Pandemic Stories Remote Recording | Chapel Hill Community History

SELF-RECORDING

Thank you for you interest in recording your story for the Pandemic Stories Project! Here are the steps for you to follow:

Fill out and e-sign the release form we sent to your email

Fill out the social identity form

We want to learn more about the people who are participating in this project. Your answers to our questions will be anonymous.

Social Identity Form

Review the questions

You don’t have to answer every question. Instead, consider them your guide in reflecting on your experiences during the pandemic. If you have something else you want to talk about that isn’t in the questions, feel free!

How would you describe the different stages of the pandemic as you experienced it?
What did you do for fun during the pandemic?
Did you take up any new hobbies?
How has the pandemic changed your work life?
Describe the first moments when you became aware of the pandemic?
How does it make you feel to look back at things like pictures or journal entries from earlier in the pandemic?
What will you remember most vividly from the past two years?
How have you stayed in touch with loved ones?
Did your interpersonal relationships change during the pandemic? If they did, how?
In what ways has your mental and emotional health been affected by life in the pandemic?
In what ways has your physical health been affected by life in the pandemic?
How do you think living in Chapel Hill shaped your experience of the pandemic?
How has the pandemic affected your relationship to your faith or spirituality?
How has your thinking about risk changed over the course of the pandemic?
Is there anything you wish you had done differently earlier in the pandemic?
Is there anything you wish others had done differently earlier in the pandemic?
What do you want to be sure future generations will remember about COVID?
What do you hope we keep from the pandemic?

Record yourself

Unless you have a professional microphone, your phone is probably the best option for recording yourself. We also have recording equipment that you can use at the library. Just let us know if you’d prefer that option. After you’re satisfied with your recording, upload the audio file.

submit your audio file

You don’t want to get a phone call while you’re trying to record, so switch on your phone’s airplane mode before you press record.
Find a nice, quiet room. A coffee shop or a noisy restaurant isn’t an ideal location.
Check for wind. Even a mild breeze blowing directly into a sensitive microphone can overpower the sound of someone talking. If you need to be outside, move somewhere out of the wind.
Set your smartphone on a soft, vibration-free surface so it won’t rattle.
Angle your phone’s mic away from anything that hums or buzzes (a/c units, coolers, engines, etc). Often even small shifts in mic angle can make a big difference.
Instead of speaking loudly, try to get closer to the phone’s mic. This will create a more intimate and natural sound.

Describe your interview

Tell us about how you’d like to be described on our project page.

Interview Description Form

Send us a selfie!

We would like to include your photo as part of your story. If you aren’t comfortable sharing your image, send us a photo of something you discuss in your interview.

Submit your photo

Phew. You did all the things. Thank you!

We'll take a few days to process everything you sent, then we'll share it all back to you for your approval.