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Story Corps Rochester

Story Corps Rochester

StoryCorps’ mission is to preserve and share humanity’s stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world.

StoryCorps was started in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal in 2003. Since then, more than half a million people have recorded their stories. In July 2021, the StoryCorps Mobile Tour was in Rochester, NY, to record, preserve and share our stories.
  • In this segment of StoryCorps Rochester, Joyl Clance interviews Herbert Smith about his work as a musician. They discuss Herbert being the only black musician in the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the impact that playing trumpet has had on his life, and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on his work.
  • In this edition of StoryCorps Rochester, Sarah O'Brien and her mother, Beverly Badger remember her father and his battle against HIV/AIDS when it was a stigmatized disease in the 1980s.
  • In this segment of StoryCorps Rochester, Anthony King, Zakiya McAdams King, and Ruby Lockhart share a conversation about their experiences working together at "All Day Sunday", the longest running tenant of the now-closed Midtown Plaza and a cultural staple in the local Black community.
  • In this segment of StoryCorps Rochester, Tabitha Jacques talks to her friend and colleague, Susan Murad, about deaf art and culture, the De'VIA movement, and how the hearing community can be better advocates and allies to the deaf community. She speaks through her interpreter, Kira Avery.
Story Corps has a new app, so you can listen wherever you are, record your own interviews or share stories to social media. Download it from the App Store or Google Play.

StoryCorps in Rochester was made possible by support from the Avangrid Foundation, City Blue Imaging Services, and VanBortel Subaru.

StoryCorps conducted many more interviews than the ones we were able to broadcast. You can listen to the other stories on the StoryCorps site.

Colleagues Jennifer Phillips and Gary Palmer talk about their roles at The Hochstein School and how music serves the Rochester community.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/jennifer-phillips-and-gary-palmer/

Joyl Clance interviews Herbert Smith about his work as the only black musician in the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/joyl-clance-and-herbert-smith/

Emily Good shares a conversation with her father, Robert Good about Bob's childhood, his parents and siblings, and how he would like to be remembered.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/emily-good-and-robert-good/

Significant others Kyle Banks and Marian Mohamed share a conversation about how they met, and some of the best and hardest times they have shared together.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/kyle-banks-and-marian-mohamed/

Lara Capuano and Naima Tillett share a conversation about navigating the adoption process, about being partners in an open adoption, and about the family they have formed.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/lara-capuano-and-naima-tillett/

Spouses Kelly and Gabriela Wolfe share a conversation about their relationship, how substance use issues and sobriety affected their relationship, and what they see for the future.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/kelly-wolfe-and-gabriela-wolfe/

Spouses Nikki Webbe-Simmons and Avery Simmons share a conversation about Avery's time in the Army, PTSD, and how he feels about the Army now.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/nikki-webbe-simmons-and-avery-simmons/

Robert Gillespie interviews his father, Richard Gillespie about his upbringing and his experience as a B-17 pilot during World War II.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/robert-gillespie-and-richard-gillespie/

Friends Josefina Calzada and Georgia Carney remember the first time they met and what led them to work together at SewGreen.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/georgia-carney-and-josefina-calzada-garza/

Sarah O'Brien and her mother, Beverly Badger remember her father and his battle against HIV/AIDS when it was a stigmatized disease in the 1980s.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/sarah-obrien-and-beverly-badger/

Joyl Clance interviews her former colleague, Michael Lasser about his radio show "Fascinatin' Rhythm."
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/michael-lasser-and-joyl-clance/

Friends Mark Mancuso, Carl Huber and Matt Bielewicz share a conversation about losing a close friend to gun violence and how they processed their grief.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/mark-mancuso-carl-huber-and-matt-bielewicz/

Friends Colleen and Wendy reflect on their once-in-a-lifetime friendship, fun memories they have made together, meeting W. Kamau Bell, and their hashtag #We'reNotRegularsHere.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/colleen-no-name-given-and-wendy-no-name-given/

Erika Dooley interviews her husband, Thomas Dooley about his experience as the partner to someone diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/erika-dooley-and-thomas-dooley/

Simon Levin shares a conversation with his son, Mark Levin about what led Simon to leave the USSR, and why the two did not meet for the first eight years of Mark's life.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/simon-levin-and-mark-levin/

Ben Hart interviews his mother, Peg Hart about motherhood, the experience of being adopted, and the downfall of not having any medical history information.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/ben-hart-and-peg-hart/

Sisters, Deborah Kornfeld and Ruth Rappaport-Kristal share the wonderful story of how the holiday Ice Cream for Breakfast Day came to be.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/deborah-kornfeld-and-ruth-rappaport-kristal/

Lola DeAscentiis interviews her great grandfather, Rocco Cerretto about his experience during World War II and his life after coming home.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/lola-deascentiis-and-rocco-cerretto/

Dr. Barbara Jackson interviews her best friend, Pastor Cynthia Anderson about being a survivor of domestic violence and what she's learned by surviving the challenges in her life.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/cynthia-anderson-and-barbara-jackson/

Eian-Gabriel Sinclair interviews his father, Joshua Sinclair about his own father and the lingering regret of not having his voice recorded.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/joshua-sinclair-and-eian-gabriel-sinclair/

Lucienne Nicholson and her son, Sydney Haynesleavy talk about Haitian culture and Lucienne's decision to raise her children as universal human beings.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/lucienne-nicholson-and-sydney-haynesleavy/

Christina Heyon Lee and her daughter, Miya Libman talk about identity and the recent rise in racial violence toward Asian Americans.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/christina-lee-and-miya-libman/

Spouses, Nydia Padilla Rodriguez and John Rodriguez discuss how Borinquen Dance Theater began, and reflect on sustaining Borinquen Dance Theater over the years.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/nydia-padilla-rodriguez-and-john-rodriguez/

Sejal Shah interviews her father, Ashok Shah and mother, Shobhana Shah about coming to the United States, the role faith plays in their life, and advice for future generations.
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/sejal-shah-ashok-shah-and-shobhana-shah/