The Apple Seed

In the 1984 film, Footloose, the main character Wren quotes some bible verses about dancing to prove a point. One of the verses he includes is Ecclesiastes 3:4, which says, there is “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;”. In this episode we're sharing tales, poems, and songs, about times when dancing seems like the right thing to do.

Nutcracker by Kevin Kling (2:29)

When Kevin Kling was asked to be in a production of the Nutcracker. Not having a lot of dance training early in his life, a child in the cast gives him some advice when he’s met with criticism. Learn more about Kevin Kling, an author, playwright, storyteller, and occasional dancer, by visiting: www.kevinkling.com

Max by Jay O'Callahan (8:13)

Max is inhibited from dancing due to a leg condition but that doesn’t prevent him from stepping into the magic of a Gene Kelly dance scene when the occasion presents itself. Learn more about Jay O'Callahan, who often runs writing workshops from his home, by visiting: ocallahan.com

Elaina's Birthday Dance by Sheila Arnold (20:04)

Elaina has a hard time keeping her love of dance contained to “appropriate times”. For her, all the time is a “time to dance” and though she’s met with some some time constraints every so often, like school or taking care of her baby brother, on her birthday she’s allowed to dance all day long thanks to a special gift from her mother. Learn more about Sheila Arnold, who is the CEO and Lead Performer of History's Alive!, by visiting: www.mssheila.org

De Critters Dance by Oni Lasana (40:12)

A poem about how dancing isn’t only for humans - it’s for every creature. Learn more about Oni Lasana, who is a performer and a performance poet, by visiting: www.onilasana.com

Belle of the Ball by Waddie Mitchell (44:10)

A poem about the trouble that can come with taking the prettiest girl to the dance. Learn more about Waddie Mitchell, a renowned cowboy poet, by visiting: www.somagency.com/waddie-mitchell

Skeleton Dance by Anne Rutherford (47:19)

A song about skeleton's dancing. Learn more about Anne Rutherford, a three-time first place winner at the NW Folklore Festival Liar's Contest, by visiting: www.annerutherford.com

The Dancing Lass of Anglesey by Heather Forest (50:56)

A musical tale of a time when battles were fought and won by the skill of a dancer rather than by the amount of blood spilt. Learn more about Heather Forest, who is an author of seven children's books based on folktales, by visiting: www.heatherforest.com

Foxes have been appearing in written literature since 4 B.C. with Aesop’s fables, and they continue to perpetuate through the storytelling tradition today. Fox characters often slide around on the scale of good and bad, but no matter where they fall it’s always interesting to hear the plans they concoct, or the plans that are carried out by the other characters in reaction to the fox. Stories included in this episode are:

Fox's Bag by Pam Faro (1:59)

Fox goes from house to house collecting something bigger to eat, which he stores in his sack, until the final woman he tries to trick manages to dupe him instead. Learn more about Pam Faro by visiting: storycrossings.com

Henrietta and Fritz by Glenda Bonin (18:44)

Fritz the fox tells Henrietta the Hen that it’s an international day of peace so she should come off her perch and come to the ground so they can be friends. Henrietta has her own suspicious about what's really going on that day. Learn more about Glenda Bonin by visiting: www.storyworksgroup.com

1000 Ideas by Mary Hamilton (24:40)

A fox and crane get stuck in a hunter’s hole together. He has 1000 ideas on how to get out of the situation and he laughs at the crane for only having one idea. Learn more about Mary Hamilton by visiting: www.maryhamilton.info

Rabbit and Fox by Joseph Bruchac (28:32)

Fox is hoping for a lovely meal in the middle of the winter, but rabbit keeps taking on new disguises, throwing a wrench in Fox's plan. Learn more about Joseph Bruchac by visiting: josephbruchac.com

Fox and His Tail by Sam Harris (38:21)

From Mitch Weiss & Martha Hamilton’s album Stories in My Pocket: Tales Kids Can Tell, Sam Harris tells this story from Nicaragua in which Fox is chased by some dogs; escapes, and asks his body parts what they did for him. Learn more about Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss by visiting: beautyandthebeaststorytellers.com

Fox and Horse by Sean K. Buvala (42:57)

