What I liked the most about Heifetz (besides the opportunity to hear high-caliber performances) was the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals. I met people with different levels of experience, who came from different countries, but who were all brought together by an appreciation of classical music and string repertoire. From my fellow staff members I learned about the importance of organization and being proactive in all aspects, volunteering when necessary, and the value of collaboration. As a pianist, I was able to witness wonderful performances from the collaborative piano faculty and learned a lot that I could apply to my own work beyond Heifetz!
What I wish was different
Overall my experience at Heifetz was extremely positive. If there was one thing I wish could have been different, it would be stressing the importance of volunteering to help out other members of staff when extra help is needed. It makes everything easier and things run more smoothly when people pitch in, and I felt that during my summer the same group of people always volunteered, while others took the opportunity to relax rather than helping. Maybe some general training for how to help FoH, or how to help stage crew or MM could be useful for people, so that we can all jump in on jobs if needed.
Advice
Make an effort to learn the names of faculty, collaborative faculty, and students! Putting names to faces really helps make the experience more valuable. I would also suggest volunteering in areas outside of your job description: pouring wine at events, helping the admin team, the RAs, are all good ways to be involved. And attend concerts when you can! Make the most of the program.
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Festival Intern
June - August 2022 • Staunton, VA
What I liked
One thing I liked in particular about working at the festival during the summer was the fast pace experience day-to-day. Every day was different and nothing was ever exactly the same. This helped me improve my skills in adaptability as well as being attentive to detail in any situation. In addition, I enjoyed working with a hard-working team of professionals and interns that had a strong work ethic toward what they loved. Some days were certainly harder than others, but having a supportive team that I bonded with certainly helped me strive through this experience.
What I wish was different
Overall, this internship was definitely worth the experience and I learned so much. One thing that I would "warn" potential interns about is the long intensive days. If you are not used to being adaptive and working a schedule that constantly changes then this might not be the internship for you unless you want to learn how to! With that, due to the complexities of this program, I wish that there was more of a solid schedule as to what tasks I had, but I also understand that would be almost impossible due to the ever-changing environment of Heifetz.
Advice
You must come into this internship with a strong work ethic, a positive attitude, and a desire to learn/connect with others. You will only get what you put into this internship and if you only put in the bare minimum, you will not have as much of a desirable experience compared to others. The people that run this festival are hardworking individuals and if you take the time to learn what they do and connect with them, it broadens your view of what it takes to run a non-profit Music festival so much.
