Building an Audio Archive

Conducting an Oral Historical Interview

Of particular interest are the audio histories of our pioneering members. These oral accounts help C.A. to understand its early beginnings with the fellowship and C.A. structure. New C.A. members can learn about where we come from and how we have progressed. There is much wisdom embedded in our collective history.

The information of an audio interview ought to contain historical details of C.A.’s growth. Remember, we are focused on the history of Cocaine Anonymous at the World, Area, District and Group level. These oral history interviews are not about a single individual’s personal recovery story, although the interview may touch upon it.

The structure of an audio history ought to record the following:

  1. Basic Personal Information
  2. Contributions to C.A. Growth
  3. Specific Memories
  4. Involvement with C.A. now
  5. Closing Comments

Interview questions ought to be administered with consideration of and adherence to the Twelve Traditions of Cocaine Anonymous. The Archive Committee may wish to re-purpose the content of the historical interviews, so a release form from every recorded interviewee prior to the interview will be needed. Obtain a signed audio history release form from every Interviewee recorded for Cocaine Anonymous Area Audio History Archives (See suggested release form – Appendix I).

An audio archives for your C.A. Area ought to include interviews with:

1. Area and District Pioneers
2. Past C.A. AREA Trusted Servants:

a. Area Chairs
b. Convention Chairs
c. World Service Delegates
d. Service Committee Chairs (Unity, H&I, Special Events)

3. Past Regional Trustees

Audio Archiving is another way of preserving our area, district or groups history. At the world level we began the process of conducting oral histories of founding members. The purpose of maintaining and storing an accurate account of earlier membership is so that new members of Cocaine Anonymous can learn about where we come from and how we are progressing and growing. There is much wisdom in our collective “Experience, Strength and Hope.”

Conventions, marathons, workshops, and alike are perfect venues to conduct oral histories. The information process should contain historical details of C.A.’s growth. To this end we offer the following suggested topics. Remember we are focused on the History of Cocaine Anonymous and not on a single individual’s personal recovery story.

  • Basic Personal Information
  • Contributions to C.A. Growth
  • Specific Memories
  • Involvement with C.A. now
  • Closing comments

We have to keep in mind that these interview questions will be administered with consideration of and adherence to the 12 Traditions of Cocaine Anonymous. The Archive Committee may wish to repurpose the content of interviewees into PSAs, pod casts, H&I videos, or use in a traveling archive, and other venues for carrying the message. Please be sure to obtain a release form from every interviewee prior to recording. Please keep in mind some state laws require this permission before making it for public use. It is suggested you also refer to the IT guidelines for information on using these audio archives.

Suggested C.A. Audio Archive Interview Format

The purpose of maintaining and storing an accurate account of earlier membership and how our fellowship developed into what it is now is the goal of the archive committee’s historical interview process. Interview questions should always be administered with consideration of and adherence to the 12 Traditions of Cocaine Anonymous.

Introduction: (Hi, Good Morning, etc) this is (first name & initial), from the (Your Area or District) Archive Committee. I’m here with (first name & initial) on this (date) and do I have your permission to record this interview for the posterity of Cocaine Anonymous. (Wait for audible response) Thank you.

Closing: I want to thank you for your time today (interviewee’s first name). On behalf of the WSC Archive Committee and our worldwide fellowship, thank you for your time and your service.

A. Suggested Topics & Questions for Original and Early Organizers

  • When did you come into Cocaine Anonymous?
  • How would you describe C.A. in those early days?
    • the name of any particular groups?
    • group size? meeting formats?
      anything else you remember?
  • Did you attend Area or District meetings? If so, what were they like?
    • Did you hold any service positions? If so, which ones?
  • Do you remember who your World Delegate/s and Trustees were at that time?
    • What do you remember about them?
  • What can you tell me about the history of your District or Area?
    • Inception date? First meeting, early members?
    • Controversies
    • Schisms, splits, new district or Area formations?
  • What are some of your most memorable moments in those early days C.A.?
  • What were some of the growing pains of C.A. in those days?
    • Can you think of any short-comings of C.A. in those days?
    • In those early days, what do you think C.A. did right?
  • Was there any relationship with A.A. in those early days? If so what was that like?
  • In those early days, did you attend any C.A. events – local, regional, world? Conventions, Unity Events, etc. If so, what do your remember about them?
  • What are your thoughts about how C.A. has developed over the years?
  • Do you still attend C.A. meetings?
  • Is the C.A. Fellowship different now? How so?
  • What would you say to today’s trusted servants?
  • How would you like to be remembered in C.A.?
  • Is there anything else you’d like to say about C.A.?

B. Suggested Questions for a Standard Audio Archive Interview

These basic questions were created at the 2010 CAWS Conference and approved by the 2011 Conference. They are meant to be an interview framework from which to be drawn.

A. Basic Personal Information

  • What name do you go by?
  • What is your sobriety date?
  • What drugs did you use?
  • How were you first introduced to C.A.?
  • How did you get to your first C.A. meeting?
  • What C.A. meetings did you go to regularly?
  • Who took you through the Steps?
  • What was your C.A. home group?
  • What attracted you or kept you coming back to C.A.

B. Contributions to C.A. Growth

  • Do you know who started C.A. in your Area and how?
  • What were the meetings like in the beginning?
  • Why was it necessary to start C.A. meetings where you lived?
  • How did potential members find out about meetings?
  • What was the social climate around C.A. meetings at that time?
  • How did you attract new members?
  • How did C.A. conduct business in the beginning?
  • Did you find the World Service Office or did they find you?
  • How did meetings change after contact with World Service?
  • Do you remember any of the early Delegates from your Area?