Horse's owner tells him that he could only keep him under a unique condition that Horse feels he cannot meet. Fox decides to lend his wit to the situation. Learn more about Sean K. Buvala by visiting: www.seantells.com

Buh Fox Learn Fo' Count by Tim Lowry (47:19)

A Gullah tale featuring Br'er Rabbit and Br'er Bear in which Buh Fox learns to count. Learn more about Tim Lowry by visiting: www.storytellertimlowry.com

As we tell tales we’re stitching “something” into our listeners and a good teller will often pull that “something” like a string throughout the narrative to tighten up its audience a little more - bring them a little closer to each other - or whatever place the teller is trying to reach. And we wanted to share some stories with you, whose content reflects that search for unity and harmony where there might have been dischord, or isolation before. Stories and songs about people -- or animals -- coming together. Stories included in this episode:

Cranes by Susan Reed (1:36)

A group of cranes used to fly over the world spreading peace behind them but then one day the lead crane suddenly dies, and consequently disrupts the flow of harmony in the world . The song that accompanies this piece is called Paper Cranes. Learn more about Susan Reed, whose album Lion in the Sky has won several awards including the Tillywig Gold Award, by visiting: www.susanreed.com

Heart in Our Hands by Kevin Cordi (23:02)

In a land where people's hearts are on their hands, one man learns an immaculate heart is not actually the most beautiful heart one can have. Learn more about Kevin Cordi, who is also an author and an international award winning educator in addition to being a storyteller, by visiting: www.kevincordi.com

The Power of Love by Michael McCarty (30:37)

While traveling around India he's confronted with some difficulties just because of the color of his skin, but instead of getting angry he decides to respond by "sending love" to those who are giving him a rough time. Learn more about Michael McCarty, who won the South African Candlelight Award for Sharing Hope in 1998, by visiting: www.havemouthwillrunit.com

Alegria! We Sing as One by Leeny Del Seamonds (39:12)

A song about singing altogether. Learn more about Leeny Del Seamonds, the 2015 winner of the National Storytelling Network Oracle Cirlce of Excellence Award, by visiting: www.leenydelseamonds.com

House on the Hill by Heather Forest (41:11)

A whole bunch of animals work together to build a home they can all share. Learn more about Heather Forest, who is an award winning author of various types of work, by visiting: www.heatherforest.com

The Bundle of Sticks by The Storycrafters (46:09)

Three sisters discover the reason why their grandmother kept a bundle of sticks over the fireplace. Learn more about The Storycrafters, recipients of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, by visiting: www.storycrafters.com

Summertime is the time for road trips. And traveling around this summer with friends and family of different ages certain stories have floated to the top of the pile as crowd pleasers for drive-time listening. We wanted to share those stories with you whether you're cruising along the open road this summer or taking the prime seat on the couch. Stories included in this episode:

Lessons Learned in East Berlin by Bil Lepp (1:34)

Bil is notorious for his tall tales but this is a true story from when he was an exchange student in Germany. In a quest to acquire an East German propaganda poster, Bil learns that people are more than just the organization with which they affiliate Learn more about Bil Lepp, who has won the West Virginia Liars' Contest five times, by visiting: www.leppstorytelling.com

Weezie and the Moon Pies by Bill Harley (15:38)

Weezie is the smartest kid's little sister and gets everyone into a pickle one day when her love for Moon Pies goes unattended. Learn more about Bill Harley, winner of the Green Earth Book Award, by visiting: www.billharley.com

Train by Kevin Kling (40:25)

Lessons learned by riding the rails to the coast in search of great seafood. Learn more about Kevin Kling, who has written five plays, by visiting: www.kevinkling.com

The Bear Hunters Bold by Waddie Mitchell (51:45)

A terrific piece by one of America's leading cowboy poets, performed live at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival in 2012. Learn more about Waddie Mitchell, who has appeared on television several times, by visiting: www.somagency.com/waddie-mitchell

In this episode we’re talking about teaching stories – stories that have at their heart a moral or teaching designed to help you understand something or to help you foster a certain behavior or sense of watchfulness about some danger. The Apple Seed teams sits down together to discuss the topic as well as share some of the moralistic tales that have stuck with them throughout their lives. Segments included in this episode are:

Insecure Flower by Bob Reiser (1:08)

A flower learns that beauty is more than just an appearance, beauty comes from what we create. You can learn more about Bob Reiser by visiting: www.bobtales.com

The Moral of the Story Roundtable (5:56)

A discussion amongst the Apple Seed Team, Sam Payne, Whitney Snow, Andre Marques, and Kassie Schreiber, about the role stories with morals have played in their lives.

