Podcast
Tell Us Something
Hosted by Tell Us Something · EN
Tell Us Something awakens imagination, empowers storytellers and connects the community through the transformative power of personal storytelling. It is a celebration of each other, our stories and how we move through the world together. All of the stories at Tell Us Something are true. Stories last for 10 minutes and are told from memory.
23episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
“Never Again” Part 2
Oct 4, 202400:39:35Tap to summarizeJesse Ballard and her family are stranded in the Kenyan desert where they faced danger, dehydration, and exhaustion. Come along with Jesse on a wild adventure filled with unforgettable memories in a story she calls “The Best Walker”. ???? kmr studios Jesse Ballard is a perinatal care coordinator who moonlights as an actor and a birth doula. She lives in Missoula with her husband, 2 kids and 2 cats. In our next story, Betsy Funk hikes with her adult daughter Kelsey in Glacier National Park on what would become a grueling hike for her daughter. Kelsey’s determination and love for the outdoors pushed them through tears and exhaustion. Betsy calls her story “Glacier Calls”. ???? kmr studios ????courtesy of Betsy Funk ????courtesy of Betsy Funk Betsy Funk lives in the Flathead Valley of Montana where, surrounded by mountains, she raised her family. A retired health teacher, she now spends her time in that landscape, gardening, hiking, playing music, helping her husband run his craft school and best of all, getting into mischief with her grandchildren. Savoring moments of connection every day. She believes stories are the result of that ability and gift to be in each moment. There is a certain magic in that presence with her life. It offers in each encounter, a chance to be seen, which in the big picture is what might make the world a better place for all of us. Closing out this episode of the Tell Us Something podcast, Syd Lang is a camp counselor at a small long running camp in Colorado. Listen as she meets a special individual one summer, and watch their friendship blossom amidst laughter, shared stories, and a whole lot of fun! Syd calls her story “Love Sick”. ???? kmr studios Sydney Lang grew up in Olympia, Washington and has been living in grand ol’ Missoula, Montana on and off for the past seven years. She attended the University of Montana where she studied Communication and Climate Change. She spends much of her time climbing big rocks and zooming through the trees on her bike. She has been working in the outdoor education world for many years, both in Montana and Colorado.Syd loves to eat bubblegum ice cream, practice slackline by the river, play on local trails, and cook dinner with friends.
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“Never Again” Part 1
Sep 28, 202400:54:00Tap to summarizeIn our first story, listen to James Crosby share his disastrous sailing camp experiences and life-changing moments as a lifeguard. James shares his journey of self-discovery and resilience and discovers how a seemingly simple act of kindness led him to find his true calling and inspire others along the way in a story he calls “Too Big to Sail”. 📷kmr studios The oldest and tallest among dozens of first cousins, James Crosby oddly and infuriatingly found himself outmatched in many backyard sports. He earned scores of nicknames: Stonehands, Butterfingers, Floodpants… all apt descriptions of his athletic “prowess” and Giraffe-like physique. After years of searching for the thing that could make him cool, a summer job with AccesSport America taught him to be something better. To learn more about the adaptive programs at AccesSport America: visit goaccess.org. In our next story, Aaron Miller’s autism diagnosis didn’t define him, it fueled his determination. From speech therapy to high school theater, Aaron overcomes his challenges & proves his capabilities. Aaron believes that disabilities aren’t limitations; they’re opportunities for growth. Aaron calls his story “Growing Up”. 📷 kmr studiosAaron Miller is a 16-year-old boy who loves to talk and bond with others. He stands as the youngest in his family and house but is the tallest out of everyone. His dad died of cancer when he was three, so he only had his mom and brother until he turned around nine where he moved across town and had his family join another family. Aaron gained a stepfather, a stepbrother, and a nonbinary stepsister. His autistic mind is what makes him the way he is: funny and responsible. He does theater at Big Sky High School, one of many MCPS schools with talented kids in many fields. Aaron is the fifth in his family to participate in one of Tell Us Something’s events alongside his brother (Alex), stepsister (Rae), stepfather (Brian), and mother (Angela). Aaron is debating what his future will look like since he doesn’t know if he wants to go to college for theater, but he believes in himself and knows that he will go far with many by his side to support him. Our next storyteller believes in the power of storytelling so much he founded Tell Us Something in 2011. That’s right, our next storyteller is Tell Us Something founder and Executive Director Marc Moss. He calls his story “Is Anybody Alive Out There Tonight”. 📷 kmr studios Marc Moss is the founder and director of Tell Us Something & live w/my wife Joyce & our kitten Ziggy on Missoula’s Northside. Rounding out this episode of the Tell Us Something podcast, Karna Sundby gets swept up in a windstorm, while skydiving. Peer pressure and borrowed gear led to a harrowing experience in a story Karna calls “My Last Jump”. 📷 kmr studios Karna Sundby has always been on her own unique, uncharted path. Her curiosity and spiritual quest has taken her to places that most people would find bizarre, wondrous or enlightening depending on their personal life experience. The one word they would never use to describe Karna is boring. Karna’s gift and curse is being fearless. Learn more about Karna and her life coaching services at inneraccess.org.
