Music is truly a universal language. It has the unique ability to connect us with new cultures, to inspire wide change and protests, and in turn it expands our hearts. Here at StoryCorps, we have recorded many stories about music’s impact on our lives. Listen to some of our favorites.
Do you or a loved one have a musical story to tell? Just download the StoryCorps App to record your conversation and upload it directly to the Archive, housed at the Library of Congress. Or, if an in-person interview isn’t possible, use StoryCorps Connect to conduct it remotely.
A Father-Daughter Beatboxing Duo on Making Music
Ed Cage and Nicole Paris are a father-daughter beatboxing duo. During the 1980s, Ed immersed himself in the St. Louis hip hop scene and fell in love with beatboxing. Fast-forward a couple decades and that love is now firmly planted in 26-year-old Nicole as well.
“There Was Always Music In The House”: Memories Of Luis M. Moreno, A Father And Prolific Songwriter
Luis M. Moreno is and his wife Carmen were famous for the Mexican folk music they performed on the radio and in venues throughout the Los Angeles area. His daughters share their memories of growing up surrounded by music, and the bittersweet legacy that their father left behind.
It All Starts With A Song
Everyone’s heard of James Brown and Stevie Wonder, but how about the women who helped make them who they are? Get to know the unsung icons behind some of the most iconic music.
A Spoonful Of Sugar: How A Vaccine Inspired A Disney Classic
Robert and Richard Sherman, also known as The Sherman Brothers, were a songwriting duo behind many of Walt Disney’s classic films. When Robert’s child shared his experience getting a vaccine, it sparked the creation of one of the most famous songs in the American canon.
How An Unexpected Deportation Cut A Young Musician’s Career Short
From the first moment he played the drums at 12 years old, Decio Rubano got “the bug” and couldn’t stop making music. After high school, his career as a drummer was taking off until one night, when he was visiting his grandparents, a pair of immigration officers knocked on the door.
“At three years of age, you walked over to the piano, and you just started playing.”
In 2001, Daniel Hodd was a 17-year-old promising concert pianist with a scholarship offer from Juilliard; he also wanted to join the U.S. Marine Corps. He remembers the choice he made, and the more difficult decision he made after breaking his fingers in an accident just before he was scheduled to deploy.
The Voice For My Song
What happens when paralyzing fear stops you from following your dream? Jim Von Stein has written 8000 songs, but almost nobody has heard a single one of them…
How a Family Guitar Found its Way Home
Roger McDaniel’s dad, Johnny, worked over the years as a miner and milk truck driver, married and divorced Rodger’s mother three times—and he loved music.
After getting his dad’s guitar back, Roger tried to learn how to play without much success. It sat in his closet for years—until he got a guitar player for a son-in-law.
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