The Fox and the Crow by Susan Klein (29:58)

Aesop's Fable with a cautionary word towards flattery, with a brief introduction by our assistant producer, Kassie Schreiber. You can learn more about Susan Klein by visiting: www.susanklein.net

Brazilian Folk Characters (32:53)

Our audio engineer, Andre Marques, shares some classic characters from Brazilian folklore.

The Emperor's New Clothes by Diane Wolkstein (38:12)

Whitney Snow's memorable story with a moral comes from Hans Christian Andersen, which she first heard from a Little Golden Book. It's about a Emporer and his staff that are so self-absorbed some swindlers decide to take advantage of their pride. You can learn more about the late Diane Wolkstein by visiting her Wikipedia page: wikipedia.org/Diane_Wolkstein

The Brahman, the Tiger, and the Jackal by Heather Forest (48:20)

A folktale from India. You can learn more about Heather Forest by visiting: www.heatherforest.com

Based in New York, long-time friends Andrew Davies and Aaron Friedman visit summer camps, colleges, family centers, festivals and more as The Bible Players, an improv/comedy duo specializing in Torah stories. They’ve been doing it since 2011, and we caught up with them as they visited the St. Louis Storytelling Festival. This episode features a conversation with Andrew and Aaron, as well as a stories from Joel Ben Izzy and Syd Liebeman. Segments included in this episode:

The Bible Players (0:17)

Conversation with Andrew Davis and Aaron Friedman, the co-founders of The Bible Players along with some audio of their performances. You can learn more about The Bible Players by visiting: www.thebibleplayers.com

The Beggar King by Joel Ben Izzy (21:30)

A story about King Solomon's efforts to build a temple, that are thwarted by a demon who casts him out, which eventually leads him to become a chef, a dancer, a jeweler, and a beggar. You can learn more about Joel Ben Izzy by visiting: www.storypage.com

Challas in the Ark by Syd Lieberman (46:23)

A little language confusion leads to a flow of unexpected miracles. You can learn more about the late Syd Lieberman by visiting: www.sydlieberman.com

Listening to a story is sometimes equivalent to walking a mile or ten miles in someone else’s shoes and so today we wanted to walk along the path of, well, insects. We’ve gathered together some great stories that give us a little bit more insight into life as the littlest of guys - bugs. Stories included in this episode:

The Pet Centipede by Sheila Starks Phillips (1:18)

A man gets a talking centipede as a pet and decides to ask it to church. Learn more about Sheila Starks Phillips by visiting: www.sheilaphillips.com

Teeny Tiny Fly and the Great Big Whale by Big Joe Pagliuca (4:45)

Three brothers live together with a dog and a fly. All the brothers and the dog get swallowed by a whale, leaving the fly to figure out how to save them. Learn more about Big Joe by visiting: www.bigjoe.com

Poor Little Bug on the Wall by Priscilla Howe (13:40)

A song about the hardships of being a lonely bug on the wall. Learn more about Priscilla Howe by visiting: www.priscillahowe.com

La Mariposa by Donna Washington (18:04)

A story explaining why the Monarch butterfly is the way she is. Learn more about Donna Washington by visiting: www.dlwstoryteller.com

Frog and Centipede by Susan Klein (29:25)

A young frog keeps asking the centipede how it got its shiny armor, but he's to impatient to listen to the fulness of the tale. Learn more about Susan Klein by visiting: www.susanklein.net

Paca and Beetle by Heather Forest (31:56)

In this Tortoise and the Hare type of tale, Paca and Beetle engage in a race. Learn more about Heather Forest by visiting: www.heatherforest.com

Ants and Grasshopper by Willy Claflin (37:47)

A Maynard Moose interpretation of the classic fable, which ends a little differently than what you'd expect. Learn more about Willy Claflin by visiting: www.willyclaflin.com

