Shortwave Stories https://shortwavestories.com/ en All rights reserved 2026 Aaron Calafato's Shortwave Stories is a short-form public radio series featuring true stories written and performed by award-winning Ohio storyteller. Paired with an original sonic score, each episode finds deeper meaning in the small moments we often overlook—true stories from one life that somehow belong to us all. Because sometimes, the shortest distance between us is a story. *Original Stories Written & Performed by Aaron Calafato *Original Scores & Sound Designs by ⁠Echo Finch *In Partnership with WYSU 88.5FM https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/04cc5a5e-7734-11f1-8005-87f093a8a125/image/50e449129dca9e235d6b86fd1eaf12fb.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress Shortwave Stories https://shortwavestories.com/ episodic Aaron Calafato Aaron Calafato's Shortwave Stories is a short-form public radio series featuring true stories written and performed by award-winning Ohio storyteller. Paired with an original sonic score, each episode finds deeper meaning in the small moments we often overlook—true stories from one life that somehow belong to us all. Because sometimes, the shortest distance between us is a story. *Original Stories Written & Performed by Aaron Calafato *Original Scores & Sound Designs by ⁠Echo Finch *In Partnership with WYSU 88.5FM Aaron Calafato's Shortwave Stories is a short-form public radio series featuring true stories written and performed by award-winning Ohio storyteller. Paired with an original sonic score, each episode finds deeper meaning in the small moments we often overlook—true stories from one life that somehow belong to us all.

Because sometimes, the shortest distance between us is a story.

*Original Stories Written & Performed by Aaron Calafato

*Original Scores & Sound Designs by ⁠Echo Finch

*In Partnership with WYSU 88.5FM

]]> Aaron Calafato aaron@aaroncalafato.com The Yellow Bird A childhood home. A hallway birdcage. A blue bird, a yellow bird, and a kid trying to make sense of the tiny world fluttering in front of him. In this Short Wave Story, Aaron Calafato remembers the strange little ecosystem of his early life: a house full of birds, a family that changes shape after divorce, a porch that briefly becomes a kind of paradise, and a Siamese cat named Shadow who reminds everyone that nature does not care about house rules. But years later, the bird Aaron liked the least becomes the one he remembers most. What begins as a funny story about a cranky yellow bird turns into a quiet meditation on freedom, survival, and the first time death feels close enough to hold in your hands. Original Stories Written & Performed by⁠ Aaron Calafato  ⁠ Original Scores & Sound Design by ⁠⁠Echo Finch⁠ In Partnership with ⁠WYSU 88.5FM ⁠ Sun, 05 Jul 2026 23:20:00 -0000 full Aaron Calafato A childhood home. A hallway birdcage. A blue bird, a yellow bird, and a kid trying to make sense of the tiny world fluttering in front of him. In this Short Wave Story, Aaron Calafato remembers the strange little ecosystem of his early life: a house full of birds, a family that changes shape after divorce, a porch that briefly becomes a kind of paradise, and a Siamese cat named Shadow who reminds everyone that nature does not care about house rules. But years later, the bird Aaron liked the least becomes the one he remembers most. What begins as a funny story about a cranky yellow bird turns into a quiet meditation on freedom, survival, and the first time death feels close enough to hold in your hands. Original Stories Written & Performed by⁠ Aaron Calafato  ⁠ Original Scores & Sound Design by ⁠⁠Echo Finch⁠ In Partnership with ⁠WYSU 88.5FM ⁠ A childhood home. A hallway birdcage. A blue bird, a yellow bird, and a kid trying to make sense of the tiny world fluttering in front of him.

In this Short Wave Story, Aaron Calafato remembers the strange little ecosystem of his early life: a house full of birds, a family that changes shape after divorce, a porch that briefly becomes a kind of paradise, and a Siamese cat named Shadow who reminds everyone that nature does not care about house rules.

But years later, the bird Aaron liked the least becomes the one he remembers most.

What begins as a funny story about a cranky yellow bird turns into a quiet meditation on freedom, survival, and the first time death feels close enough to hold in your hands.

Original Stories Written & Performed by⁠ Aaron Calafato  ⁠

Original Scores & Sound Design by ⁠⁠Echo Finch⁠

In Partnership with ⁠WYSU 88.5FM ⁠

]]> 294 no The Red Balloon When Aaron learns that his childhood friend Justin has lost his dad, a memory of an old French film leads him back to a childhood belief that balloons might be able to carry more than we think. What follows is a story about friendship, hope, and the things we send out hoping they somehow find their way. Original Stories Written & Performed by Aaron Calafato   Original Scores & Sound Design by ⁠Echo Finch In Partnership with WYSU 88.5FM Sun, 05 Jul 2026 02:09:00 -0000 full Aaron Calafato When Aaron learns that his childhood friend Justin has lost his dad, a memory of an old French film leads him back to a childhood belief that balloons might be able to carry more than we think. What follows is a story about friendship, hope, and the things we send out hoping they somehow find their way. Original Stories Written & Performed by Aaron Calafato   Original Scores & Sound Design by ⁠Echo Finch In Partnership with WYSU 88.5FM When Aaron learns that his childhood friend Justin has lost his dad, a memory of an old French film leads him back to a childhood belief that balloons might be able to carry more than we think. What follows is a story about friendship, hope, and the things we send out hoping they somehow find their way. Original Stories Written & Performed by Aaron Calafato  

