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Internships at the
National Music Museum &
Center for Study of the History of Musical Instruments
Types of Internships
Advanced Conservation Internship
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Objective: Assist in the preservation of the NMM's collections
Level of Responsibility: Reports to Conservator |
Essential Functions: Specialized conservation activities, including
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Scientific examination of artifacts
- Conservation of artifacts
- Documentation of condition and treatment
Special Qualifications:
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Enrollment in or completion of an accredited program in conservation, with a specialty relevant to the collections in the NMM (wooden artifacts, objects, paper, photographic materials, conservation sciences)
- Strong interest in the preservation of historical artifacts
- Experience with and interest in music or musical instruments
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Archival Internship
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Objective: Organize, catalog, preserve, and develop finding aids for archival materials in the NMM
Level of Responsibility: Reports to Curator of Musical Instruments; consults with Conservator
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Essential Functions:
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Sort and organize material from the archives of the NMM
- Catalog materials
- Perform research related to archive
- Input data into database, spread-sheet, and/or word-processing inventory lists
- Store archival material in acid-buffered materials
- Scan archival photographs, as appropriate
- Prepare written descriptions and finding aids for posting on NMM website
Special Qualifications:
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An interest in archival research
- Familiarity with Microsoft Access database and/or Excel software
- Familiarity with scanning photographs
Examples of potential projects include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Musical instrument manufacturers' archive
- Sheet music collection
- Matt Petrik Bohemian dance band collection
- Christian Collection of zither music
- Sound recordings collection
- Program collection
- Other archival collections at the NMM
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Cataloging Internship
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Objective: Organize, preserve, research, and catalog a select group of musical instruments and/or their accessories in the NMM's collections
Level of Responsibility: Reports to Curator of Musical Instruments; works with NMM photographer; consults with Conservator
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Essential Functions:
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Create detailed catalog files for each object, including measurements
- Research object and dating
- Research object's provenance
- Assist NMM photographer with recommendations for photographic documentation of object
- Record and report conservation needs
- Help store objects and assign locations
- Prepare inventories and/or checklists for publication on NMM website
Special Qualifications:
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Player's knowledge of musical instruments and their components
Some Examples:
The specific group of instruments and/or accessories chosen will relate to the intern's interests, as well as the NMM's needs. Some groups of instruments that may be chosen include, but are not limited to, the following:
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Brass or woodwind mouthpiece collections
- Portions of harmonica collection
- Accordion and concertina collection
- Mallet percussion instruments
- Bass drum collection
- Saxophone collection
- Trombone collection
- Tuba collection
- Sousaphone collection
- Mandolin collection
- Various groups of ethnic, folk, or non-western instruments
- Instruments by a particular manufacturer, such as York, Selmer, Leblanc, etc.
- Specific groups of American and/or European brass, woodwind, or percussion instruments in the NMM's collections
- Brass, woodwind, or percussion parts and accessories collections
- Phonograph collection
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Collections Documentation Internship
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Objective: Document musical instruments in the NMM’s collections
Level of Responsibility: Reports to Conservator and/or Curator of Musical Instruments
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Essential Functions: major participation in a documentation project related to the intern's experience and interests, such as
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Systematic measurement of groups of musical instruments (e.g., early keyboard instruments)
- Production of publishable technical drawings of specific instruments
Special Qualifications:
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Enrollment in or completion of an accredited BA, BS, BM or graduate-level program
- Appropriate skills or experience relevant to the specific project
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Curatorial Assistant Internship
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Objective: Assist with basic curatorial functions at the NMM
Level of Responsibility: Reports to Curator of Musical Instruments
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Essential Functions: Assist with routine curatorial activities at the NMM, including tasks such as, but not limited to, the following
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Sort, organize, catalog, store, and prepare inventories of material donated to the NMM
- Conduct research related to NMM's collections
- Conduct research to answer NMM members' research inquiries
- Input catalog data into databases, spread-sheets, and/or word-processing inventory lists and catalog
sheets
- Prepare written descriptions and finding aids for portions of the NMM's collections, for posting on NMM website
