Audio recorders for oral history

Oral history is hot — everyone is doing it and the interest continues to grow.  Now, there are good ways and bad ways to capture information in oral history, and like anything else it takes practice.  So find a training, read one of the gazillion good sources and practice (Contact me for a selected bibliography) .  I did an internship at Maine Public Radio a thousand years ago and the single best advice I got was: do not make your first interview that very important, once-in-a-lifetime one.  Save that until you’ve got a little mileage behind you and feel really comfortable.

If you’re considering buying an audio recorder I’ve got some sources for you.  Having done both radio and oral history, I really (really, really) believe that sound quality is extremely important.  Get good equipment & learn how to use it.  Always use a microphone (and headphones!) and if possible mic everyone talking on the recording.  People will roll their eyes and complain about these recommendations but really, this is ORAL history.  What good is a recording if you can’t hear or understand the speaker?  Plus, you or someone else may want to use that sound someday.  Get the best quality sound you can now because it opens up your options later on.  And, as I always say, if a blurry photo makes poor documentary evidence then isn’t poor quality sound in an oral history unacceptable?

Okay.  Lecture is over.

My favorite online source for equipment advice is this page from the Vermont Folklife Center, http://www.vermontfolklifecenter.org/archive/res_audioequip.htm.  Those people really know their stuff and they spent a lot of time recording interviews in the field.  They keep this relatively up to date, as well.  The staff at Maine Folklife Center have always been very helpful, too.

In response to the blog post about Thomaston students doing oral history, a reader sent me the following link: http://www.americanmusical.com/content–id-45.  It is a store so I’m not recommending it, but it has a lot of recorders & lots of info.  A very good place to start shopping if you’re in the market.

-Stephanie

Application for 2009 MCHP

Hello all,

We’re starting to get calls about how to apply for the next MCHP cohort.  All of the information, including a new application, should be up on our site by mid January.  Please check there for updates (www.mainememory.net/mchp).  There will be some changes so stay tuned for that.  It’s going to be another exciting (and very busy, I’m sure!) year.

We’ve also had a lot of questions about eligibility.  The program is open to any community anywhere in the state.  As we did last year, we are looking for a good geographic, cultural and socio-economic diversity.  Big towns, small towns, mill towns, college towns.  French communities, Native communities, agricultural communities.  This is where maine is most diverse so think about the MCHP & MMN as a way to tell your community’s story.

In the meantime, there are some things you can do to prepare to apply.

1. Explore the Maine Memory Network (www.mainememory.net) and see how it works.  Since the primary goal of the MCHP is to create community websites about local history within MMN, it’ll only help your application if you understand what MMN is and how to use it.
2. Begin to assemble your community team.  A school, a library and an organization with historical collections should be the applying partners, along with any other interested organization.  This is a year-long commitment so participants should commit to seeing the project to completion.
3. Meet with your proposed team.  Think about what skills, experience and knowledge you all bring and think about whether or not there are others you need or want on your team.  Reading through the 2008  description will help.
4. When the 2009 application material becomes available everyone on your application team should read it and understand just what the program is.   Talk honestly about roles, expectations and what you hope to get out of the program.  You’ll be working with these people for a year so forming a strong collaboration from the beginning is essential.
5. Remember that this is not a genealogical project.  While all history can have components of family history, MMN is not a place to record family lines.
6. The MCHP targets grades 6-12 for participation.  Those grades are our focus and must be on a community team.  If you teach other grades and want to talk about options contact Kristie.
7. Give us a call with questions.  I can be reached at 653-9677 or you can call Kristie at 653-9287.  Or email us at sphilbrick@mainehistory.org or klittlefield@mainehistory.org.

I’m really looking forward to hearing from you about how the MCHP might work for you.  Hope this helps you get started.

-Stephanie

MCHP in the news

The community projects have been in the news a bit lately.  There are some interesting things happening among our eight teams and we want everyone to know.  Below are links to some online coverage (and hopefully the links live a while longer).  Let me know if you see some articles that I’ve missed.  And while I’m at it, here’s a link for the SAD #74 (New Portland) technology blog http://sad74tech.blogspot.com/2008/10/maine-community-heritage-project-new.html.

Thanks,

-Stephanie

http://www.workingwaterfront.com/articles/Islesboro-students-add-island-history-to-Maine-memory-network/12837/

http://www.villagesoup.com/print/Print.cfm?StoryID=135961

http://www.coastaljournal.com/website/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=945:bath-students-to-undertake-massive-history-project&catid=58:regional-news&Itemid=43

http://www.umpi.edu/news/releases/969-08-09025

http://www.dailybulldog.com/db/?p=187