Episode 91: Behind the Mic

You grab your suitcase full of recording equipment, print out your release forms, pick up your rental car and you’re ready to go conduct an oral history interview! Or…maybe not.

Our oral historians have to conduct extensive background research to inform their questions, navigate the social intricacies of asking someone to narrate their personal history, and arrange environmental conditions as much as possible to produce a good recording. Between things like ensuring a narrator is comfortable and feels like they have agency in the interview process or dealing with unexpected technical issues, there’s a lot more that goes into creating an oral history interview than just hitting record and reading a list of questions.

On today’s episode, we’re giving you an inside look at how our interviewers cultivate an oral history project. From audio difficulties to relationship-building, we’ll scratch the surface of what goes on behind the mic. We’ll also hear from current and past staff members in our OOHRP office about their experiences preparing and conducting oral history interviews.