HOW DID I GET HERE?

One question really does lead to another. That’s not just another motto, and so we pick up where we left off in Episode 5, wondering just what the heck the Statue of Liberty is there for, anyway. Jim and the girls jet to New York in search of an answer that leads not just to Ellis Island, but to Vietnam, and back through the years to an exceptionally complicated moment in time. Show rules are broken, hard truths are considered, contradictions are everywhere and the girls, surprisingly, name check a former Secretary of State. 

 

YOU ARE WELCOME

“What the heck is the Statue of Liberty there for?” And with that, we’re off, roaming the complicated landscapes of American identity, American dreams, American history and American politics. In this first of a two-part series, Jim and Dana and Vern explore immigration—from the hypothetical Pig Latin population of Chile, to the residents of a small coastal Washington town, to the real and complicated stories of real immigrants. Listen for an appearance from a very real Ramblin’ Jack Elliott as well.


THE LONE WOLF

“Nobody’s totally independent” … “Everybody’s running from something” … “Sometimes I just need a break from” … What? And why? In this episode of ROAM SCHOOLED, we consider solitude. Why do some people seek it out, and what happens when they find it, or are forced into it? From a peaceful forest sanctuary to an off-the-grid commune in the desert, from the complications of life on an island to the emotional isolation of prison, we explore what it’s like to go it alone—for days, years, or just a few hours before the bakery opens. 


BEYOND BELIEVING

Roam Schooled travels to the southwest to talk to people about beliefs beyond the reach of science. We meet renowned Bigfoot expert Thom Powell, Phoenix Lights filmmaker/author Dr. Lynne Kitei, musical giant Van Dyke Parks, and many others to uncover why sometimes we believe—and why sometimes we may not. 

Listen and let us know what you think, or what questions you might have here.


Worth THE RISK

We set out with the familiar calculus of risk, reward, and regret on our minds, but encountered quite a different set of rules. We listened as risk takers (a trapeze artist, a habitual gambler, a naked DJ, an extreme rock climber, a stuntman) address just what is at stake in their risks, and we examined our own thrill-seeking tendencies.

Listen to our second experimental episode tell us what you think here. Many more are in the works and we'd love your input.

 

 

REMEMBER ME?

In our debut episode, we went in search of answers to seemingly simple questions: Why do people have tombstones? What is memorialization? From the tangible sculpted rock face of the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota to the personal accounts of a mortician in Philadelphia, we listen as people tell us why they remember.

We’d love to hear your thoughts and questions. Share them here.


ROAM SCHOOLED:

Grownup investigations with a child's sense of wonder.

Roam Schooled is a show about the pleasure of finding things out. It starts with a question, usually by one of my six-year old daughters, Vern and Dana. I’m Jim Brunberg, a musician, producer and sound engineer. 

Roam Schooled began a year ago, when I realized we were spending too much time at home on the laptop and other devices. We live in Portland, Oregon, but answers are anywhere and everywhere you dream to look. So we put our 1991 Winnebago to use, to go and talk to people—in person. One question typically led us to another, and away we went.

We began to hit the road on days off from school, on weekends and during the summer. The girls ask a lot of questions. Out in the world, we encountered all sorts of people to help find the answers. 

The kids’ perspective catapults the subject matter from place to place, but this isn’t a kids’ show. It’s for anyone with a desire to explore.

Our motto is, Let's Go Find Out.

EPISODE 7:
YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED

The girls turn seven in this episode. Seems like we spend a lot of time both contemplating the moment of our birth and pondering how we will die. more>>

EPISODE 6:
HOW DID I GET HERE?

Jim and the girls jet to New York in search of an answer that leads not just to Ellis Island, but to Vietnam, and back through the years to an exceptionally complicated moment in time. Show rules are broken, hard truths are considered, contradictions are everywhere and the girls, surprisingly, name check a former Secretary of State.