Oral History Workshop Creating an Oral History Collection
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 6 pm at Hershey Public Library
About This Event:
An oral history collection captures and preserves people’s voices and memories for the future. This Susquehanna Folk Arts Center workshop with SFMS folklorist Amy Skillman explores the value of these collections and shares useful tips for creating them.
SFMS folklorist Amy Skillman
As an example of an oral history collection: the people pictured below were part of Susquehanna Folk’s 2017 project “A Musical Life”
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Twenty-eight residents of York County, PA, some professional musicians and some not, were interviewed and asked questions about how they first came to love music and how music had enriched their lives. What emerged is a fascinating collection of stories which shows the diversity of music that thrives in York County, including bluegrass, jazz, folk, classical, soul, and even cowboy music.
An oral history collection captures and preserves people’s voices and memories for the future. This Susquehanna Folk Arts Center workshop with SFMS folklorist Amy Skillman explores the value of these collections and shares useful tips for creating them.
Collections of oral history can take many forms. Some are family stories, perhaps inspired by old photographs or favorite recipes. Some capture the history of a community: a historic neighborhood, a newly-organized church, a cohort of kindergarters. It might be a collection of narratives in which people share their own thoughts about a particular important event, or each describe a meaningful event in their own life.
No matter what your interest in oral history, this workshop will help you get started building a great collection. You’ll learn tips for conducting effective oral history interviews, and strategies for making the most of your collection.
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