The Volume Knob

As mentioned in the intro, there are still tickets available for this season's episode of The Song that Saved My Life (live). Saturday, December 13th at the fabulous Sala Rossa featuring Matt Goldberg, Me, five talented storytellers and the musical stylings of Sarah Segal-Lazar and her band. Many thanks to Tennette who does not have a massive social media presence but is slowly building up a serious resume of appearances around NYC. Google her and get out to a gig! 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.

If TVK is a success at all it's because of people like Will who 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 continue to owe him a great debt. Will is also one of the founding producers of the Awkward Teenage Years  storytelling series. You can follow them on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Twitch (?). You can also follow Will directly on Twitter and the 'gram.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.

Working with Julia was a genuine pleasure. She is one of those people that is so entrenched in the NYC storytelling scene that Facebook has been suggesting we know each other for years. You can learn more about Julia's work by following her on Insta. Or you can follow the links get more info about Happy Hour Story Hour every Monday at the Duplex (60 Christopher Street) and Top Shelf Stories at UCB, NYC (this month's show includes TVK alumni Adam Wade and Jeff Simmermon). Side note, were you aware that Tom's Diner is an actual place? It's actually called Tom's Restaurant and it is most famous as the "exterior shot" of Monk's Cafe in Seinfeld. The more you know.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.And don't forget to sign up for the TVK Mailing List. To continue to hear the latest and greatest regarding Keith's live shows and other fun stuff.

So happy to finally have Gina on the show!  I love her style. Direct, vulnerable and delivered at a human pace. If you like it too, you might want to watch her work from The Moth or one of her many appearances on the stage at Confabulation.  You can also follow Gina on Instagram and (in case anyone is still doing it these days) Twi(x)tter. Oh! As promised here's the new TVK "places" playlist featuring London, LA, Ontario Cottage Country, New York - of course - and a little Birmingham).While you're in a following mood make sure you add 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.

So happy Juanita could join the show this week! If you're paying close attention, you'll notice that the production schedule has slowed a little around here in TVK land but it's pitches like hers that keep me coming back to the mixing desk.You can learn more about her on her website or by following her on Instagram (not posting to Twitter anymore, so why should you?). While you're on her website be sure to read the info on Juanita's two books: Tales of an Inland Empire Girl and Portrait of a Deputy Public Defender: or, how I became a punk rock lawyer. 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.

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 .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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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 Kindness  and Storytellers’ True Stories About Love Vol. 2.  Sean works during the day at the Spondylitis Association of America, helping those living with the disease share their stories about being a pain warrior.  Sean lives with his partner John and rescue dog, Pilot. You can follow him 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. 

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. 

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. 

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.  

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. 

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 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.