I just saw a video from CBS News discussing how the Smithsonian is preserving its own audio cassette recordings. I’ve shared the video below.
Cassette tapes were first introduced by Philips in 1963. In fact, I have a couple that I found when my dad and I were going through the house before he moved to a seniors facility. The two most special ones were one of my grandparents singing “The Old Rugged Cross” and another that I call “The Party”.
I’m sure The Party was recorded back in the ’60s because I remember my parents getting a brand new cassette recorder around then. They must have had a party and gone around the room asking people questions, as if they were big-time news anchors interviewing celebrities. It’s a full 60 minutes of silliness, and it gets sillier, I’m sure, as they had a few beverages. But it’s still fun to listen to.
I now have them in my FOREVER account, and I can give my brothers and cousins access to the recording anytime they want to listen.
The Party and the cassette of my grandparents might not be Smithsonian worthy, but they certainly are to me. If you have audio cassettes, you can preserve them and start your own Archive. That’s what I call one part of my FOREVER account, it’s my family history home. Audio cassettes can last about 30 years, but that’s if they aren’t being used, and what’s the fun in that?
Action Steps For Today
Gather the cassettes you have in your home. Hopefully, you still recall what’s recorded on them.
Then, purchase a FOREVER Box and have those cassettes digitized and added to your FOREVER account. I encourage you to purchase Storage rather than putting on a USB drive (those can be lost.. and I have a story about that). Make a one-time purchase or pay over 24 months (think of it like a mortgage payment for your FOREVER home, but once the 24 months are over, your home is all yours and your children are the beneficiaries if you set that up).
If you want to see the other blogs in my series on creating a Family History Home™, you can go to my blog page HERE.
I’m a FOREVER Senior Ambassador, and I’d love to help you with your collection. Accept my invitation HERE. You’ll receive 2GB of FOREVER Storage to try and $20 to spend. I have classes for my clients, and I also have events that you can attend.
If you’d like to learn more about FOREVER, I have some playlists on YouTube.