Search Interviews

Long-time friends and colleagues Madaha Kinsey-Lamb (73) and Jim Marley (80) discuss their work and friendship over the years.

Davion tells his passion for art

Grayce Gadson (71) shares with her colleague Kleopatra Gaiter (32) anecdotes from her time as a student in Florida, Indiana, and California during the desegregation of schools in America. Grayce and Kleopatra compare their varying experience with school institutions, specifically...

Part 1 of 2. Judge Carl Marshall talks to Julissa (17) about his experiences as a juvenile justice judge, the law, justice and a more perfect union.

Damiana "Lael" Francisca Ruth Uberuaga-Rodgers (35) interviews her mother, Damiana Louise Uberuaga (70), about her upbringing, Basque heritage, childhood, education, and private practice.

Mother and daughter Terry Hampton (61) and Tracy Fenske (40) discuss the history of the Avenue Theater as a space for community theatre and arts, and the legacy of their late friend and colleague Lisa Trueheart.

Claire McCoy (58) sits down with her father, George Black (86), to ask him about his experiences as an actor and his career as a professor in the theater departments of various universities.

Elizabeth Woodside (64) shares a conversation with her coworker Heather Wilson (45) about mental health, motherhood, and the relationship they share.

Katherine Chon interviews her colleague, Rosie Gomez, about their work together in the federal government when new laws required changes in how the child welfare system needed to respond to human trafficking. Rosie reflects on her early influences growing up...

Adrian Ababovic [no age given] shares a conversation with his mother, Marjana Ababovic (60), about her childhood memories in Bosnia, the experience of coming to the United States, and living life for yourself.

Mara Jill Herman (Astoria) interviews Jen Waldman (Manhattan) on May 12, 2021. They discuss early dance recitals, teenage enterprising, getting messy with Musical Theater, YoungArts, and adapting the Jen Waldman Studio to a thriving virtual community.

Husband and wife Leron McAdoo (50) and Stacey McAdoo (44) share a conversation about how they met and their experiences as artists, poets, and educators.

Friends, Carlton Wall (38) and Rufus Van Horn (53), share a conversation about their overlapping family history within their community. They also discuss their personal ancestors, who might not have identified as activists, but naturally supported racial integration through a...

Zane Schaefer, a retired band director of 43 years talks about the importances of the arts.

Lisa Herrick (38) and her husband Lee Herrick (49) talk about their respective creative proclivities and their work to integrate art to the Fresno community. They also talk about their respective Asian identities, especially Lisa's Hmong-American identity and how difficult...

Karen Gasche (75) speaks with her opera teacher Marcia Aubineau (71) about her love of the opera. Together they share memories of their opera class, and reflect on the beauty and power of the art form.

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...

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....

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...

Musician and musicologist Bau Graves was Executive Director of the Old Town School of Folk Music from 2007 to 2018, during which he was known for his humor, and as the director of the Mandolin Ensemble. IT director and instructor...

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...

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,...

When a young Reggio "The Hoofer" McLaughlin first started tap dancing in Chicago, venues turned him away at the door, saying "we haven't booked a tap dancer since 1945!" In this conversation with his coworker Mareva Lindo, he talks about...

My friend Dick Hermann, an attorney, author, and columnist writes often about his passion for education reform. We talked about this.

My sister-in-law Ann O'Keefe is now retired from a mostly D.C.-based career, primarily with federal agencies and the Pentagon, where she was involved with the beginnings of Head Start as well as with the start of the Dept of the...