Oral History Fellow, Interlochen Center For the Arts, Interlochen, MI
Posted April 23, 2024
Description:
Experience an unforgettable summer at Interlochen, where creativity thrives! Join our vibrant community for Interlochen Arts Camp 2024, where passionate individuals come together to make art, make friends, and make it the best summer ever. Be part of inspiring the next generation of artists in the idyllic setting of northern Michigan. Embrace the magic and make a lasting impact!
Interlochen Arts Camp is a vibrant and inclusive summer camp that offers campers ages 8-18 an unforgettable experience filled with artistic excellence, fun, learning, and personal growth. Join us for an enriching summer as Interlochen’s first Oral History Fellow. Each summer, the Office of Engagement welcomes hundreds of alumni, former faculty, staff, and parents back to campus to reengage with the Interlochen they experienced. As Interlochen approaches our centennial in 2028, we’re ramping up our effort to collect their Interlochen memories, stories, and moments of inspiration.
Position Overview
The inaugural Oral History Fellow will work as part of the Office of Engagement (alumni relations) team to collect and process brief oral histories (vignettes), including welcoming, orienting, interviewing, and recording subjects, and editing, cataloging, and archiving the resulting content. In this role, you’ll meet alumni from all over the world, hear their incredible stories, and help them reconnect with their formative years at Interlochen. You’ll also gain valuable experience in constituent engagement and relationship-building, critical needs of every arts organization.
What You Get To Do
- Provide exceptional service whether in person, on the phone, or in writing by displaying a strong customer-centric attitude and maintaining a friendly and flexible attitude while hosting alumni, parents, and other guests
- Support the development of an oral history program at Interlochen as it relates to Interlochen’s centennial celebration and the recording of stakeholder vignettes in person, both on- and off-campus, and online
- Assist in the planning and execution of more in-depth interviews with select individuals who have deep Interlochen ties as needed
- Guide the development of questions and prompts to elicit insightful and relevant oral histories/vignettes in the time allotted
- Conduct background research on subjects to prepare for interviews and improve the integrity of our database
- Conduct effective and efficient pre-session interviews to prepare guests to share their Interlochen story successfully
- Record oral history vignettes/interviews using digital recording tools with keen attention to ensuring the best sound quality possible
- Prompt subjects/guest(s) as needed to endure clarity, consistency, and conciseness of their stories
- Edit the resulting audio/video files as needed for clarity, consistency, and conciseness
- Prepare and produce written transcripts, including reviewing, proofreading, and reformatting as needed
- Catalog digital audio/visual media and document according to established archival methods; create metadata for digital files
- Support the development of tools to provide appropriate access to archived oral histories
- Produce written reports, short articles, social media contributions, and other written materials as needed
- Exercise discretion with sensitive and personal information
- Work a varied schedule that includes both evening and weekend hours and assist with other Office of Engagement onsite programs as required
What You Get
- Compensation: $5,250
- Meals and lodging included.
- 10% tuition discount for Discovery Camp or 50% Interlochen Arts Camp for dependents
- 20% discount for tickets to most summer concerts.
- 15% discount on merchandise from Scholarshop and food/beverages from Melody Freeze
Experience and Skills
What You Need
- Availability for 10 weeks, June 3, 2024 – August 11, 2024
- Prepared to live in a dorm or cabin setting.
- Experience as a student at Interlochen Arts Camp, Interlochen Arts Academy, or Interlochen Online is a plus.
- A strong understanding of and appreciation for the arts and arts education is required.
- Previous experience conducting and processing oral history interviews/content and supporting a larger oral history project
- Preference for those with coursework towards the completion of a Master’s degree in Oral History, Folklore Studies, Library Science, or Archival Management.
- Ability to think through and recommend best-practice systems, processes, and workflows
- Interest in presenting audiovisual content online and the accessibility requirements for doing so (transcripts, captions, audio descriptions)
- Ability to engage with and assist unique personalities with passionate ties to Interlochen’s history and traditions
- Ability to interview empathetically, patiently, and with an ear toward comprehension, meaning, and relevance
- Experience in digital preservation and file management
- Strong working knowledge of digital recording tools (Zoom field and podcast recorders) and audio editing media (Adobe Audition)
- Experience documenting and managing metadata to best-practice design (Dublin Core™ Metadata Initiative)
- Knowledge of the Apple operating environment and Google Workspace applications is required. Experience with Adobe Photoshop and social networking formats is a plus.
- Proven ability as a team player, yet able to work independently and self-motivate during downtimes
- Ability to work a flexible work schedule including evenings, weekends, and holidays
Required Items to Upload on Your Application:
- Resume
- Cover Letter