Capturing Memories

Dear Linda:

       I love hearing my grandparents tell the stories of their lives. How can I preserve them for future generations?

Wanting Sweet Remembrances


Dear Wanting:

       A memory is a precious piece of history. Preserving that kind of historical data is the mission of an organization called StoryCorps. Founded by Dave Isay of Sound Portraits Production (the parent company) in October, 2003, StoryCorps has conducted and archived over 5,000 oral histories.

       Modeled after a 1930’s program in a section of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal which hired unemployed writers to document oral history and folklore throughout the United States, StoryCorps, is “a national project intended to instruct and inspire people to record each others’ stories in sound”.

       In the process of building sound-proof recording studios across the country, StoryCorps offers several brick and mortar locations called StoryBooths and traveling studios called MobileBooths. A trained facilitator aids in question development suited to the person being interviewed, handles all the technical aspects of the recording, produces the CD (a digital recording with broadcast-quality equipment), and archives the 40-minute interview with the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

      A non-profit organization, they do not charge a fee except for cancellations, but they encourage donations, of course. The actual $200.00 cost is underwritten by various organizations including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and National Public Radio (on which these interviews are broadcasted), and is supported by public generosity.

       The process is simple: Choose an interview partner (must be over 10), make a reservation online or call 800-850-4406 (24 hours/7 days a week), develop a list of questions, and arrive 10 minutes before scheduled time to conduct the interview (or tell your own story).

       If you live too far from a Story or MobileBooth, visit http://storycorps.org to download a Do It Yourself Guide that lists equipment needed and outlines the complete process for conducting a StoryCorps interview including questions, tips and an interview checklist. Read Flophouse, a book based on the Sound Portraits Production radio stories by Dave Isay, for inspiration.

 It may not have the same professional lighting or high tech film quality, but you still will have captured the tone, mannerisms and memories of those you love.