StoryCorps, a renowned nonprofit organization celebrating the stories of everyday Americans, will partner with KUER to record interviews in Salt Lake City from March 25 to April 24 as part of its cross-country MobileBooth tour, made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Having collected more than 65,000 interviews from Americans in all 50 states, StoryCorps has gathered one of the largest single collections of human voices ever recorded.
StoryCorps’ MobileBooth – an Airstream trailer outfitted with a recording studio-will be parked at the Olympic Legacy Plaza at The Gateway. Reservations can be made starting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 11, by calling StoryCorps’ 24-hour reservation line at 1-800-850-4406 or visiting kuer.org/storycorps. Additional appointments will be made available on Thursday, March 26.
In StoryCorps’ MobileBooth, two people are able to record a meaningful conversation with one another about who they are, what they’ve learned in life and how they want to be remembered. A trained StoryCorps facilitator guides them through the interview process. At the end of each 40-minute recording session, participants are given the option to archive their recording at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for future generations to hear. All participants will also receive a downloadable link to the recording to use and share with family and friends.
In Salt Lake City, StoryCorps will partner with KUER, NPR Utah. The station will host a free, public live event at the conclusion of the project on Thursday, April 23, at the Gallivan Center. StoryCorps may also share excerpts of these stories with the world through the project’s popular weekly NPR broadcasts, animated shorts, digital platforms and best-selling books.
“On behalf of our listeners, KUER is delighted to host StoryCorps’ visit to Utah,” said Joel Meyer, KUER’s station manager. “The interview I did in the MobileBooth was one of the most memorable, revealing family conversations I’ve ever had. I’m excited for our listening community to have the same opportunity.”
Founded in 2003 by award-winning documentary producer and MacArthur Fellow Dave Isay, StoryCorps has traveled to every corner of the country to record interviews in the organization’s effort to create a world where we listen closely to each other.
The Gateway will host the MobileBooth in their Olympic Plaza for the duration of StoryCorps’ stay in Salt Lake City where even visitors who are not engaged in a recording session can answer one of StoryCorps’ Great Questions on a mural-sized blackboard adjacent to the booth.
“We are thrilled to welcome Storycorps to not only Salt Lake City, but to The Gateway specifically. We all have stories to tell and The Gateway has an amazing comeback story itself. Through our physical evolution that has adapted to fit the needs of the community, we’ve created a public space that inspires,” said Jacklyn Briggs, marketing director for The Gateway. “We know The Gateway means so much to Salt Lake and we welcome people to come down, tell their story and become a part of our new story.”
StoryCorps in Salt Lake City is presented by KUER in partnership with Nate Wade Subaru.