Jobs, Internships & Research
Employment
We are not currently accepting applications for any positions.
Internships
An internship with Smithsonian Folkways Recordings offers a wide range of valuable and meaningful experiences in the recording industry and non-profit arts administration, within the context of the world’s largest museum complex. Specific learning opportunities include graphic design, music marketing, royalty administration, cataloging and research, and educational content creation. Interns are expected to work for at least 100 hours, and ideally no less than 10 hours/week. Some specific internships may require longer commitment to ensure a successful experience, both for the intern and for Folkways. In addition to honing specific skills, interns will meet regularly with their supervisors, work with other interns and other staff on team projects, and have access to a wide array of programming, as well as curatorial and professional experts across the institution. For information on specific internships available, please see below.
To apply, visit SOLAA and create an account. After selecting Internship, specify the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (please indicate the name of the specific internship in your essay.) You will be required to upload supporting materials, including an essay, resume, transcripts, and letters of recommendation.
The submission deadline for summer internships with Smithsonian Folkways is March 1. There are no deadlines for submitting applications for other seasons.
The completed application is to be submitted at least six weeks before the start of the internship.
If you have questions, please contact our intern coordinator Arlene Reiniger.
Music Education Internship
Accepting applications for Summer 2025
Mentor: Logan Clark, Jennifer Mellizo
Type: Paid - $6,500 stipend for in person (preferred), $2,000 stipend for virtual
Description: This internship opportunity focuses on presenting the vast Folkways catalog to the public in ways that promote its mission: supporting cultural equity and increased understanding among peoples through the documentation, preservation, and dissemination of sound. In response to rapidly changing educational realities, Smithsonian Folkways has launched an online music education platform called Music Pathways. This free, online resource provides customizable, technologically integrative experiences that enable engagement on multiple levels of the traditional-to-online classroom continuum. Interns will gain hands-on experience working in the realm of applied ethnomusicology, museum education, copyright research, and web production—all within the context of an active record label. The majority of the skills learned will be crucial “behind-the-scenes” elements, such as copy editing, publication formatting, rights research, web content editing, and data management. The interns will also develop professional communication skills in the work of reaching out to, and gaining permissions from, license holders. They will also communicate regularly with other Smithsonian units to collaborate in the use of primary source materials. This internship will focus on the Pathway Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and Their Music
Length: At least 2 months, preferably 20 hrs / week or more
Location: In person (preferred) or virtual
Experience: Must be detail oriented, possess highly developed communication skills for communicating with scholars and artists regularly. Knowledge of Pathway topic is a plus, but not necessary.
Marketing Internship
Accepting applications for Summer 2025
Mentor: Jonathan Williger
Type: Paid, college credit
Description: Smithsonian Folkways is looking for enthusiastic marketing interns who are ready to learn the many skills of positioning new culturally and historically significant recordings in an ever-changing digital and physical marketplace. The intern will help write copy to accompany our content on social media and our website, assist in maintaining a marketing calendar, positioning our extensive catalog on DSPs, gathering relevant information for new releases essential in crafting marketing plans, and other tasks as assigned.
Length: 3 months, 24 hr/week minimum
Location: Virtual
Experience: Must be detail oriented, with good writing and communication skills. Must have a passion for music and media, and experience with social media, graphic design, editorial, college radio a plus. Ideal applicants are voracious listeners across many genres and styles, and spend much of their free time scouring the internet for new music and are familiar with Bandcamp, Spotify, and other new music discovery tools.
Web & IT Production Internship
Accepting applications year-round
Mentor: Toby Dodds
Type: Experiential, college credit
Description: The Smithsonian Folkways Web & IT Production Intern will assist Smithsonian Folkways' Director of Web & IT with day-to-day operations related to the management of our website and digital collections. These duties may include scanning archival documents, encoding audio and video, entering metadata, and contributing written content to our web site. Interns will gain hands on experience working in the realm of library science and web production. Additionally scholars interested in the fields of anthropology, ethnomusicology, American studies, history, and folklore will enjoy spending time with our collection and will be exposed to many unique topics and ideas. Skills gained in the areas of web and IT production are invaluable to future scholars, writers, educators, archivists and web site managers as they embark on their careers.
Length: 3 months, part-time to full-time
Location: On-site and/or virtual
Experience: The ideal candidate will be passionate about music and have some prior experience with web publishing or work in an archival setting.
Mentorship Program for a More Diverse Workplace
Type: Paid Internship
Description: We encourage women of color, an underrepresented population at the Smithsonian, to apply for this opportunity to explore and discover cultural heritage and the role it plays in identity, family, and community. At Folkways, this Mentorship can be used with one of the above opportunities. In your application, please indicate that you are applying for the Diversity Mentorship Program and list the name of the Folkways internships (from those listed above) for which you'd like to be considered.
Length: 100 hours
Location: Virtual
Click here for more information about the Mentorship Program.
Research
The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections are open to visitors and researchers by appointment. To contact the Archives or schedule an appointment, please contact Ceci Peterson at PetersonC@si.edu or call 202.633.7931.