BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
A good internship can provide valuable experiences as you enter the arts industry. Most of us have undertaken one at some point along our career journey — and perhaps, it even helped launch that career into what it is today.
When internships are well structured, they can offer more than just an extra line on your CV, or an addition to your portfolio. And musician-educator Laura Winters is here to tell us how she made an arts internship work for her.
Laura’s music studies at Monash University required her to participate in an internship. But she didn’t settle for an arts organisation that would simply take her on; she went out of her way to find one she loved, and invited her own way in — forging a new path as she went.
Laura tells us all about her time with Orchestra Victoria, the pit orchestra that partners with The Australian Ballet.
Laura, it’s great to chat with you because you’ve been achieving some amazing things in the past year. You were positioned in Orchestra Victoria as their very first intern — and of your own making. Congratulations! How’d you get your foot in the door?
It all started with the realisation that Monash University, where I’ve been study my Bachelor of Music, offered its arts students the opportunity to undertake internships. I thought it would be a great experience, and asked if I could source my own music-related one.
Monash was more than happy for me to investigate this, so I got in touch with a few arts organisations around Melbourne with my CV and an explanation of what I was hoping to do. The then-head of orchestra management at Orchestra Victoria was brave enough to offer me an interview to find out more.
Even though at the time, I wasn’t really sure of what I wanted from an internship — and OV had never had an intern — we were all courageous enough to jump in and give it a go! It turned out to be a fantastic experience, and I’m very thankful to OV for taking a chance on me.
So what did you do? Talk us through your own personal internship experience. A day in the life, if you like.
I was part of the admin and operations team during the internship, so it was incredibly varied — sometimes, it felt like I did something new every day!
A typical day in the office though would usually start by checking in with my supervisor to find out what needed to be done that day, before getting stuck into spreadsheets or emails, printing and binding music, or helping with logistics around rehearsals.
However, then there was days where we’d have ballets on at the Arts Centre, or we had a special event where I would be involved in everything from setting up chairs and stands, checking musicians in to make sure we had everyone, or helping sell programs. So really I got stuck into anything that needed doing!
You worked on some major events with OV — you helped in the pit for two ballets, toured to Bendigo to deliver educational programs, and were part of the 50th Anniversary Gala concert! Beyond the musicians, how important are arts administrators behind the scenes?
Experiencing the job of orchestral management first-hand through this internship really took my understanding of what it takes to a new level. Honestly, the amazing performers would never make it to the stage or pit without the incredible admin and operation teams behind them.
Arts admin really is an essential role to make sure that, logistically, everything runs smoothly, which in turn allows the artists to perform at their very best.
The musicians of OV are aware of this, and were so encouraging and supportive of our work, which I really appreciated.
What are some of the toughest duties of an arts administrator that you learnt through your internship — duties you may have previously taken for granted?
As an intern, I suspect I only saw a small fraction of what challenges they face! However, the random hours can be frustrating. You could have work at the office during the day, or a show late at night, or bump in on the weekend! For our 50th Anniversary Gala, we actually had people working overnight to get everything set up in time for rehearsal. Thankfully, I was not required — but a huge shout-out to those awesome ops guys!
The other aspect I found a little challenging — especially as an intern — is that, in a way, the admin team is supposed to have all the answers to any question at any time from any person. Trying to stay on top of all the information I might be required to know was a bit of a surprise task I wasn’t expecting. However, I suspect I’ve asked admin staff in concerts I’ve been involved in [through my own music career] questions they probably had no clue about!
What’s the biggest lesson you learnt about the arts industry when you came out the other side of this experience?
In this industry, there will be awesome fun days where you think you have the best job in the world. There will also be long crazy days of running around exhausted, or boring days of staring at the same spreadsheet for hours, or tough days where you can’t seem to do anything right and you are convinced you have the worst job in the world. Through it all, don’t quit — and try to always find the positive. In the end, it’ll all be okay and everything will have been worth it!
This internship experience was a formal part of your Monash studies. Why do you feel it’s important for academic institutions to promote industry work and send its students into the “real world”, too? What do you get out of it?
The Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music at Monash University has been an incredible place to study, and has given me a wonderful education. They place a lot of emphasis on training industry-ready musicians with a broad perspective on the entire arts industry, rather than just making sure you can play your instrument well. I have studied many varied things that have nothing to do with orchestral harp — including computer music production; I was so out of my depth! — but which have prepared me for actually thriving out in the ‘real world’.
I think this has benefited me greatly, as I don’t just know how to play the harp — I also know how to find opportunities, create networks, and jump into any situation presented to me.
The internship really helped me apply the non-performance skills I was learning and developing, and see just how many possibilities there are in the wider music industry.
Plus, now when a job opportunity comes along, I’ve got some experience and can say, ‘I’ve done some of that!’.
What advice would you give others looking to undertake an arts internship?
While there’s plenty of opportunities for performance experience or education training through uni, administration and operations is a significant and vital part of the arts industry that can be a bit of an unknown. Taking the time to learn some skills, and being exposed to an organisation you might one day want to work in, will really inspire you. It’s such a valuable experience, and the chances are you’ll meet some really awesome people who can give you advice or contacts as you work on your career. The staff at OV were awesome, along with the musicians, and I loved learning from them.
And don’t forget to be creative and courageous. Just because an organisation doesn’t have an intern program doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t be interested in having you!
What do you hope to do with your new skills in the long-run, whether or not you wish to work in arts administration?
While I’m currently focusing on performance and education, I would definitely be interested in getting more involved in arts admin further down the track. I also have hopes of starting a new orchestra for home-schooled kids and teens at some point in the future, so the skills I’ve learnt through my internship would be put to practical use!
Any parting words?
Don’t settle for the status quo. Challenge yourself and find a way to make stuff happen! If you’re willing to put yourself out there and ask the question, you’ll usually find some incredible opportunities to dive into.
Learn more about Laura Winter’s career at Winter Music.
READ NEXT: Celine Chong writes about the value of an industry placement
Images supplied. Orchestra Victoria photo by John Noble.
