Like the shooting techniques that discussed in Baron’s The Archive Effect, Hardy also brings the recording technology that helps uncover the history that may be forgotten long ago. Hardy makes a repeated mention of “audio art” that develops from “shattered radio, phonograph record, audiocassette, and CD into an expanding option of new media”. These techniques skills disseminated for decades have greatly affected the development of oral history. But after I finish listening to the “Regan speaks for himself”, I start to doubt whether there is a gap between the appropriated audio track and research of the real history. In this track, obvious repetition and pauses are appropriated, which makes me doubt whether the producer of this audio is trying to stress something on purpose. The appropriated part will definitely impacts on people’s different understanding of this history. In the words under the audio track, it says that this audio is made of two versions from different time period of Regan. This kind of mixture definitely helps present one possible understanding of history in that period, but how can I tell whether the “one possible understanding” is getting closer to the real history? What if it is made out of some reasons that will distort the true story? I think I’d prefer to hear the original versions of each audio track, which make me feel more persuasive.

I agree with Hardy argument that “Audio art and oral history have a natural affinity. Storytelling and reminiscence, as we oral historians repeatedly intone, are by their nature aural forms” (58). In the “This Car to the Ballpark”, it seems that extra sound effect of melodies is embedded into the audio track, which offers the listeners to look into the perception of aesthetic in terms of audio art. For those who barely have any history knowledge, the audio art sounds fascinating and attracting. But in the perspective of history research, I still believe that it may somewhat affect our interpretation to the reality when we are trying to get a glimpse back into the history.

Apart from the consideration for authentic and professional research, I actually like the idea of preserving the history orally. Hardy mentions that “Oral history interviews are performative, and each person’s vocalizations-language, accent, intonation, sonority, cadence, tonality, vocabulary-the whole complex symphony of verbal expression”. It strikes me that there is a crossing point of art and history. Imaging people acting themselves in an audio arena and murmuring the old stories in a mysterious and personal way, by which the invisible memory is transformed to the material that can be preserved ever since.