StoryCorps: The Value of Listening
Posted on 25. Jan, 2010 by Selma Jackson in Arts on The Hill
Many of you, at some point in time, have heard some of the very intimate, often heart- wrenching two-person interviews on NPR recorded in portable recording studios all around the country. These are produced by StoryCorps, a non-profit organization whose mission is to honor and celebrate one another’s lives through recording and listening to stories. What you may not have heard is that StoryCorps has one of its many national locations right here in Fort Greene at 80 Hanson Place…and they are looking to hear from more of their neighbors.
While individuals are sharing stories and recording them at StoryCorps facilities, the focus of StoryCorps is to encourage listening. Let’s look at some of the ways you can record as well as be a listener to the many stories that exist in our community.
National Day of Listening
• Shortly after the economic meltdown of 2008, StoryCorps came up with an idea that has just completed its second annual event. StoryCorps created the National Day of Listening to take place the day after Thanksgiving as an alternative to Black Friday. Instead of shopping and being consumed by the commercialization of Christmas, family and friends can enjoy one another’s company on this day and take the opportunity to share happy moments of holidays past or growing up or memorable events. This opportunity is a way for cross-generational sharing that can either be a time of listening or it can be recorded. As this is a new program that is done in the home it is one that will not be preserved at the Library of Congress. Nevertheless StoryCorps encourages families to take advantage of the National Day of Listening to keep families connected to their heritage. It is especially heartwarming to interview grandparents and other family elders.
Community Partners
• Become a community partner and offer to record stories of members of your family or of the community. For example, you may want to create a record of your block association, its oldest members, how the block looked 10, 20 or 30 years ago and remembrances of residents who have moved or passed away. Or maybe it’s an important anniversary of your community group and you want to celebrate the moment. For more information about community partners visit: http://www.storycorps.net/record-your-story/cant-come-to-us/storykit.
• Find a partner, make an appointment and go to StoryCorps’ office at 80 Hanson Place to record your sharing.
Each story recorded with StoryCorps provides you with a free CD that you get to take home, and your recording is also archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. As noted before, the in-home recorded National Day of Listening is not archived at the Library of Congress since StoryCorps as yet has no capacity to include the material.
StoryCorps has programs for schools and community organizations, helping them to record their stories and teaching them to record the stories of family and community members. Recent participating programs located in the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill area are the MOCADA museum and Brooklyn Parkinson’s Group.
Individuals and Living Treasures
Besides hearing stories of individuals, what are the living treasures of Fort Greene? For instance, how did Cuyler Gore Park get started? How long ago was the Atlantic Terminal conceived before it was built and how long did it take to build? When did Academy Restaurant open? Brooklyn Academy of Music at 100 years! The Brooklyn Music School at 100 years! What about the other theatres that were located in the surrounding area and are now used for office buildings and colleges? Fort Greene is the arts community: who are the artists past and present of Fort Greene? Who were the housing pioneers of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill? Who are long-time residents of our community who can share some insight and stories about the history? These and many other stories are waiting to be told. Make an appointment at the StoryCorps and begin recording our stories/your stories now.
StoryCorps is located at 80 Hanson Place, 2nd Floor at the corner of South Portland Avenue. Visit their website: http://www.storycorps.net to learn more about collecting your stories
