First-Year Seminar 120: Follow My Lead

A good interview starts with the interviewer doing their homework.  Be sure to check out the resources in the Finding Sources tab to get background information to help formulate your interview questions.

Here are some useful interviewing tips from Aultman College. Some general things to remember:

• Your time with your interviewee will be limited. Send them a list of questions in advance, so that they can organize their thoughts and give a clear answer.
• If you intend to record the interview, ask your interviewee if it is ok to record.  Record them giving you verbal permission to record and use the interview. 
• Design open-ended questions. Instead of questions where the response would be simple facts, ask questions that will get your interviewee to explain their ideas or opinions.  For example, instead of asking, "Who are the other members of your band?," ask, "What are the musical strengths of your bandmates?" You'll still get the names of the other band members, but also you'll also hear comments about what each player is good at.

Here are some places to look for examples of interviews with musicians.

• Downbeat -- The jazz magazine Downbeat regularly includes interviews with important jazz musicians. Call Number: ML1 D72
• NPR Music -- NPR's music podcasts post their interviews online