Oral History Project

Whether recording a personal life story or documenting the history of a nonprofit organization, oral history projects capture memories and perspectives through recorded interviews and careful transcription, ensuring that these stories are not lost to time. Print documents can only reveal so much about the lived history of an individual, group, or organization. Oral histories preserve memories, milestones, challenges and successes through first-person accounts and storytelling.

• For an individual or family member, an oral history preserves the memories of an older relative for families to share with future generations.

• For institutions or organizations, an oral history project captures institutional memory in celebration of an upcoming milestone or during an important transition in the lifetime of an agency. 

• Oral histories provide depth for a podcast, documentary, or narrative history.

My approach to oral history is to allow stories to unfold authentically through conversational interviews. Every project includes planning, research, interviews, transcription, editing, vetting, and sharing the final portfolio with interviewees or stakeholders. In our initial consultation, we’ll define the scope of your project. During interviews, I listen closely and gently guide the conversation. Recorded interviews are best when conducted in person, but zoom interviews are also possible. Meticulous transcription and expert editing follow best practices as established by the Oral History Association. The final portfolio includes a digital audio file and a vetted, printed transcript.