram and facebook accounts. You can also learn more about Matthew's analytical approach to storytelling on the podcast that he hosts with his wife Elysha Dicks. It's called Speak Up Storytelling.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Since Madeleine was last on the show, her storytelling "career" has been blossoming. She's appeared in shows (both virtually and in person) all over North America. As always, it was a wonderful experience working with her. She has no social media, so you'll just have to keep an eye out for your next opportunity to watch her practice her craft (perhaps at a Confabulation show here in Montreal). If you haven't heard it, here's a link to her episode in Season 2 of the show. Easily one of the most compelling episodes we've had.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

I know I throw around "multi-talented" quite a bit to describe the storytellers who come on TVK but it'd be a mistake to use a less complimentary word to describe Deb. In addition to being a storyteller and a valuable member of the production team at Montreal's Confabulation storytelling series, Deb is a media artist, videographer, and writer. She also (after my own heart) is an experienced radio producer having (for sixteen years!) produced and hosted Dykes on Mykes, at CKUT 90.3 FM. 

She won the 2015 3Macs carte blanche  QWF prize for her short story Self-Serve, and published Ghost Station in the Queer Perspectives edition of The Malahat Review. Deb is the production coordinator at Ada-X, a feminist artist-run centre.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

I know I say nice things about all of my guests; it's because they're nice people, but I really do feel especially enthusiastic about the time I spent with Anna. She is someone who has definitely dedicated time and talent to the art of storytelling. She is a deeply intelligent and remarkably talented human being. So so many thanks to her for sharing her time and vulnerability this week.

If you're interested in hearing more of Anna's work, you should definitely visit her web site which has links to not only her storytelling but also her award-winning books. 

This week's playlist was a unique treat. I don't usually get to bust out the jazz standards. That said, if you're looking for a taste of fifties feel good music, be sure to check out Tales from the Victory Theatre which includes some of my favourite classic ballads.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

So, is anyone else blown away by Carla's talent, her voice and comic timing? Me too. What a treat to have her on the show. You can learn more about her from her web site and by following her on Twitter and  Instagram.

This week's playlist features some of my own favourite art rock and art rock adjacent music. It's called Reflected like Fireworks I hope you enjoy it.  

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Thanks to Mario for his time and vulnerability this week. 

In addition to being a journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Mario drums in the Ottawa band Gentlemen of the Woods. He also shares his very photogenic adventures in Italian food and culture through his Instagram account This Italian Kitchen. 

In case you haven't heard it, you really ought to take a moment to listen to Caravan of Love and enjoy the intense, very-80s religiosity of the music video (bonus points for id'ing a 23-year-old Fatboy Slim). 

If you're falling down a rabbit hole, you might also want to hear the -- very different sounding -- original version of Caravan recorded by Isley Jasper Isley . It was the title track of their album released in 1985.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

OK, so. As always, I want to take a minute to thank Zach for his fantastic story. The time he's spent and the vulnerability he was willing to bring forward talking about a tough time in his life were inspiring. If it's not obvious from listening to him, Zachary is an extremely intelligent and thoughtful man. Really a pleasure to have him on the podcast. If you're interested in his work as a lawyer (unsurprisingly, he's as articulate in that domain as he is when talking about the tabla) you can check out an interview that he did with Global Edmonton: here.

If Zach was apologetic about his lack of knowledge about the tabla, Zakir Hussein and Hindustani music in general, imagine how hesitant I am! That said, it was a pretty interesting journey learning a little about something I really had less than no knowledge about a few short weeks ago.  There's a full version of The Essence of Rhythm on youtube and, though I won't probably be returning to it, I think it's pretty easy to see the mastery in it that inspired Zach all those years ago in Calgary.  

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

Thanks to Lauren for her time and vulnerability this week. 

She is the co-author of The Boss of You: Everything A Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain Her Own Business. You can read more about Lauren (and sign up for her coaching services!) at laurenbacon.com. 

