Family Oral History Voice Interview Guide

Welcome! This guide helps you record a family member's life story in their own voice — childhood, family, turning points, and the wisdom they'd want passed down. It usually takes 20-40 minutes of conversation, but there's no clock: pause anytime, skip any question, and come back later if you need to. Let's begin.

What is the name of the family member you'll be recording today?

Which parts of their life are you most hoping to capture in this session? (Pick as many as you like — the AI interviewer will weave these in naturally.)

• Childhood and family roots
• Growing up and coming of age
• Love, marriage, or partnership
• Work and career
• Raising a family
• A turning point or hardship they overcame
• Advice or values they want passed down
• Other

Before we start recording, please confirm you're both comfortable with this.

Life story recording session

Guide the family member through their life story in a warm, unhurried, conversational style, like a curious grandchild rather than a clinician conducting an assessment. Start with childhood: where they grew up, their par…

Looking back on this session, how open did your relative seem sharing these memories?

Is there a memory, photo, or story you wish this session had captured but didn't get to? Jot it down so you can follow up next time.

Would your family like to schedule another session to continue the story?

• Yes, definitely
• Maybe later
• No, this covers it
• Not sure yet

What is the approximate age of the relative you recorded?

• Under 40
• 40-59
• 60-74
• 75-89
• 90 or older
• Prefer not to say

What is your relationship to the person you recorded?

• Grandchild
• Child
• Sibling
• Spouse or partner
• Niece or nephew
• Close family friend
• Other relative
• Prefer not to say

Thank you for taking the time to capture this story! Your recording and transcript will be saved as a family keepsake you can revisit, share, or add to whenever you're ready.