Search Interviews

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...

World-class Irish fiddler Liz Carroll talks with friend and bodhran player Mike Austin about the Irish music community in Chicago, Liz's ideas about learning music, and her time teaching at the Old Town School of Folk Music in the 1980s....

Michael O'Toole and Mike Blackburn share memories of how they first got into playing music and how they became involved with Old Town School of Folk Music. This conversation was recorded at the school on October 21st, 2017. Go to...

Folksinger and Old Town School teacher Ed Holstein talks with his student Rick Weiland about growing up on Chicago's south side, stories of the city's folk scene over the past 50+ years, and memories of his brother and collaborator Fred...

Old Town School teaching artist Steve Rosen talks with his coworker and one-time fiddle student Mareva Lindo about his long tenure at the school. Steve is a member of long-running string band The Volo Bogtrotters, winner of the Midwest Fiddle...

Friends and Chicago Tribune columnists Mary Schmich and Eric Zorn talk about their memories at the school, from taking lessons to co-founding the long-running holiday showcase and singalong, Songs of Good Cheer. This interview was recorded at the Old Town...

Interview with Sarrah Ellen McDonald on how she began singing and playing music, her involvement in helping found Georgia Pick & Bow Traditional Appalachian Music School, and other aspects of music in Dahlonega. Interviewed by Sarah Adams on April 5,...

Victoria Halvorson (22) interviews Samantha Davis (21) about her experience student teaching elementary music during a pandemic.

Judy Hauff and Louise Dimiceli-Mitran worked at the Old Town School in the 1970s, at a time when everyone seemed to wear a lot of hats. They reunited to talk about some of the adventures they had together back then,...

Steve Desroches (47) talks to Brian Calhoon (37) about the marimba, an instrument that shows up in surprising places.

In addition to teaching at the Old Town School for over 20 years, Steve Doyle is versatile guitarist who can be found gigging around town several times a week. In this conversation he talks with his coworker and one-time student...

A mother is someone who loves you unconditionally from birth, the one who puts her kids before herself and the one who you can always count on above everyone else. In November of 2017 in Chicago, Illinois, 15 year old...

A conversation between Paul Tyler and Judy Higgins. This conversation was recorded at the school on May 8th, 2017. Go to www.oldtownschool.org/StoryCorps to hear selected excerpts from interviews collected as part of the StoryCorps-Old Town School partnership.

A conversation between Mary Babcock & Lorena Velázquez-Hinojosa. This conversation was recorded at the school on June, 22nd, 2017. Go to www.oldtownschool.org/StoryCorps to hear selected excerpts from interviews collected as part of the StoryCorps-Old Town School partnership.

Meet Josh Werner! From finding a guitar is his parent’s closet, to receiving his grandmother’s blessing to pursue music professionally, Josh has come a long way. He is now one of the most talented and respected country musicians in South...

Meet Matt Fisher! From learning how to play guitar from family and friends, to being featured on MTV’s Made, Matt has lived an exciting life. Now, Matt finds the most fulfillment equipping his students with the tools necessary to play...

A conversation between Kathy Cowan and Colby Maddox, co-workers, teachers at the Old Town School. Kathy talks about a father, a classical singer who worked with Win Stracke, and traces her history from a receptionist job at WFMT to a...

A conversation between Lance Greening and Rick Veras. This conversation was recorded at the school on May 8th, 2017. Go to www.oldtownschool.org/StoryCorps to hear selected excerpts from interviews collected as part of the StoryCorps-Old Town School partnership.

A conversation between Zelda Zerkel & Mareva Lindo. This conversation was recorded at the school on July 25th, 2017. Go to www.oldtownschool.org/StoryCorps to hear selected excerpts from interviews collected as part of the StoryCorps-Old Town School partnership.

I interview my classmate about his past and future in music production.

Jacob Smith (18) interviews Sharon Smith on her experience with cultural diversity in teaching music education.

In this conversation between Old Town School Latin percussion instructor Carlos Cornier and his coworker Mareva Lindo, Carlos talks about the musical origins that shaped his interest in percussion and Latin music; getting into and out of Scientology to ultimately...

Betty Nudelman speaks with documentarian Mareva Lindo about her memories of the Old Town School community in its early years, when it was housed within the Immigrant State Bank Building at 333 W North Ave--in the Old Town neighborhood from...

A conversation between Alex White & Jimmy Tomasello. This conversation was recorded at the school on July 25th, 2017. Go to www.oldtownschool.org/StoryCorps to hear selected excerpts from interviews collected as part of the StoryCorps-Old Town School partnership.

Jimmy T., as he is affectionately known by all, is one of the most familiar faces at the Old Town School. Now the head of the Guitar, Bass and Songwriting program, Jimmy's worked here since starting in the music store...