Princess Firefly by Diane Edgecomb (40:25)

A beetle princess sends various suitors to bring her back the light of the stars in order to win her hand. Learn more about Diane Edgecomb by visiting: livingmyth.com

We’re in Fruita, Colorado at the Dinosaur Journey museum. This museum is part of a greater organization that includes a number of active paleontological digs, as well as another museum called the Museum of the West where exhibits tell the story of more than a thousand years of history about the area, an interpretive site called Cross Orchards where costumed guides help you step back in time more than a hundred years, the Lloyd Files Research Library, featuring, among thousands of other things, the Mesa County Oral History project. All of these facilities together are part of a museum complex called Museums of Western Colorado, which you can discover more about at museumofwesternco.com

The truth is, we live in a time in which there seems to be a harder, brighter line than usual between the people who embrace the things that scientists are discovering about our world and the people who don’t. We’re seeing things like marches for science, and we’re hearing labels like “science deniers,” and at the Apple Seed, where we’re interested in all of the many ways that people use story to communicate important stuff, we recognize that there’s the valuable work of scientists, and then there’s the place at which that work interfaces with an interested public. And a place like the Dinosaur Journey Museum seems to exist right in that intersection. We talk to Dr. Julia McHugh, someone on the front lines of figuring out how to use competent storytelling to help non-scientists catch the vision of what scientists are learning and discovering for the first half of the hour. Other segments in this episode include:

Sam Payne's Dinosaur Blues (28:40)

A song Sam captured amidst inspirational statues of dinosaurs. Learn more about Sam Payne by visiting: www.sampayne.com

Patty Saurus Part 1 by Diane Edgecomb (29:50)

Patty is obsessed with dinosaurs...all she can think about is having more and more and more dinosaur things. She thinks about it so much she kind of loses herself. Learn more about Diane Edgecomb, who won the first national Oracle Award for Storytelling Excellence in the Northeast, by visiting: livingmyth.com

Patty Saurus Part 2 by Diane Edgecomb (42:19)

The second installment of Patty Saurus where she learns a little bit more about sharing and caring rather than constantly thinking about "more".

There are some story windows through which you can look and see the whole story of America, spread out before you. For example, you can look at the story of baseball and find in it the whole story of America. The story of the National Parks might be another one of those windows. Or the history of American churches.

We’ve looked through some of those windows on other episodes of the Apple Seed and so in this episode we’re peeking through the window of jazz. Sam fired up some recording equipment somewhere between sound check and downbeat of a recent gig with some friends of his – Ryan Tilby, Ian Camp, and Keith Sorensen. We coupled their feelings, observations, and experiences playing jazz over the years along with some songs and stories. Segments included in this episode:

What sparked an interest in jazz? (1:33)

Sweet Velzoe Brown by Norman Walker (4:26)

Velzoe Brown, was a jazz pianist who started playing as a teenager and continued to play well after her hundredth birthday. She was an inspiration for a lot of people, including Norman Walker. Learn more about Norman Walker by visiting: www.storytellers-conteurs.ca/Norman-Walker

The highs and lows of peforming with a jazz singer (9:26)

Dr. Henderson by Sam Payne (14:23)

Sam talks about his vocal jazz professor, who really made an impact on him. Learn more about Sam Payne and his jazz friends, who play together as "Savoy", by visiting: www.sampayne.com/savoy

What does it mean to be part of the jazz tradition? (25:15)

Remembering Marilyn Monroe by Kate Dudding (30:11)

It’s a story about Marilyn Monroe but it’s also about Ella Fitzgerald and how like many African American artists during the 1950’s, she was not playing first rate jazz clubs, even though she - and others - were first rate performers, just because of the color of their skin. Learn more about Kate Dudding by visiting: www.katedudding.com

The Glory of Improvisation (36:07)

The Sax Man by Ted Fink (41:06)

Ted meets a really good horn player who knew his dad. They talk about music pieces that they’ve each played in and the joy of big band days. This story also highlights that whether improvising or playing something that’s written down, there are moments when artists touch something greater than themselves. Learn more about Ted Fink by visiting: tedfink.com

Memorable Experiences (52:45)

Tellers and stories on BYUradio.