The Volume Knob is the songs that saved your life. Every Monday, host Keith Serry asks his guests to tell the story of how music changed, inspired, soothed and moved them. The result is a music show that's less about chorus and verse and more about the ways that music makes us feel. The results are sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes side-splitting and always relatable.
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Very happy to have Jesse on the show this week. He first pitched TVK over 2 years ago (things have been moving SLOWLY around here at world HQ) and I think you'll agree that this is a case of better late than never. You can learn more about Jesse by following him on Instagram. Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook …
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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 a…
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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 …
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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 Smashmout…
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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…
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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 Twi…
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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 liste…
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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 do…
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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 …
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Sean Ewert has told his stories in Chicago and Los Angeles at such shows as The Moth (storySLAM Winner "Nostalgia" Los Angeles 2021), USA Today Storytellers Project, JAM Creative Stories, This Much Is True, Story Club Chicago (winner audience favorite), and Story Salon. Recently, his stories have been published in two book anthologies, Rings of Kin…
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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 th…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.…
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TVK's Greatest Hits! Emira: Flashdance...What a feeling
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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…
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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 t…
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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 …
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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 f…
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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 …
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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…
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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…
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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 in…
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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…
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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 recomme…
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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…
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Shannon's Atlanta based storytelling consultancy is called StoryMuse. Check out their website here. You can also follow her on Instagram and Twitter. While listening to Celebrity Skin this week, I was inspired to head down a little rabbit hole regarding, well, Hole. More specifically, I read a few articles about Hole's bassist during the Celebrity …
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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 si…
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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 i…
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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…
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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 (perh…
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TVK'S Greatest Hits: Mario (Caravan of Love)
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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 als…
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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.…
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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 f…
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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 …
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In addition to his work as a storyteller, Rob is a talented writer, and improviser. He's also a Spurs fan, so he knows a little bit about suffering. 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 sig…
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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 a…
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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…
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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 …
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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 …
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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 volumekno…
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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…
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If TVK is a success at all it's because of people like Will Clegg. Will is not only a talented storyteller and producer, he's been responsible for introducing me to many of the other wonderful storytellers in the New York area who have appeared on the show in the last year or two. For that generosity, I owe him a great debt. Thanks, Will! As I ment…
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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 Br…
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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, twi…
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Can you hear the warmth and humanity in Rich's voice? This week's episode was one of those rare incidents where I wish there was video because rich is a special human being; genuine, gracious and funny. I really enjoyed making radio with him and hope this week's episode gave you some insight into his personality. If you want more Rich Cardillo you …
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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 …
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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.…
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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 f…
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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 son…
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