Search Interviews

Julian Ross has taken classes at the Old Town School for over 10 years. In this conversation with his son Christopher, Julian reflects on why this place has remained such a constant in his life, and Christopher shares some of...

A conversation between Andrew Sa and Mareva Lindo. Andrew talks about his experiences taking the class Songwriting and the Creative Process with Sue Demel and describes the experience as group therapy and recommends the experience to everyone because it teaches...

Life in Argentina and as an immigrant in Chicago.

Ben Sachs-Cobbe talks with his Aunt Toni about her childhood in a crowded apartment in Chicago's west side, her getting an education, falling in love, and surviving cancer.

Elliot Schewel, 84, was interviewed by his daughter, Susan Schewel, 53 about his life in Lynchburg Virginia where he has lived all of his life. He told the story about his response to the Orson Wells radio program “War of...

Creating Community Through Sharing Stories: Sandis Wright was born in a rural Swedish community in northern Maine, where he always dreamed of living in the big city. After moving to both Chicago and Atlanta, and getting married, he decided to...

In this interview, conducted on December 2nd in plano, Texas, Ethan Fine (16) interviews his mother Suzanne (45) about her childhood and her life as a teenager in Morton Grove, Chicago. Suzanne shares about her her time in high school...

Richard Daley and the 1968 Democratic Convention

Michael Doyle, 39, tells StoryCorps facilitator Virginia Lora, 24, about his experience on September 11, 2001, the impact that the terrorists attacks on that day had on him, and his decision to leave his hometown of New York for Chicago.

Talked with Maureen Muckian about growing up in Chicago, Christmas holiday and childhood memories.

Sisters Paula Bendel and Rhonda Pupella remember their grandparents, Clyde and Mabel Nancarrow (paternal) and Herbert and Sarah Phelps (maternal), and share stories of their time on the family farms.

Emily Capes (33) interviews her good friend, Betty Olliff (82) about her life - her family, her husband, and her faith.

Emmett Murphy (14) and his grandmother Virginia Wing (83) discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, the year 2020, and various personal subjects.

Perry Gaidurgis tells his wife, Sue Gaidurgis about his childhood growing up with alcoholic parents, becoming involved with “greaser” gangs during his adolescence, spending time in jail, and being sober for nearly 30 years after being released from prison.

My mother shares the story if fishing at Belmont Harbor in Chicago for dinner during the Great Depression.

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...

Musician and historian Stephen Wade talks with his friend Matt Brown about Stephen's musical beginnings, studying banjo with his mentor Fleming Brown in the 1970s, and his reflections on the Old Town School then and now. Since learning to play...

Alisa Baum and Krista Ortgiesen started taking classes and volunteering at the Old Town School in the early 2000s, and haven't left since. In this excerpt of a conversation recorded at the school on March 22nd, 2017, the longtime friends...

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...

Jack Duffy: Meeting with Tony Riggio

Harper Schaberg(16) talks with Norma Schaberg(92) about her parents and how she was raised. She talks about what she wish she did different, how unsupervised life was, and growing up in the West side of Chicago.