Your Family Has a Story Worth Treasuring

An oral history is a recorded conversation that captures someone's personal memories, life experiences, and stories in their own voice. It's not a formal interview or a scripted performance. It's a relaxed, guided conversation where we ask thoughtful questions and let the stories unfold naturally. The result is a one-of-a-kind audio recording that preserves not just what someone said, but how they said it.

The Short Form (45 minutes) works well when you want to capture a specific story or memory, when the person being recorded prefers a shorter conversation, or when you're focusing on one particular chapter of someone's life.

The Full Session (90 minutes) gives space for a broader, deeper conversation that can span childhood, family traditions, career, relationships, and life lessons. Most families choose the Full Session, but both produce a beautiful, complete keepsake.

Not at all. We handle the preparation during a free pre-session consultation where we learn about the person and the themes your family cares about most. We develop conversation prompts based on that consultation so the recording session feels natural and comfortable. If the person wants to think about specific stories ahead of time they're welcome to, but it's not required. Some of the best moments come from stories no one planned to tell.

Yes. In-person sessions in the local metro area are preferred because they produce the best audio quality and allow for a more natural conversation. However, we offer remote sessions via a high-quality virtual setup for families outside the area. We provide audio guidance ahead of time to make sure the recording sounds as good as possible regardless of location.

Every client receives edited, polished audio files and a professionally formatted, typeset transcript, all delivered on a USB drive inside a personalized engraved wooden keepsake box. The audio is cleaned up for background noise and awkward pauses, but the person's voice and personality are preserved exactly as they are. The transcript is designed in professional publishing software, not just a raw text file.

If you add the podcast option, you'll also receive a fully produced episode on streaming platforms. If you add the Companion Photobook, you'll receive a hardback book and an upgraded legacy box to house everything together.

If your family wants an easy way to share the recording, we can produce your edited interview as a fully finished podcast episode with an intro, outro, and music. It's delivered as a private or public episode on major streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, so family members can listen on their phone from anywhere. The raw edited interview is still included on your USB keepsake regardless.

The Companion Photobook is a hardback 8.5 x 8.5 inch memory book, up to 100 pages, that weaves together the transcript with family photos, document scans, recipes, and other memory artifacts your family provides. It's designed to be read alongside the audio, so you can flip through the book while listening to your loved one's voice.

This add-on requires close collaboration with your family on gathering photos and materials. The book is professionally designed in InDesign and reviewed by a copywriter before printing. The first proof is included. Reprints are available at cost after that. The $900 price also includes a handcrafted 12 x 12 inch engraved legacy box from a local artisan to hold the photobook and USB together.

From consultation to delivery, a standard Keepsake Session (audio and transcript only) typically takes 3 to 4 weeks. Projects that include a podcast episode may take an additional 1 to 2 weeks. The Companion Photobook add-on extends the timeline to approximately 8 to 12 weeks due to the collaborative design process and print production. We keep you informed every step of the way.

It's one of the most meaningful gifts you can give. Many of our clients come to us because they're looking for something special for a milestone birthday, anniversary, Mother's or Father's Day, a family reunion, or the holidays. We're happy to provide a gift certificate and coordinate the scheduling so the gift is a surprise. The keepsake box itself is beautiful enough to present as a gift on its own.

Absolutely. You can add additional family members to the same project, each with their own session. Every additional person is priced at the Short Form or Full Session rate and receives the same complete treatment: edited audio, transcript, and inclusion in the keepsake collection. Some families record multiple generations in a single project.

We use professional-grade condenser microphones and digital recording equipment to capture studio-quality audio. For remote sessions, we provide detailed guidance on setup to ensure the best possible sound. All audio is recorded in high-resolution format and preserved on the USB drive so the quality endures for generations.