StoryCorps Seeking Vermonters' Stories

August 3, 2006 

Vermont Public Radio (VPR) has brought the StoryCorps mobile recording booth to Vermont for three weeks. StoryCorps, a national initiative to document everyday history and the unique stories of America, is collecting the stories of Vermonters for broadcast on VPR, National Public Radio (NPR) and to be archived at the Library of Congress. The StoryCorps mobile recording booth, contained in an Airstream trailer, is located outside Burlington City Hall on Church Street now through August 27, 2006.

Beginning August 10 and continuing through the fall, VPR will broadcast and podcast a selection of the local stories and create special programming around the project. VPR Presents StoryCorps in Vermont stories will air Mondays and Thursdays at 7:55 am and 5:30 pm. The first person accounts are a record of the way we live today—and how we got here. Selected segments from the Vermont interviews will also air nationally on NPR's Morning Edition on Fridays.

At the StoryCorps mobile booth, people participate in pairs—oftentimes with friends or loved ones—and one interviews the other. A trained facilitator guides the participants through the interview process and handles the technical aspects of the recording. At the end of a 40-minute session, the participants walk away with a CD of their interview. With their permission, a second copy will be sent to the American Folklife Center (AFC) at the Library of Congress, where it becomes part of a high quality digital archive.

Reservations are needed to record an interview in the StoryCorps mobile recording booth. Reservations for the first half of August were made available on July 20 and were filled within three hours. Reservations for appointments during the second half of August will be accepted beginning August 4 at 10 am. Make a reservation online or call 1-800-850-4406.

StoryCorps was created by award-winning NPR documentary producer and MacArthur Genius Grant recipient Dave Isay. This unprecedented project is in its second year of traveling to every corner of the United States, instructing and inspiring individuals to record their stories in sound. It is the largest oral history project ever undertaken, with more than 2000 stories already collected from the project's first year and plans to collect more than 250,000 interviews over the next decade.

"VPR listeners have certainly shared the power that these stories have had on them," says Mark Vogelzang, VPR President and General Manager. "By listening to the stories of Americans from all walks of life, we share poignant and sometimes humorous reminders of all that we have in common as well as intimate snapshots of American history as seen through one person's eyes. VPR is proud to facilitate the building of this incredible archive and to make these uniquely personal and meaningful stories available to our community."

VPR and StoryCorps are encouraging everyone to consider recording a loved ones' recollections and stories. A do-it-yourself-guide, with guidelines for interviewing and recording an oral history, is available on VPR's website. Also available online is a presentation Isay made at the 2005 Brattleboro Literary Festival about StoryCorps' national effort.

Listeners unable to secure a reservation are invited to visit the StoryCorps mobile recording booth on Church Street in Burlington through August 27th to learn more about the oral history project and VPR.

Vermont Public Radio is Vermont's only statewide source for NPR News, classical music, jazz and award-winning local news programming. VPR can be heard at 107.9 FM in Burlington, 89.5 FM in Windsor, 88.7 FM in Rutland, 88.5 FM in St. Johnsbury, 94.3 FM in Bennington, 92.5 in Manchester, 94.5 in Brattleboro, and 95.3 in Middlebury. VPR also provides VPR Classical, a 24 hour classical music service, heard on 88.1 in Norwich, 93.5 in Bennington, 103.9 in Hanover, 99.5 in Middlebury, 106.9 in Manchester, 99.5 in Newbury and 106.9 in Woodstock. Both VPR and VPR Classical can also be heard online at vpr.net.