Once upon a time... Mindy Dillard was trapped in an unventilated room on an upper floor of an ugly building in a downtown metropolis. To make things even worse, she was stuck teaching creative drama to a group of 3- to 5-year-old girls that were obsessed with Disney princesses. This may very well have been one of the necessary sparks which led Mindy to create How to Survive a Poison Apple, a revisionist fairy tale folk-rock opera about gender stereotypes, body image and her own healing journey from anorexia and body dysmorphia. Mindy is a trained actor, mythological scholar and award-winning singer/songwriter. She won the Susanne Millsaps songwriter showcase in Salt Lake City, UT in June 2015. This release is Mindy’s second full-length feature following her first album Awakening Under Fluorescent Lights in 2010. ~~~ How to Survive a Poison Apple is the soundtrack for Mindy's one-woman show which combines spoken word, abstract storytelling and song. She recorded the album with Ben Bernstein at Petting Zoo Studios in Oakland, CA. She plays electric guitar, joined by Eric McEuen on lead electric guitar, Ben Bernstein on electric and upright bass, Maren Haynes on cello and Mike Stevens on drums. As Mindy steps one foot at a time into the powerful "Wilderness," she grows more and more confident in herself and the truth she has to share. She's joined by a colorful cast of her musical friends who help her portray Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Prince Charming in the junior high school cafeteria ("Lunchroom Royalty") and sing her to Fullness ("Extroverture"). Mindy's performed How to Survive a Poison Apple at festivals, conferences and eating disorder treatment centers since 2011, including at the Santa Cruz and Vancouver (B.C.) Fringe festivals and the iaedp (International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals) symposium in Phoenix, AZ in March 2015. "Mindy Dillard is on fire! Her one-woman show How to Survive a Poison Apple is a blend of rare insight tempered by whimsy -- the show feeds you in unexpected and profound ways. Meanwhile her burgeoning singer/songwriter career is captivating audiences and winning awards. Her secret weapon is a musical theater background which underpins a fearless and powerful performance." -- Lisa Lepine, Creative Consultant (Portland, OR) After you listen to this unique and evocative album, you'll come away with a new sense of your own "Fullness." _______________ ENDORSEMENTS: "If Mindy Dillard keeps doing what she's doing now, you are going to hear about her music. And you will be glad you did." -- John Gorka, Folk Icon "Mindy is breath of fresh air on stage! Graceful and poised with lyrics that cut straight to the heart. She will make you laugh and cry and you'll leave her performance with a genuine smile and feeling of goodness." -- Ruthie Naccarato, Ricochet House Concerts, Salt Lake City, UT "How to Survive a Poison Apple resonates with truth and heart and rockstar power!" -- Art Yoga Cat, Santa Cruz Fringe Festival, CA