C. Specific Memories

  • Who else was going to C.A. meetings in those early days?
  • What literature was read in early C.A. meetings?
  • What was your reaction to hearing “Who’s a Cocaine Addict?” for the first time?
  • What’s your favorite C.A. reading?
  • Where was the first C.A. Convention you attended?
  • Any memorable controversies? Did they help or hinder the growth of C.A.?
  • What’s the most fun you ever had in C.A.?
  • What is your most memorable moment in early C.A.?
  • experience?
  • What mistakes were made?
  • What do you think you did right?
  • What would you do differently?
  • Were there any particular difficulties you encountered?

D. Involvement with C.A. Now

  • Do you still attend C.A. meetings? If yes, Why? If, no Why not?
  • Do you have any C.A. service commitments now?
  • What area of service interests you most?
  • Is the Fellowship different now? How?

E. Closing comments

  • Has the torch been passed?
  • How would you like to be remembered in C.A.?
  • What C.A. service work gave you the most satisfaction?
  • be a better Fellowship today?
  • What could be done to make C.A. be a better Fellowship?

SOME NOTES ON AUDIO FILES

Uncompressed audio formats encode both sound and silence with the same number of bits per unit of time. Encoding an uncompressed minute of absolute silence produces a file of the same size as encoding an uncompressed minute of music. In a lossless compressed format, however, the music would occupy a smaller file than an uncompressed format and the silence would take up almost no space at all. A compressed audio format stores data in less space without losing any information. The original, uncompressed data can be recreated from the compressed version.

LOSSLESS (RAW) Preserves or captures all the files’ original data. All photos, art pieces, and text are NOT lost. Lossless files can be compressed and still preserve all the files’ data to its original state. Uncompressed audio formats, such as WAV, AIFF, AU or raw header-less PCM. (large files) great for preserving high definition audio recordings. Formats with lossless compression, such as FLAC, Monkey’s Audio (filename extension .ape), WavPack (filename extension .wv), TTA, ATRAC Advanced Lossless, ALAC (filename extension .m4a), MPEG-4 SLS, MPEG-4 ALS, MPEG-4 DST, Windows Media Audio Lossless (WMA Lossless), and Shorten (SHN).

LOSSY (MP3) Loses the data and quality of an image file, which is irreversible. The Lossy files will get rid of unnecessary data. Making the file smaller and, in the process, reducing the quality of the image. Formats with lossy compression, common examples include:s MP3, AAC, ATRAC and Windows Media Audio Lossy (WMA lossy). Great for audio voice interviews, speaker shares, etc. *NOTE: For audio interviews or speaker/share recordings, lossy (mp3 or an equivalent is fine for our purposes.

Appendix I: Sample Audio History Release Form

Audio History Release Form for: (Your Area or District) COCAINE ANONYMOUS ARCHIVES

I ____________________________________________________________________________,

hereby give this interview or keynote talk recorded on this day __________________________ to the (Your Area or District) Archives as a donation. With this gift, I transfer to the (Your Area or District) COCAINE ANONYMOUS ARCHIVES legal title and all literary recorded on rights, including copyright.

I understand the recorded interview or keynote talk may be made available for research and Archives may determine. This includes right and license to reproduce, copy, modify, display, distribute, perform, broadcast, transmit, and create derivatives from the recording. This may include use of the interview or keynote talk material in print and in live or recorded programs for radio, television, or any electronic publishing medium.

I transfer all of the above rights without limitation, to support the mission of C.A. and to disseminate information about C.A., upon the condition that I, and any other C.A. member I identify, remain anonymous at the level of the public media, (including, but not limited to, any newspapers, internet, radio, television, press, or other existing or future form of communication which would be available to the general public, rather than just to members of C.A.)

This gift does not preclude any use that I may wish to make of the information in the recordings.

____________________________________________________________________________
Signature of Interviewee or Speaker

____________________________________________________________________________
Name (printed)

____________________________________________________________________________
City, State/Province,  Date Signed

 

____________________________________________________________________________
Signature of Interviewer (if applicable)

____________________________________________________________________________
Name (printed)

____________________________________________________________________________
City,  State/Province, Date Signed

Additional Comments:

Appendix II: Sample Deed of C.A. Gift Form

Deed of Gift to Cocaine Anonymous World Services.

Thank you for your generous contribution to the Archives of Cocaine Anonymous. Contributions such as yours have made it possible for us to continue building a comprehensive history of our Fellowship. Please know that we are most grateful for your contribution and we will handle it with loving and professional care. We are sure you understand that this is a permanent contribution and we hope you are confident that we will make the best possible use of it.
We think you will feel, as our thousands of other C.A. Members have, that our history is alive and strengthening the Fellowship. Thank you for your loving generosity.

Please fill out and sign the attached form and email it to: (your C.A. Area Archives email address.

C.A. Deed of Gift

I, __________________________________________________________________, residing at __________________________________________________________________________________, hereby gift, transfer, convey and assign to the Cocaine Anonymous Area Archives of ____________________________________ all of my right, title and interest in and to the following property, of which I am the sole owner and which property is free of any liens, claims or encumbrances. This gift is made free of any terms and conditions except: ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Signed:_______________________________________________________________________

Dated:________________________________________________________________________

COUNTRY | STATE/PROVINCE | CITY ______________________________________________________________________________