Search Interviews

My grandmother and I talked about her story and her acceptance of Jesus Christ as her savior. Growing up she never really was religious however she had an experience where she started to believe in Jesus Christ. Her religion means...

Interviewing Dad about his life on his visit to Arcata, CA summer 2018.

This interview was mostly me just asking Ms. Jackson some random question. About her life, growing up, Job, and etc.

This is the life of my dad who has lived 76 years in Vermont and lived a humble, hardworking life!

John Ford, a long-time client of EZRA's, sits down with a member of EZRA's Social Action team to discuss his experiences growing up as a Black man in Chicago, working with EZRA, and gentrification in Uptown, Chicago.

A conversation between Rebecca Armstrong & Mareva Lindo. This conversation was recorded at the school on July 13th, 2017. Go to www.oldtownschool.org/StoryCorps to hear selected excerpts from interviews collected as part of the StoryCorps-Old Town School partnership.

This interview covers topics of preparing for climate change-induced disasters within the scope of a large city, and how precious experiences may or may not have helped to shape those behaviors

An overview of major events my grandmother remembers while living in Chicago in 1968. She was twenty years old and witnessed many of the terrible and iconic events on the news.

Raúl Fernández talks with his bandmate and mentee Camilo Rincón about Chicago's Mexican traditional music community, its connections to the Old Town School, and their experiences together as part of the group Jarochicanos. Raúl has been involved at the school...

In my interview with Joseph Wilcox (my father) we discuss many different topics from many different points in my life. We talk about things from what parks he used to play at, to how our family was almost not even...

Oulimata Sylla, Djibril Cisse, and Patricia Carlin, talk about Ouli’s recent arrival from Senegal to finally be reunited with her husband.

Ted and Marcia Johnson have been married almost as long as they've been a part of the Old Town School community. They met at an early 1960s anniversary concert for the Old Town School, where Marcia had been taking guitar...

Mary Jane Anderson discusses her childhood in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago, her work at the Santa Fe Railroad, and her religious and family life.

Don Stinson (35) has a conversation with his student Noah Riley (17) about their community in Joliet, Illinois, the role of music education, and their journey in the high school band.

“My childhood was actually great!” In November of 2018, ninth grade student, Olivia Foxman interviewed her grandmother, Shelly Foxman. Olivia learns about Shelly’s admirable  childhood post World War ll. Shelly’s story starts in 1951 in Chicago, but her family's story originates...

One Small Step conversation partners Diane Tucker (68) and Moya Nordlund (67) discuss politics, wealth redistribution, education, mentorship, and the arts.

Rik and Marianna talk about her family and his life as a musician.

Danielle Marrone speaks with Folklife Director Lesley Schierenbeck about the history of Pinelands Folk Culture at Albert Hall, her presence as a female folk musician, and the preservation and history of Albert Hall's female folk scene. Danielle has been instrumental...

A conversation between Laura Doherty & Karen Banks-Lubicz. This conversation was recorded at the school on May 10th, 2017. Go to www.oldtownschool.org/StoryCorps to hear selected excerpts from interviews collected as part of the StoryCorps-Old Town School partnership.

Sometime in the late 1970s, Skip Landt walked into the Old Town School on Armitage to sing in the community chorus. Today he's been teaching harmonica at the school for over 30 years. Here he talks to student-turned-teacher Rick Sherry,...

A conversation between friends, bluegrass musicians and fellow Old Town School coworkers Colby Maddox and John Huber. Colby has been managing the Resource Center and teaching mandolin at the school since 1999. John has been working at the school since...

My Grandfather, John Grey, has had an interesting upbringing moving from place to place with his family. He was raised as a young child in Chicago Illinois, and later moved to Dallas Texas with his family. In this interview, Me...

In this interview I speak with my dad about how growing up in his family changed him as a person as well as the influence brought onto him by his mother and neighbor. We speak of family traditions, origins from...

Old Town School teachers Barb Silverman and Jess McIntosh talk about teaching at the school, experiences as women in a male-dominated music community, and reflections on their friendship over the years. Barb is a clogger and multi-instrumentalist who performs in...

Spouses, Hans Westermark (72) and Lorraine Westermark [no age given], share a conversation about their childhoods and how they first met. Hans also talks about how he came to the United States from Sweden, and Lorraine talks about her career...