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Interviewing and oral history
9 Lessons-
PreviewMusic and your story
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StartShe's the spark
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StartWhy oral history? The voice is intimate.
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StartWhose voice would you give anything to hear?
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StartDo people really open up to us?
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StartEmbrace silence
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PreviewListening: affirmation, validation, empathy
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StartSome interviewing insights we've learned along the way
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StartFinish your story by telling it
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Capturing good audio
8 Lessons-
StartThe basic kit
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StartAlways use a backup!
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StartSaving and backing up files
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StartMicrophone types and audio comparisons
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StartShould you record video of an oral history interview?
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StartRecording audio from two people onto one device
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StartTwo programs I use to make slideshow videos with oral history
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StartDigitizing cassette tapes
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Transcribing audio files
8 Lessons-
StartWhy transcribe audio
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StartOverview of transcription tools
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StartIntroduction to using Google speech-to-text function to transcribe audio
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StartHow I transcribe audio with HappyScribe
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StartVideo tutorial for oTranscribe
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StartUsing speech-to-text recognition
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StartDictation with Microsoft Word 365
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StartSending audio files out for transcription
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How to do oral history interviews (Personal track)
Start every family history or life story project here.
Course Summary
By completing this short course, you will feel confident and prepared to conduct life story interviews. Receive thorough, yet easy-to-understand answers to questions such as: What is the power of voice to evoke memories and inspire others? Should you use a digital recorder, or app on your phone, or both? What are best practices for doing interviews by Zoom/Teams/Google Meet? Which microphones are worth the money? What are the most efficient methods for transcribing audio? Why is oral history the easiest, and most powerful way to capture a life story?
Course Pricing
TESTIMONIALS
"Videos are brief and held my attention and weren't overloaded with too much technical info. Narration was concise and very nicely presented. I will definitely be going back to it again and again as I progress!"
“Detailed and helpful: Loved this course. It has so much information with pictures and links. It is detailed and helpful for me and my journey of helping to record the stories of family and friends. Thank you, Rhonda!"
“It combines the why with the how of recording oral stories and the motivation to actually do it because it has been made simple, so why wouldn't you?!”
“It combines the why with the how of recording oral stories and the motivation to actually do it because it has been made simple, so why wouldn't you?!”
“I was impressed with the sacred ground part of each story being so important to families to record and share. This was complete, recorded with empathy, and many techniques were shared, with the author's pros and cons about using each one.”
“The whole course is amazing, easy to follow, full of great advice, and the transcription tips are great :)"
This is a very good course with comprehensive technical advice, as well as food for the soul. Thank you so much!”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How long will the class take me?
This short course is self-paced and is designed to complete in less than three hours.
Is this self-placed?
Yes. You can start or stop whenever you like and work on a schedule that is comfortable for you. The lessons are organized in short, bite-sized chunks to make it easy to start and stop.
What level of interviewer should I be?
This is meant to be a beginner course. There are a few technical sections such as how to transcribe audio, which you are free to delve into, or skip altogether.
How much of this course is video?
About two-thirds of the lessons are short videos (mostly 3-5 minutes). Some are formatted like it's you and me together one-on-one, some are from a half-day class I filmed specifically so it would feel like you're there in a group, and some are tutorials narrated by me. The other lessons consist of exercises and additional reading. You can preview lessons above to get an idea.
Course Curriculum
TEACHING AND PRESENTATION EXPERIENCE
Rhonda Lauritzen
Rhonda Lauritzen is a professional biographer with multiple published books. She specializes in life stories, collecting oral history, and historical storytelling. She earned an MBA from the University of Utah and was selected as the Outstanding Graduate in her undergrad major. Before she founded Evalogue.Life in 2016, she served as a college marketing director, Vice President, and a corporate CEO. In 2007, her writing journey began with her parents’ family business saga, which became her first book. Since then, she has been hired to help tell the stories of families, cities, and nonprofits. She believes that when you tell your story, it changes the ending. This is why her passion is teaching, coaching, and presenting at conferences.