A Remembered Voice creates a unique experience that values the life of the story teller and the rich details of that individual voice.
Melinda Allen-Grote is the founder and executive director of A Remembered Voice. She has an MA degree in Counseling from Seton Hall University in New Jersey.
My Story
In 2013, I founded A Remembered Voice after recording a series of stories with a friend, Agness McLean, who grew up in the segregated south. The power of her stories took my breath away.
Agness’s story of growing up as a child in the segregated south of Alabama in the 1950’s and 1960’s was a compelling narrative. The power of her narrative and the historical and emotional significance for me of hearing those stories compelled me to create a business recording the testimonies of people’s lives. Those stories gave birth to A Remembered Voice
The vision for A Remembered Voice originally came from a lifetime of remembered stories shared by my parents and grandparents. As a young child, I longed to hear the actual voices of my great-grandfather, Welcome; my great-grandmother, Melinda Ann; my grandfather, John. I wanted to know their laughter, their sadness. I wanted to hear the voice that went along with the memories, the stories, and the pictures.
Those histories and stories were powerful bridges in my life, connecting me to other generations and to people from a different time and place. I loved those stories and those histories. I wanted to hear them over and over. I did not want them to be forgotten.
And that became my goal: “Don’t let those stories be forgotten.”
As a professional in the non-profit world for over 25 years, I have been working with people to strengthen their lives; listening to their stories every day. I continue to love the stories and the histories of each individual I work with: stories of hardship and joy, stories of defeat and success, and stories of resilience. The richness of those years and the hundreds of stories told affirm my belief that every single story and every single voice matters.
My life is enriched daily by my husband Doug, our five children and their spouses, and eight amazing grandchildren. We love the beach, we love to eat, and someone is always telling a story.
Through our stories and our histories, we change the world, one person at a time. I am committed to capturing the essence of those memories and stories, and preserving the wonderful, unique, and extraordinary voice that tells that story and provides the testimony to someone’s life.
Would you like more information? Contact me today!