Happy Tuesday Everyone! One of my favourite parts of recording my family history is the oral history - hearing all those stories that just would never have made the official document record or even newspaper! It's such a fascinating part of your family tree research, but it's also something that can go overlooked as people tend to focus on sifting through the document archives. Today, I wanted to go over how you can go about recording your oral family history, which isn't as difficult as some people may think it is - you don't have to be overly tech or computer savvy, and you certainly don't need expensive and fancy equipment! why record oral history? As informative as the official document and newspaper records are, there are always SO many more stories to uncover that can only be discovered through sitting down and chatting with family members. Whether it be sitting down with parents, grandparents or great grandparents and hearing about their own upbringing and early life, or hearing about the memories that other family members have of those no longer with us, it's an extremely valuable aspect of your family history research. For those of us lucky to still have our parents, grandparents and even great grandparents with us, it also provides us the sentimental chance to record their voice to be able to playback in the years to come when they're no longer around. We can not only cherish the stories that they tell us, but also hearing them tell it in their own words and voice. the technical stuff As I said in my introduction, you don't need to be overly tech or computer savvy, or going out to spend hundred of dollars on fancy equipment. You can 100% go into recording oral history armed with just your phone, tablet or laptop. All these devices come with pre-installed audio software, a built-in microphone, and recording capabilities. And if you want to play around with different software, there are plenty of free programs/apps to download to see what suits you best (and most paid-for programs offer free trials, so you won't have to fork out any money unless you really want to). By all means, you can go and deck your kit out with an external microphone and fancy recording software to get studio-quality recordings, but at the end of the day, you've probably already got everything you need in the palm of your hand/on your desk/in your office. Your equipment just needs to be able to record audio that you can easily listen back to and transcribe. In my post at the beginning of the month, Apps I Use For Family History, I talked about two apps that I've utilised for oral history - Family Search Memories and Voice Memos. In terms of computer software, I use Movavi Video Suite, which has an audio component, but is also a program you will have to pay for. Most computers come with basic audio recording software, but a great free option is Audacity. preparing the questions Of course, the questions you ask will be really up to you and will depend on who you're talking to, what information and stories you already know, and what you want to find out. It's good to start with basic questions, and then move into the more specific, using what information the person is sharing to also guide you on what to ask. Try not to make your recording sessions seem like a formal interview - keep things relaxed and let the conversation follow a natural flow. Question examples:
Try not to be restricted by an interview format that you want to repeat for everyone you have a recording session with. It's a great idea in theory, but you risk not hearing and learning really interesting stories because your questions don't prompt that certain anecdote to be told. Go in armed with a basic list of questions and topics you want to cover, but be open to asking questions that naturally come up in conversation as your family member tells their stories. As much as your questions control and guide the session, let your interviewee and their stories guide the questions you ask. sitting down to record So you've got your equipment ready to go and a list of questions, now it's time to actually sit down and press record. There are a number of different ways you can go about actually recording the stories of your family members, and it will really depend our how you want to go about recording and who you're interviewing. You may end up doing a mixture of methods because it just works best for you. There's no one true method, so just because you see someone do it a different way, doesn't mean your method is wrong or right. The most common method is having a dedicated one-on-one chat with a family member where the goal is to record an interview with them, asking a variety of predetermined questions and any that pop into your head during the conversation. This method can feel very formal, but it's great for getting straight to the questions you want answered. Of course, it doesn't just have to be one-on-one, as you can make the session about a couple or family group, depending on what works best for yourself and the people involved. You may prefer something a bit more informal, and sometimes informal allows people to open up more and not feel put on the spot or intimidated by being recorded and interviewed in a dedicated session. If you're just having a casual chat with family members and the conversation turns to memories and family history, consider just hitting record on your phone and seeing where the conversation goes. Obviously, you have to be in a position where your family is okay with being recorded, even without you saying 'hey guys, I'm recording this'. For me, I prefer the informal group setting. I am super fortunate to have family reunions with different branches of my family, and our conversations seem to naturally turn to talking about memories and family history. So, armed with my phone, I hit record and set my phone down for however long the conversation goes for (I've got recordings anywhere from 5 minutes to 40 minutes, and some even longer). Because my family know I'm the family historian, they're totally fine with me recording without announcing that I'm recording (usually it gets a mention halfway through a conversation when someone naturally says 'we should be writing all this down!'). Experiment with what works best for you and your family - you may want to have more control of the conversation in a dedicated, one-on-one recording session, or you may prefer the relaxed nature of a group conversation that could really go anywhere. As I said, you may end up doing a combination of both. Find a balance that works, not only for yourself, but also for the people you are conducting these sessions with. Some people will prefer the structure of a dedicated interview session, while others will feel more comfortable when they are in a casual group session. getting it written down Recording the audio is the easiest part. Now it's time to transcribe everything. This is going to be the most time-consuming part of the whole process, but it's also the most rewarding and allows you to actually share these stories with your family (sure, sharing the audios are great, but reading the transcript is a lot more accessible and easier to follow). How you choose to format your transcript is really up to you - how are you choosing to display your history, do you already have an aesthetic/format for your digital and/or physical collection, and what is going to be the easiest format to transcribe to, access