Original Scores & Sound Design by ⁠Echo Finch

In Partnership with WYSU 88.5FM

]]> 280 no The Door Test When Aaron finds out that his childhood friend Justin has lost his dad, he returns to an old French film and a belief he carried at six years old: maybe balloons really can be magic. What follows is a story about friendship, hope, and sending a message without ever knowing for sure where it will land. Original Stories Written & Performed by⁠⁠ Aaron Calafato  ⁠⁠ Original Scores & Sound Design by ⁠⁠⁠Echo Finch⁠⁠ In Partnership with ⁠⁠WYSU 88.5FM ⁠ Fri, 03 Jul 2026 15:18:00 -0000 full Aaron Calafato When Aaron finds out that his childhood friend Justin has lost his dad, he returns to an old French film and a belief he carried at six years old: maybe balloons really can be magic. What follows is a story about friendship, hope, and sending a message without ever knowing for sure where it will land. Original Stories Written & Performed by⁠⁠ Aaron Calafato  ⁠⁠ Original Scores & Sound Design by ⁠⁠⁠Echo Finch⁠⁠ In Partnership with ⁠⁠WYSU 88.5FM ⁠ When Aaron finds out that his childhood friend Justin has lost his dad, he returns to an old French film and a belief he carried at six years old: maybe balloons really can be magic. What follows is a story about friendship, hope, and sending a message without ever knowing for sure where it will land.


Original Stories Written & Performed by⁠⁠ Aaron Calafato  ⁠⁠

Original Scores & Sound Design by ⁠⁠⁠Echo Finch⁠⁠

In Partnership with ⁠⁠WYSU 88.5FM ⁠

]]> 281 no The Secret Antenna Could a toy microphone from 1990 be the reason Aaron Calafato is telling stories on the radio today? At seven years old, Aaron arrives at his dad’s unfamiliar new apartment after his parents’ divorce. Inside an otherwise empty bedroom, he discovers a Fisher-Price karaoke recorder and begins making cassette tapes with his brother, inventing radio shows and telling stories beneath the blankets at night. What begins as a way to fill something he cannot yet name becomes a lifelong calling—and gives rise to a childhood belief in a secret antenna that might carry his voice to someone listening far away. Original Stories Written & Performed by⁠ Aaron Calafato  ⁠ Original Scores & Sound Design by ⁠⁠Echo Finch⁠ In Partnership with ⁠WYSU 88.5FM ⁠ Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:44:00 -0000 full Aaron Calafato Could a toy microphone from 1990 be the reason Aaron Calafato is telling stories on the radio today? At seven years old, Aaron arrives at his dad’s unfamiliar new apartment after his parents’ divorce. Inside an otherwise empty bedroom, he discovers a Fisher-Price karaoke recorder and begins making cassette tapes with his brother, inventing radio shows and telling stories beneath the blankets at night. What begins as a way to fill something he cannot yet name becomes a lifelong calling—and gives rise to a childhood belief in a secret antenna that might carry his voice to someone listening far away. Original Stories Written & Performed by⁠ Aaron Calafato  ⁠ Original Scores & Sound Design by ⁠⁠Echo Finch⁠ In Partnership with ⁠WYSU 88.5FM ⁠ Could a toy microphone from 1990 be the reason Aaron Calafato is telling stories on the radio today?

At seven years old, Aaron arrives at his dad’s unfamiliar new apartment after his parents’ divorce. Inside an otherwise empty bedroom, he discovers a Fisher-Price karaoke recorder and begins making cassette tapes with his brother, inventing radio shows and telling stories beneath the blankets at night. What begins as a way to fill something he cannot yet name becomes a lifelong calling—and gives rise to a childhood belief in a secret antenna that might carry his voice to someone listening far away.


Original Stories Written & Performed by⁠ Aaron Calafato  ⁠

Original Scores & Sound Design by ⁠⁠Echo Finch⁠

In Partnership with ⁠WYSU 88.5FM ⁠

]]> 294 no Shortwave Stories Trailer As a kid, I told stories about my ordinary Northeast Ohio life into a little cassette recorder, convinced that it had a magical antenna that would transport them to people. Thirty years later, it turns out I wasn’t wrong. I’m Aaron Calafato. This September, join me for Shortwave Stories: true short stories from one life that somehow belong to all of us. Wed, 01 Jul 2026 22:53:00 -0000 trailer Aaron Calafato As a kid, I told stories about my ordinary Northeast Ohio life into a little cassette recorder, convinced that it had a magical antenna that would transport them to people. Thirty years later, it turns out I wasn’t wrong. I’m Aaron Calafato. This September, join me for Shortwave Stories: true short stories from one life that somehow belong to all of us. As a kid, I told stories about my ordinary Northeast Ohio life into a little cassette recorder, convinced that it had a magical antenna that would transport them to people.

Thirty years later, it turns out I wasn’t wrong.

I’m Aaron Calafato. This September, join me for Shortwave Stories: true short stories from one life that somehow belong to all of us.

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