"My dad and mother were married in the parsonage at Flatville
and the story was the preacher had to cover up the canary cage first so
the canary wouldn't keep singing while he was performing the ceremony"......Melvin
Huls.
Interviewing
Meet at the designated time and place and set up recorder
in an inconspicuous place.
Do a voice level check to be sure the narrator's voice
will be heard on the tape. Do this by turning on the player and saying:
Hello 1..2..3... then playing it back to check volume and clarity.
Turn the tape recorder or video camera on. At the beginning
of the tape identify yourself, the person you are interviewing, the date,
and location.
Take a few minutes to chat to become comfortable with
the recorder on.
Start asking questions.
Jot down names of people and places on a note pad to
check spelling later. Jot down questions you would like to ask later but
be careful not to write to much. This can be distracting for the narrator.
Good interviewing techniques
Be flexible. Don't be afraid to follow a good but unexpected
story. Be prepared to turn the tape over at an appropriate time before
it runs out.
"Every Saturday my grandmother would come up out of the basement
with a jar of cherries and raspberries, peaches and apples and she would
make 4 pies"...........Geraldine Osterbur and Pauline
Collins.
After the Interview
Again on tape identify yourself, the person you are
interviewing, the date and location.
Label all tapes and break off tabs immediately.
Don't forget to thank the narrator.
"Every night a German airplane came over. We called him bed-check
Charlie. One night he was a little lower than usual. Everybody who had
any kind of weapon, a .45 or whatever, was shooting at him. Next day, order
came from HQ: 'In the future small arms fire will not be directed at enemy
aircraft.'"............Frank Kuntz.
Closing
All oral histories follow the same basic outline.The instructions
above are meant to be a guide for those who would like to conduct oral
histories with their family or friends. Oral histories done for an archive
or a museum will be similar in structure but have certain requirements
in order to be accepted. These might include doing more preliminary research
on topics and questions, having a specific goal in mind, getting a release
form signed by the narrator, or turning in a written transcript after the
interview.
There are also pros and cons to doing oral histories.
A good argument for oral histories is they are firsthand accounts of stories
and events. Also, it is easier to do an oral history than to write all
the information down. On the other hand oral histories are very subjective
and memories change through time. Some people might remember things differently.
All of these things must be kept in mind when doing an oral history.
Oral histories are a wonderful way to keep alive your
family's past. They give us a glimpse into the personality of the narrator
in a way that books cannot. They are real accounts of what one person saw
and felt at a certian place in time. They can truly become voices from
the past.
