Oral History Interviews - Genealogy Interviewing Services By John Ash At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Have you ever thought what it would be like if you could hear a message from our ancestors? A magic trick? Impossible? Well, for us, maybe, but it doesn't have to be for our kids, grandchildren and even great grandchildren.

Welcome to the world of Oral History and Oral History recording. It's a movement to preserve our family histories, and thousands of people are taking part.

So what exactly is Oral History recording? It's a great way to preserve your family stories. And it's as easy as recording your mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle and any other family member on tape, so that they can tell their life story.

Imagine it's 100 years from now. At Christmas time, your great great grandchildren sit around the Christmas tree and are able to gather around a CD player and listen to your life story, told by you.

You can record your family members with a simple tape recorder. Take an hour or two and ask them questions that you may have never asked them before. Want some sample questions? How about these:

1. What is your full name? Why did your parents choose this name for you? Did you have a nickname?
2. When and where were you born?
3. How did your family come to live there?
4. Were there other family members in the area? Who?
5. What was the house (apartment, farm, etc.) like? How many rooms? Bathrooms? Did it have electricity? Indoor plumbing? Telephones?
6. Were there any special items in the house that you remember?
7. What is your earliest childhood memory?
8. Did you have an unique facial features?
9. What piece of advice would you like your future family members to know.
10. What's your biggest strength?
11. What's your biggest weakness?

Of course, these are just a few possibilities.

Oral history recordings are also referred to as audio biographies. Instead of just listening to grandma tell stories about what it was like growing up, record her. Our memories are not the greatest, and chances are, we won't remember the story word for word. By recording grandma, you have the right story, in her own voice.

If you're worried about asking older family members to take part (because they might think you don't think they'll be around for long), ask everyone in your family to take part in your history project. It's a wonderful way to save genealogy information about you and your family.

I have found lots of example questions online, much like the ones that you read above, just by searching places like Google. And, if you're looking for an inexpensive audio recorder, there are many available for under $50 if you buy one online. I haven't heard of many oral history recording services that will record your story besides, http://hearinghistory.com. They will record your story over the phone for a small fee and send it to you on an audio CD.

Happy history hunting!

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