Stories worth hearing. Voices worth keeping.

Life Recorded helps families preserve a parent’s or grandparent’s memories, voice and personality in a carefully produced audio biography. It also undertakes commissioned oral-history projects for archives and organisations.

Former Radio New Zealand producer and interviewer Cosmo Kentish-Barnes brings a relaxed, unhurried approach to every conversation, helping each person recall the details that matter and tell their story in their own way.

An older woman holding a baby in a warm family moment — Give your children and grandchildren the stories that shaped your family

Jo and Rob Rhodes at their South Canterbury farm.

Rob and Jo Rhodes at their South Canterbury farm. — Rob and Jo Rhodes
at their South Canterbury farm,
where their story was recorded

“What a wonderful experience for Mum and Dad – an incredibly precious record for the whole family.”
Emily Murray, after receiving the recorded life story of her parents, Rob and Jo Rhodes

Hear a Life Recorded

Two voices. Two different lives.

Listen to two short excerpts from completed Life Recorded projects – one commissioned by a family, the other by an archive.

Capture someone’s story for future generations

Start a conversation

Meet Cosmo

A lifetime of listening

Cosmo Kentish-Barnes holding two microphones outdoors

Before starting Life Recorded, Cosmo spent 17 years producing more than 600 stories for RNZ’s weekly Country Life programme. His work took him into homes and workplaces, and onto farms and stations across the South Island.

Those years of long-form interviewing taught him how to listen closely, ask the right follow-up question and know when to let a conversation unfold. He understands how important it is to capture these stories while there is still time.

Based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Cosmo works throughout New Zealand.

From RNZ’s Country Life show

Tracks Well-Travelled -
listen to Cosmo’s final feature

View on RNZ

“Cosmo’s research and interviews with artists exceeded our expectations.
His professional interviewing style, which gave each person the opportunity to speak freely and at length, was exemplary.
We certainly hope to work with him again in the future.”
Tim Jones, Christchurch Art Gallery

Life Recorded packages

A life story, captured for generations

Children or a partner often commission a life story, with family members sometimes sharing the cost.

An initial conversation is a chance to talk through the options and costs. Cosmo then researches and records the story before editing it into engaging chapters that are easy to listen to, share and keep as part of your family’s history.

Cosmo Kentish-Barnes recording Tom Porter’s life story at home.

For one person

A detailed life story shaped around their memories and experiences, delivered in three or four easy-to-listen-to chapters - around 90 minutes of professionally edited audio.

Nigel and Chris Morrison at their Linkwater property.

For a couple

A more extensive life story bringing together two individual histories and the life they have shared, giving both people room to tell their stories across four or five chapters.

Included in every package

What you receive

You receive a professionally recorded and edited audio life story, shaped into easy-to-listen-to chapters and presented on a USB drive in a gift box, with a digital backup for safekeeping.

Also included are a full transcript that can be used as source material for a book or written family history, and a photograph taken on the day.

Common questions

What to expect

How much preparation is involved?

Before the recording, Cosmo has a preliminary conversation and asks for notes about important people, places and events. Family members are welcome to suggest topics too. Cosmo then does the background research and prepares questions, so the recording itself feels natural and conversational.

How long does the recording take?

A one-person life story usually involves around three to four hours of relaxed conversation, with breaks whenever needed. Couple recordings take longer and can be divided between sessions.

What about private or sensitive subjects?

The person being recorded is always in control of what they share. They can choose not to discuss a subject or ask for something to be left out during editing. Family recordings are delivered privately and are never made public without permission.

Whose story are you thinking about recording?

Tell Cosmo a little about the person or project you have in mind. The first conversation is simply a chance to ask questions and explore what might be possible.

[email protected]027 206 5871

Email Cosmo