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Tell Us Something – Youth!
Aug 18, 2019Tap to summarizeIn the summer of 2019, Tell Us Something hosted a storytelling summer camp for youth at Zootown Arts Community Center. Seven young women worked together with Tell Us Something director Marc Moss for a week during the summer of 2019 to learn about how to decide what story to share, stage presence, story structure, elements of a story, keeping ourselves, our audience, and the characters in a story safe as well as making an emotional connection with the audience. This episode of the Tell Us Something podcast was recorded in front of a live audience on August 9, 2019 at Zootown Arts Community Center in Missoula, MT. 7 storytellers shared their true personal story that they developed with me over the course of a weeklong summer camp for youth at The ZACC. Izzy Slaughter, is our first storyteller, accompanies her competitive jump rope team, the Montana Super Skippers, to the national championships in Disney World, and gives us a peak behind the scenes of a chaotic competition. Her story is called “Jump for Joy”. Watch Izzy’s story. Izzy Slaughter was born and raised in Missoula, Montana and is a competitive jump roper. She enjoys eating Big Dipper ice cream, skiing at Snowbowl, crafting and being outdoors. Ellie Althauser-Vlad’s best friend disappeared unexpectedly and when she returns, Ellie discovers why, offering her support and continued friendship. Her story is called “The Starbucks Cup”. Watch Ellie’s story. Ellie Althauser-Vlad was born in Missoula and is an inclusive, open-minded goofy 8th grader at Washington Middle School, except for when her she-demon sister is around. She lives with her parents, sister, cat and dog. If Ellie were an ice cream flavor, she would most definitely be yellow cake, and only from the Big Dipper, of course. Si Thompson visits La Paz, Mexico and gets up close and personal with a whale shark, one of the largest animals on the planet. We call her story “Snorkeling with a Whale Shark”. Watch Si’s story. Si Thompson has lived in Missoula, MT most of her life. She enjoys the arts and crafts, and the outdoors, mostly skiing and swimming. She loves animals — all of them. Annie Smith loves helping her mom make fudge, and when she has eaten her quota, she retreats to her room, only to sneak out again, and raid the fudge crumbs when her mother isn’t looking. We call her story “Fudge Crumbs on the Sly”. Watch Annie’s story. Annie Smith was born and raised in Missoula, Montana and enjoys reading, crafting, traveling, playing sports, playing the violin and piano and being outside. Especially in the water. Wynter Bradley goes camping with her siblings, father and uncle in the wilds of Montana. She tests the boundaries she was given and strays beyond the sightline of the adults. Listen to her adventure of being lost in the wilderness in a story we call “Lost and Found”. Watch Wynter’s story. Wynter Bradley is going into 8th grade. She likes to travel, sing, dance and write. She also really likes gyros and fries. Hannah Lunde visits Disneyland with her parents and discovers the Guardians of the Galaxy ride is not what they expected. We call this story “Disneyland Dropdown”. Watch Hannah’s story. Hannah Lunde is a happy girl going into 7th grade. She loves dance and gymnastics. If she were an animal, she would be a goat. Our final story comes to us from Gwyneth Puryear, who decides to take AP Chemistry. She takes us on the journey of humor and anxiety that is the final exam. We call her story “Shooting for a 3”. Watch Gwyneth’s story. Gwyneth Puryear recently moved to Missoula from England. She’s going to be a junior in high school and loves to perform. She spends her time reading, writing and singing along to her favorite musicals.
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