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Making Keepsake Recordings: Often overlooked until it’s too late
We most often associate the process of making a recording as something folks do to start or further their careers. In this article, I’d like to talk briefly about some other, not so obvious uses for audio recording that can be done either at home or in a hired studio.
Family Gift Recordings:
One of my favorite kinds of recording projects is the family gift recording. If your family has musical abilities, a moderately organized collection of songs works well, along with jokes, stories, limericks and so forth. These kinds of recordings can make great gifts for extended family members and they make for amazing trips down memory lane when they get some age on them. If you have children of reading age, have them read a story to be given to grandma or cousins, or anyone else who has an interest in the kids. They can preface the story with a personal message to the recipient, such as, “Hi Grandma, this is Jimmy and I’m gonna read you a story.” She’ll love it. Anything that makes sound is fair game. Make a point of thinking of things that human, real, and personal. Grandma will love it now, and the children and grandchildren will cherish it once they’re grown.
Personal Archival Recordings:
This is the audio equivalent of the photo snapshot. Most of us have photos of friends and family that we can keep for years to come. We don’t always think of doing an audio version of the photo snapshot. Years after a loved one has passed, the sound of their voice is much closer to having them there than a snapshot or some of their belongings. A recording of youngsters will become a treasure for them in later years. They can read from a book, or just tell about their day. Conversations between parents and children make good material. For older folks, the telling of their life story, the history of their home town, or stories about family members can serve as a good theme. I’ve even heard of people who record voice mail messages of friends or family members to store away and play back years later, after they’ve passed on. For this application, make a point of thinking of things that are commonplace today but could be gone tomorrow.
The Casual Recording:
Along the same lines of recording things that are here today but gone tomorrow, let’s not leave out a professional or semi-professional recording as personal keepsake. Over the years I’ve been in quite a few situations where a musician has made a casual recording of his/her songs, and then I’ve gotten word that they’ve passed on. What really struck me in these situations was how priceless the recording of a loved one suddenly became. In one case, we duplicated several hundred CDs to be sold as a fund raiser for accumulated medical expenses. This also made a memorable keepsake for those who bought a copy. The audio on these recordings is the most real and personal thing that can be kept after someone has left the mortal realm. It’s the sound of their voice, their love of music, and a document of personal emotion and interests. Their songs speak to the things closes to their hearts -- their inner world, their thoughts, their dreams, their disappointments. These are things that can’t be revisited in a family snapshot or photograph, or by touching one of their personal belongings. I think we should encourage our friends and family to record things for present goals and purposes, but let’s not overlook what these sounds might mean to us in the unforeseeable future.
The underlying theme here is to record people, but other themes abound: a family pet, your favorite automobile, motorcycle, or anything else that marks a moment in history by making sound. If I’d have made a recording of the sound of my Dad’s 1955 Chevy, wouldn’t that be fun? Or how about mom cooking a meal in the kitchen in 1960?
If you have additional ideas to contribute to this article, they would be welcome. |