- Prepare instruments for storage
- Assist with instrument inventory control
- Maintain order in documentation files
- Assist visiting researchers
Special Qualifications:
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An interest in archival research
- Familiarity with Microsoft Access database and/or Excel software
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Introductory Conservation Internship
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Objective: Assist in the preservation of the NMM’s collections
Level of Responsibility: Reports to Conservator |
Essential Functions: Routine conservation activities, including
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Cleaning of displayed objects
- Documentation
- Preparation of mounts
Special Qualifications:
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Enrollment in or completion of an accredited BA, BS, or graduate-level program
- Strong interest in the preservation of historical artifacts and collections in the museum environment
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Museum Education: Lending Materials Internship
Objective: Develop lending materials that can be sent to schools and/or groups that are unable to come to the NMM for tours
Level of Responsibility: Reports to Curator of Education
Essential Functions:
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Determine appropriate school curriculum to be addressed
- Determine subject matter
- Choose appropriate materials that may include, but are not necessarily limited to
- Objects
- Images
- Reproductions
- Teachers' manuals
- Timelines
- Posters
- Develop all written materials
- Determine a budget
- Research funding possibilities
Special Qualifications:
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Interested in education
- Completion of, or in process toward, education degree desirable, but not required
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Oral History Transcription Internship
Objective: Transcribe taped interviews from the Carleen Hutchins' New Violin Family archive, the Arne B. Larson archive, and the South Dakota composers' archive (including the Marjorie Dudley archive and collection of U.S. Bicentennial radio interviews). Assist in the re-mastering and preservation of original interview media, as appropriate.
Level of Responsibility: Reports to Curator of Musical Instruments
Essential Functions:
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Transcribe oral interviews
- Sort, organize, and catalog interviews and transcriptions
- Store archival material and interview recordings in appropriate, acid-buffered materials
- Assist in the re-mastering of original interview media, as appropriate
- Prepare written descriptions and finding aids for posting on NMM website and for cross-reference in South Dakota Oral History Center (if applicable)
Special Qualifications:
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An interest in archival research
- Ability to transcribe oral interviews
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Research Database Input Internship
Objective: Compile research databases for use by NMM staff, as well as other researchers, in the cataloging of musical instruments, their accessories, and their histories
Level of Responsibility: Reports to Curator of Musical Instruments
Essential Functions:
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Index contents of NMM's collection of musical instrument wholesalers' catalogs by inputting data into NMM's existing Musical Instrument Manufacturers' Archive database or
- Index contents of NMM's collection of Conn company periodicals by inputting data into NMM's existing Conn periodical research database or
- Index music- and musical-instrument-related trademarks in the U.S. Patent and Trade Gazette
Special Qualifications:
- Strong interest in contributing to facilitation of primary research
- Familiarity with Microsoft Access database software
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Website Assistant Internship
Objective: Assist with the maintenance and development of the NMM's extensive website, including the development of checklists and other finding aids for the NMM's archives
Level of Responsibility: Reports to NMM Webmaster
Essential Functions:
- Assist webmaster with general, on-going maintenance and development of website
- Rip, prepare, and post audio clips from NMM recordings for posting on gift shop and appropriate checklists
- Prepare appropriate written descriptions and finding aids for portions of the NMM's archival collections (such as those currently enumerated on website) to be posted on website
- Scan, prepare, and post images on website to illustrate the written descriptions and finding aids for the NMM's archives
Special Qualifications:
- Demonstrable experience with website design and development
- Fluency with html coding preferred
- Familiarity with Macromedia Dreamweaver software or other similar website editor
- Ability to scan text and/or images
- Familiarity with PhotoShop or fluency with comparable photo editing software
- Familiarity with audio editing software
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Application Process:
Complete the internship application (available online in PDF format) and return it with a cover letter; three (3) letters of recommendation from people who can assess the applicant's background, skills, and capabilities for the desired internship; a resume; an essay of no more than 500 words describing the candidate's interest in the internship program, skills that would contribute to the internship, and career goals; and, academic transcripts (for applicants currently enrolled in, or recently graduated from, an academic program).
Application deadlines:
Applications for summer internships: March 1
Applications for fall internships: June 1
Applications for spring internships: October 1
Applications for other time periods (6, 9, or 12 months) will be accepted at any time.
National Music Museum
The University of South Dakota
414 East Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069
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