Meet the summer interns of Interlochen
Behind the scenes, working across 12 departments ranging from sustainability to strategic communications, 30 summer interns helped run Interlochen’s 94th summer season.
By Lanie Altmiller (IAC 17-18, IAA 18-19)
Lanie Altmiller, Public Relations Intern
Anastasia Scholze, Interlochen Public Relations Intern
Melanie Millo, College of Creative Arts Intern
Cara Benner, Ensemble Library Intern
With dozens of Art Camp programs, over 2,000 campers, and hundreds of performances, rehearsals, recreational activities, and web and radio broadcasts, Interlochen burst with activity this summer. Behind the scenes, working across 12 departments ranging from sustainability to strategic communications, 30 summer interns helped run Interlochen’s 94th summer season.
All summer internships at Interlochen are paid, full-time positions that include on-campus lodging and run for 8-10 weeks. As interns, not only do we assist our supervisors and work on independent projects, but we also attend concerts and performances and take advantage of Interlochen’s many waterfronts and scenic spots. (I spent several hours volunteering at our community garden, which has bunnies, chickens, and bees!)
With summer winding to a close, I spoke with a few of my fellow interns about our Interlochen experiences—how we’ve spent our days, what led us here, and our advice for future prospective interns.
What does your average day look like at Interlochen?
Anastasia Scholze, Interlochen Public Radio Intern: I’m helping Amanda Sewell, IPR’s classical music director, produce and write “The Interlochen Collection.” This is a syndicated weekly show that airs music from Interlochen concerts. I help Amanda write scripts and do research that supports various themes. We did a fairytale episode, for example, which featured music based on fairy tales.
I’m also learning how to host on air. At first I observed in the studio with the host, and then I got to spend a couple hours hosting myself. It’s a lot of fun.
Melanie Millo, College of Creative Arts Intern: I help program adult workshops in creative writing, visual arts, music, media, and theatre. Some of our bigger workshops are the Adult Choir Camp, Adult Band Camp, and Adult Chamber Music Camp. We welcome participants from all over the United States and all walks of life.
As the leading coordinator of Adult Band Camp, I work closely with Tom Riccobono, faculty program director and conductor, to make sure that everything is prepared for rehearsals. I am the go-to person if anything goes wrong or needs to be addressed.
Cara Benner, Ensemble Library Intern: On most days I go to rehearsals and bring the music for all the students. I also spend a lot of time on part preparation: copying and erasing parts, correcting errors in the music, and numbering measures. It’s our job to prevent anything that might cause confusion in rehearsals.
Lanie Altmiller, Public Relations Intern: I work a lot on social media. I check the calendar and see what’s going on that day, and then I go to classes and rehearsals and events to take pictures and videos. We’ve started posting a lot more Instagram stories this summer, and we’ve also started posting Instagram reels. I love capturing these small, sacred Interlochen moments and sharing them with the world.
I also interview people for articles, and I post articles on Interlochen’s website. I do media tracking, so when a website posts a story related to Interlochen, I keep a record of it. And I do media outreach, so I reach out to news outlets informing them about things happening at Interlochen. I get to do a lot of different things, which is really cool.
What drew you to Interlochen?
Anastasia Scholze, Interlochen Public Radio Intern: I went to school for music as a singer. During my senior year, Amanda gave a talk about her career as a PhD musicologist who doesn’t work in academia. Then, in the spring semester, one of my professors sent out an email that said, “Amanda Sewell is hiring!” I thought it sounded like a really interesting gig, and I’m really glad that I got to come here.
Lanie Altmiller, Public Relations Intern: My uncle went to the Arts Academy, which is how I found out about Interlochen. I visited campus when I was in elementary school and knew I wanted to come here. I went to Camp for two summers and Academy for my senior year. Ever since I graduated, I’ve been itching to return.
Interlochen has had such a huge impact on me as an artist and as an individual. This place and its people have given me so much, and I’m grateful to have the chance to give back and be a part of Interlochen in a new way. I’ve also become interested in music business and arts administration over the past few years, and this position is a great way to start getting involved in that side of the arts.
Melanie Millo, College of Creative Arts Intern: I found out about Interlochen from one of my friends who’s a counselor here. I was considering the counselor position, and then I discovered arts administration-related internships. Looking through them, the College of Creative Arts internship interested me because in music therapy, a field I’m pursuing, my target population is adults. I like to work with that demographic, and this is a great opportunity to develop interpersonal skills that will serve me in the music therapy field.
Cara Benner, Ensemble Library Intern: I was actually a camper at the Oboe Intensive in 2017, so Interlochen was on my radar. I want to be an orchestra librarian one day, and I saw a job posting for an ensemble librarian position at Interlochen. I was already familiar, and I was like, “I would love to go back!”
What would you say about this internship to someone interested in pursuing it?
Lanie Altmiller, Public Relations Intern: Definitely do it! One thing about Interlochen is that it consistently pushes me outside my comfort zone, but I always feel grounded by this sense of community. The whole marketing team is so friendly and supportive, and they always help me whenever I need it. I’ve learned so much from this internship—gaining new skills, meeting new people, getting creative with social media content. Even reading the articles that come through and seeing people’s posts about Interlochen every day is so interesting.
Anastasia Scholze, Interlochen Public Radio Intern: Go for it. I’ve learned so much, and going forward, I’m really excited to take what I’ve learned into my career in music. I could say good things about Interlochen all day long. You’ll have the best experience being here, whether you’re with students or more on the administrative side. You’ll learn a lot.
Melanie Millo, College of Creative Arts Intern: This job has helped me realize my potential. My boss has been a great support and inspiration. I’ve gotten to network with some of the leading administrators in the arts, and through them, I feel empowered.
My favorite part of working for the College of Creative Arts is getting to meet the participants. I love their contagious enthusiasm. I’m just as passionate as they are, but they make me even more motivated to provide a quality experience in the arts.
I also love that this is a place for people with diverse minds and backgrounds. One of my inspirations is Enrique Márquez, Interlochen’s director of music. I’m a first-generation college student. To see someone of Hispanic or Latino origin in a leadership position, and to get to ask him about his career, is a really special opportunity.
Cara Benner, Ensemble Library Intern: Absolutely apply. I have the best coworkers, the best boss, and the best place to work on campus! Everybody wants each other to succeed. I’m very grateful for coworkers who are always ready to jump in and help each other if something goes wrong. It’s just a great, uplifting environment.
Want to gain work experience in a creative and supportive community? Explore internship opportunities at Interlochen Arts Camp.
