Search Interviews

Born in St. Louis on August 6th, 1924, and raised on Chicago's South side, Ella Jenkins was the first person in line on the opening night of the Old Town School of Folk Music, December 1st, 1957. At the time,...

A conversation between partners and musical collaborators Gregg Ostrom and Tisa Batchelder, who met many years ago at the Old Town School, where they work. They share memories of their first encounters with the school, of their long courtship, and...

Jon Langford and Sally Timms--of The Mekons and countless other projects--have been part of the Old Town School community in a myriad of ways since the 1990s. Just a few months after Langford was honored as a “Music Legend” by...

A conversation between Charles Kim, Guitar and Songwriting teacher at Old Town School since 1999 and Kim Bellware, friend and student. Kim and Charles discuss the effect of YouTube on classes at Old Town School, and how people choose to...

A conversation with Charlotte Bader. 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.

A conversation between Joe Filisko, blues harmonica player and teacher, and Harlan Terson, touring and teaching bass player. Harlan remarks on his luck to experience the zenith of the blues era and working with several Chicago Blues Legends. Joe remembers...

A conversation between Marge Weber & Lara Weber. 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 running theme throughout Old Town School history is people finding deep connections and community, forging lifelong collaborations, friendships, and often falling in love. Jim DeWan and Elaine Moore are one such example. Married now for years, the two longtime...

A conversation between Peggy Browning and Maura Lally. This conversation was recorded at the school on May 20, 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 friends and bandmates Sandy Bykowski & Ray Ariaz. Sandy has been volunteering at the Old Town School for many years, while Ray's roots at the school go back to the folk chorus in the 1970s. This conversation...

A conversation between Katie Lahiff, founder of the school's popular early childhood program Wiggleworms, and Erin Flynn, Old Town School Children's Program Manager. The two talk about their beginnings at the school, the joy of sharing music and movement with...

A conversation between Mateo Mulcahy and Karima Daoudi. Mateo, the current director of Old Town School's World Music Wednesday series, remembers how his involvement with the Old Town School started when he was a 14 year old punk rocker who...

A conversation between Robbie Fulks & Steve Dawson. This conversation was recorded at the school on June 5th, 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 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 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.

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 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.

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.

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...

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...

A conversation between friends, longtime musical collaborators, and fellow Old Town School teachers Jonas Friddle and Anna Jacobson. Jonas is a singer, songwriter and old-time banjo player whose songs have received The John Lennon Songwriting Award, First Place in the...

A conversation between Mehran Jalili & Maya Tatiana. 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.

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 Ron Cohen & Bob Riesman. 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.

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...