later and share? Again, this is something you will have to play around with to see what works best for you. And again, just because you see someone use a different format, doesn't mean the way you're doing it is wrong. If it works for you, keeping doing what you're doing. The template that I use allows me to give the transcript a title (describing at a glance what is being talked about), a date for when it was recorded, a list of who is involved in the conversation, and a location for the recording. Then transcribing the course of the conversation, which for me is usually only a small segment of the whole recording, covering a single topic rather than the whole conversation. [This template is included in my Genealogy Document Bundle] Be prepared to listen to the audio recordings over and over and over again. Even if you're a relatively quick touch typer, like myself, unless the interviewee is talking really slowly, you're going to be listening to 10-30 seconds of conversation at a time, going back over what you've just listened to to ensure you've got everything transcribed correctly. This is where it's the most time consuming. But stick with it. You may be tempted to just summarise what was discussed, which is fine and can totally work for you, but I find it's so much better to transcribe word for word, getting the true flow of the conversation, the speaking style of the storyteller, and how the story was told. Sometimes summarising can remove the context surrounding the story, and you may leave out a detail that might not be overly important, but can change how the story is understood by those learning the story after the fact. If you want to summarise, consider summarising on top of transcribing, so you have access to both versions of a story. when you can't get an interview There is every chance that there will be someone in your family who just doesn't want to be interviewed, recorded, or talk about the past. And that's totally fine - from a family historian aspect it can suck, but if they don't want to talk about it, you can't make them. But, don't just give up outright. See if there is a topic that they're fine with talking about - maybe they don't want to delve into their childhood but are more than happy talking about their career and children. If you can set those parameters, they may be more comfortable talking about the areas of their life they're happy opening up about. But, if they don't want to talk at all, don't push it. There's clearly a reason they don't want to open up and don't make them feel bad for not wanting to be involved. And boom, just like that you've started recording a whole new area of your family history that you wouldn't have had otherwise! Yes, it's time consuming, but it is honestly one of the most rewarding aspects of your research. These are the stories you'll be able to share with the rest of your family and pass down through future generations. And don't forget to record your own oral history! Interview yourself or get someone else to be the interviewer. There are so many amazing stories that I've heard through recording oral history, and they're stories and audios that I will cherish for years to come. So make sure you get in and interview family members before it's too late. Happy Recording! Victoria :) POSTS YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN:
Genealogy Document Bundle
A$10.00
Get a handle on your family history research and recording with our Genealogy Digital Download Bundle! Packed with essential tools and resources, this bundle is designed to help you piece together your ancestry, create a detailed record of you family’s history, and keep track of your research. Whether you’re a seasoned genealogists or just getting started on this wonderful journey, this bundle has something for everyone. BUNDLE CONTENTS
All files are formatted as fillable PDFs (except the Circular Generation Chart) for convenience, but also work well when printed and filled in by hand. Instant download after purchase. Also available: Australian Genealogy Document Bundle with two extra documents for Australia-specific records and research. Australian Genealogy Bundle
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Get a handle on your family history research and recording with our Genealogy Digital Download Bundle! Packed with essential tools and resources, this bundle is designed to help you piece together your ancestry, create a detailed record of you family’s history, and keep track of your research. Whether you’re a seasoned genealogists or just getting started on this wonderful journey, this bundle has something for everyone. BUNDLE CONTENTS
All files are formatted as fillable PDFs (except the Circular Generation Chart) for convenience, but also work well when printed and filled in by hand. Instant download after purchase. Also available: Genealogy Document Bundle without the two Australia-specific documents. Genealogy Record Templates
A$5.00 - A$7.00
Give the historic records in your collection a refresh with record templates that make it easier to read and extract information from important documents. While it’s great to have the original record, you cannot deny that they can be difficult to decipher - these templates allow you to transcribe these documents to make the information easier to ascertain and share with others. PRE-MADE TEMPLATES:
CUSTOM TEMPLATES If you’re seeking a template for a particular historical document, record, or event not covered by the pre-made options mentioned above, there is the option to request custom templates in the drop-down menu. Once purchased, we will be in touch to request a digital copy of the document you would like a template for. Template creation time varies depending on the complexity of the template, the current work-load, and the general ups & downs of life. We will endeavor to complete the template within a week. Please note that the records need to be in English. All templates will be fillable PDF files, where possible, and will be emailed to the address provided at the time of purchase - please allow at least a full business day for pre-made templates to be sent out. **This is NOT a transcription service - the templates are provided for YOU to transcribe your own records.** Family Group Record & Ancestor Timeline Bundle
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Uncover your family’s intricate history and organise your genealogical research with precision using our Family Group Record and Ancestor Timeline templates! These templates offer a structured approach to documenting family relationships and tracing the chronological timeline of your ancestor’s lives. CONTENT Family Group Record: Capture essential family unit details, including births, marriages, and deaths; spouses and children; significant life events, and a space to include a photo of your ancestors. Ancestor Timeline: Visualise and map the significant milestones and events in your ancestor’s lives, creating a chronological sequence of important life events and cross-referencing that information with sources and records. All files are formatted as fillable PDFs for convenience, but also work well when printed and filled in by hand. Instant download after purchase. Also available: Genealogy Document Bundle and Australian Genealogy Document Bundle with even more useful templates to help with your research and recording. |
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