You really ought to listen to Cranes in the Sky  either before or after you listen to Lauren's story. Grammy Awards are a complicated measure of whether a song is worth your time or not but it's worth mentioning that Cranes did win the 2017 Grammy for Best R&B Performance along with a 2017 BET Her Award and the 2017 Ashford and Simpson Songwriter's Award at the Soul Train Music Awards. If you read a little about Cranes  (including this pretty cool interview between Solange and her sister who you might have heard of) you can see how Lauren's story is quite similar to the events that inspired Solange to write the song.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Anyone who wants to learn about personal storytelling as a craft could do a lot worse than to listen very closely to a bunch of the work of Erin Barker. She's won story slams and grand slams and, in a personal storytelling world that is pretty much dominated by The Moth, she has ably guided The Story Collider (and it's podcast which I would recommend) to a place where it can continue to do fantastic work all over the world. 

You can follow Erin on Twitter and Instagram and Story Collider on Insta, Facebook and Twitter.

Also, if you're looking for a blast of rhetro-pop sci-fi weirdness, spend 3 minutes or so watching this Spice Girls' video for Say You'll Be There and try to explain to me why there are exploding throwing stars in it.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list. 

Thanks to Andy for his time and vulnerability this week. 

You can learn more about Andy's music on his website  or buy a copy of one of his records on Bandcamp.

Though it wasn't Myles' jam, you might want to set 15 minutes aside and listen to I Dream a Highway before or after you hear Andy's story. If you're interested in falling down a Gillian Welch rabbit hole  you can check out this track (which is my favourite) or listen to any one of the interviews she's given gain insight into her keen intelligence and artistic thoughtfulness.

As always, you can get in touch with The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

Do you have a story about the song that saved your life? Send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

In addition to his work as a storyteller, Andrew is a stand up comedian and the host of a couple of podcasts. You can learn more about him on his website or by following him on Twitter and Instagram.

As always, remember to follow the show on instagram, twitter and facebook and to get over to the website to sign up for the TVK mailing list.

See you next week!

Madeleine has only recently started in the craft of personal storytelling and I'm so (so!) excited to see where she goes in the medium. I was blown away by not only the vulnerability she showed but also her command of structure, pacing and imagery. Such a wonderful experience working with her. She has no social media, so you'll just have to keep an eye out for your next opportunity to watch her practice her craft.

Listening to Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, I wasn't immediately transported to a pre-school montage like Myles was. It made me think more of the rambling, mid-to-late-70s rock-opera tracks like Jungleland or I Don't Like Mondays.  Also, it turns out that Elton John wrote the instrumental half of the song while actually contemplating the music that would be played at his own funeral. Maybe that's why it's so grandiose. 

I was going to go on a little "only in the 70s" rant/lament until I read that Axl Rose was inspired by Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding when writing November Rain for the Use Your Illusion sessions... The more you know.  (As an aside, am I the only person who is completely gobsmacked that November Rain has over 1.5 BILLION views on Youtube? Dang!)

As always, I encourage you to sit down and listen to the whole of the song either before or after you listen to the storyteller's story. It really brings you closer to the events (especially in Madeleine's case). 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

So many thanks to Kadi for her time, vulnerability and storytelling talents this week. 

You can hear another one of Kadi's stories (about a less than relaxing yoga retreat) here. She also has a  soundcloud ! Check it out to hear her young adult fiction podcast called YA! podcast. You can also check Kadi out @kadi_d on all the socials.

I'll See You In My Dreams isn't exclusively a ukulele jam. In fact, it first charted in the 20s! Since then it has been recorded by a virtual who's who (including Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Jerry Lee Lewis and Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys). That said it's easy to see how Joe Brown's version  from the 2002 Concert for George (Harrison) at Royal Albert Hall in London is a favourite. Though I love Ella Fitzgerald's version, I think Kadi's dead right about how Joe Brown's recording embodies the lightness a loved one's warmly-held memory. And now I won't ever be able to hear it without thinking of the Quran and sheep skin jackets. 

As always, I'd encourage you to listen to the song before (and even again after) you hear the episode.

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.

I am a huge HUGE fan of David Crabb.

That's it. That's the tweet.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, his energy, honesty and talent come through in everything he's done with The Volume Knob (and everything else he has put out into the world as an artist).  If you enjoyed David's story this week, be sure to check out the episode of the show he recorded in May or the TVK mixtape he did in September. David's memoir, Bad Kid is a fantastic read that I'd highly recommend and there's more info about him (including links to his storytelling workshops) on his website. You can also follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

Be sure to tune in again next week for the development of his relationship with Bob. 

Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net.

And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.