capturing memories

Memories are supposed to be forever. That’s what songs and poems tell us and what we comfort ourselves with when our loved ones pass on. But as we get older even the most vibrant, captivating memories that we’ve cherished for years can begin to fade at the edges. We get names mixed up, we can’t quite remember exactly when something happened, and we begin to forget details that before had been so vivid in our minds.

 

How important, then, to preserve those memories before they disappear forever.

 

This is exactly what Memory Box Audio has been created for: to help us record our life stories to ensure that generations to come can enjoy learning about how we lived, what we did, and the things we felt and thought.

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the spark that lit the fire

One of the main reasons for leaving New York and moving back to Australia was because my father-in-law had been diagnosed with dementia. The frustrating thing was that he suffered voice loss before our return and soon became unable to communicate his thoughts. We sadly lost him in September 2020 and a huge regret for all of us is that we do not have a record of his voice. He had so many fantastic stories and yet none of them were recorded for posterity. 

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The power of the spoken word to convey emotion and recount stories is an incredible tool and we should use our gift of communication to pass on our most precious memories before it's too late.

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Why Audio and not video?

Listening to somebody narrate their stories in their own personal way is intimate and powerful. With no distracting visuals, no self-consciousness on the part of the narrator and no level of judgement from the listener, we are transported to the immediacy of the story and we engage with the words using our own imagination. 

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Why record in person?

In my experience the best interviews take place in person. It gives a much richer quality to the sound and creates a more intimate environment for the conversation to flourish. Oral history is often more easily shared with people outside the family who can listen without judgement.

 

In the words of a client, “We were delighted to hear so many wonderful stories and reflections of times past. Sallie is a superb interviewer who was able to really put my mother-in-law at ease so that she could relax and have fun with the process. The recordings are something that we will all hold dear and treasure for our children to enjoy.“ [Vanessa Cogan]

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Of course you can record memories without my help but maybe you don’t have the time, technical expertise or feel anxious about doing it yourself. If that’s the case, and you would like to engage somebody who has experience in conducting interviews and is skilled at editing, then please get in touch — I would love to help you!

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Where is memory box audio LOCATED?

This is an Australian-based service operating from Sydney but I am happy to travel to other towns and cities with travel expenses calculated separately.

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How it works

We’ll start first with an email to discuss who is to be interviewed, the options available and what would work best for you and your budget. If you decide you want to go ahead, we’ll have a second more in-depth conversation to find out about you or the subject of the interview and some of the key events in your or their life. I draw up a list of questions based on our conversation and then I make an appointment to conduct the live interview in the comfort of your or their home. I bring my own recording equipment and we will discuss the best place in the home for the interview to take place. Following the interviews I will spend time editing the conversation into a smooth listening experience for you and your family. Payment is made in three parts: 20% deposit to engage my services; 50% once the interviews have been conducted; and final 30% once the editing is concluded and the final audio package delivered.

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