Country Music Association Internship Requirements: A Comprehensive Guide

The Country Music Association (CMA) is dedicated to promoting and supporting the growth of country music, both nationally and internationally. As part of this commitment, the CMA offers internship opportunities to students seeking to gain experience in the music industry. These internships provide valuable training and development in a supportive environment that fosters professional growth.

CMA's Commitment to Inclusivity and Equity

CMA is dedicated to creating lasting change by nurturing an inclusive and equitable culture. By fostering these practices in all areas of our business, we will ensure the future of our industry. They celebrate the dedication of their staff, membership, and the industry in moving Country Music forward and are committed to offering education and resources to help ensure an equitable pipeline of opportunity that continues for years to come. Whether you’re an industry veteran, just getting started, or a student pursuing your dream career, there is a place for you at CMA.

The Value of Music Education

For CMA, it’s not just about raising the next generation of musicians, but leveraging the impact that music has on students.

Internship Opportunities at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

A significant number of internship opportunities are available through the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. More than 1.5 million guests explored the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum in 2022, placing it among the most visited history museums in the country. Available internships, within the Museum, Hatch Show Print, and Historic RCA Studio B, include opportunities in collections, development, education, event management, library, marketing, public relations, and more. These internships are designed to introduce college students to museum-related careers and other professions found in large cultural organizations.

Field Forward Program

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum offers the Field Forward program, a living and relocation stipend offered to select internship candidates. Field Forward is a living and relocation stipend-offered to select candidates in addition to the paid internship-to support students who identify as traditionally underrepresented in cultural arts careers, as well as students with demonstrated financial need.

Application Process and Requirements

Applicants for internships at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum may also apply for the Field Forward program. The application process typically involves submitting a resume and cover letter, and answering specific questions related to the internship.

Key Application Questions

Prospective interns are often asked to address the following questions:

Why they want to intern at a nonprofit museum.
What strengths, skills, or professional experience they possess that would contribute positively to the internship experience.
What they would like to learn during the internship, and how it would contribute to their future goals and aspirations.

Review and Interview Process

Internship supervisors review all applications and invite top applicants to interview for the position.

Internship Structure and Environment

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is committed to providing a safe and secure environment. The internships are part of a fun, friendly, and supportive learning environment! The paid internships are work-based learning opportunities that introduce college students to Museum-related careers and other professions found in large cultural organizations. Each internship is designed to further the intern’s educational goals and the Museum’s mission. Interns are integrated into the team, participating in projects that impact their department and the Museum, and attending weekly planning meetings.

Internship Compensation and Time Commitment

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum offers paid internships to undergraduate and graduate students seeking professional experience. The hourly rate is $15/hr. for students pursuing a bachelor’s degree and $18/hr. for students pursuing a master’s degree or higher. Internships are designed for a maximum commitment of eighteen to twenty-five hours per week for twelve weeks, with consideration given to individual college/university requirements.

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Equal Opportunity Employer

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is an equal opportunity employer. The Museum respects the varied attributes, characteristics, and perspectives that make each person unique and promotes an environment of respect, communication, and understanding. They actively provide opportunities for all employees of all backgrounds the skills, experience, and information necessary to succeed. The Museum does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), national origin, political affiliation, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information or characteristics, age, membership in an employee organization, military or veteran status, or other non-merit factor.

Specific Internship Opportunities

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum offers a variety of internships across different departments. Here's an overview of some of the available internships:

Creative Internship

The goal of the Creative internship is to engage the intern in various areas of graphic design at the Museum including print, digital, content, project management, and vendor relationships.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Internship

Housed within the Information Technology Department, the IT Systems Applications group strategically integrates technology solutions to further the Museum’s mission and enable the education and preservation of country music. The IT Systems Applications team provides collaborative business process management, business application support, and centralized institutional data analysis. We provide support and reporting mechanisms to improve the customer experience through planning, procurement, and implementation with cross-departmental teams.

Development Internship

The Development Department oversees all philanthropy on behalf of the Museum, which includes Museum membership; annual, major, and planned giving; special events, which range from exhibition opening receptions to fundraisers; as well as foundation, corporate, sponsorship and government giving programs. They also steward relationships with Country Music Hall of Fame® members; the broader music community; elected officials; local, state, and national arts organizations; and Museum donors. They are constant advocates for the arts on local and national levels, and they publish strategic communications on the Museum’s behalf, such as the Annual Report. The Development intern will be a part of and work alongside the Development team. The goal of this internship is for the intern to learn the various aspects of philanthropy and stewardship at a major museum.

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Education and Community Engagement Internships

Charged with the mission of educating varied audiences about country music, the Education and Community Engagement Department develops programs and resources that illuminate the stories, themes, and music explored in the Museum’s galleries. Serving nearly 100,000 people per year through 1,100 programs, the Education and Community Engagement Department supports students of all ages, from school groups and families who engage in hands-on learning activities to general Museum guests who experience performance presentations during their visit. A creative and curious team, staff is composed of traditional and nontraditional educators, including classroom teachers, visual artists, historians, Museum educators, and professional musicians.

School Programs Internship

School Programs provide dynamic, interdisciplinary learning experiences that support curriculum standards in core subject areas for Pre-K-12. This internship’s goal is to engage the intern in a variety of interdisciplinary educational experiences in a museum environment.

Youth and Family Programs Internship

Youth and Family Programs seek to educate young Museum guests and families through hands-on programs in the Taylor Swift Education Center and through off-site programs in community settings such as libraries, parks, and festivals. Youth and Family Programs include art making, dance, design, music instruction, and preschool-specific programs.

Events Internship

The Events and Culinary Department is comprised of six sectors: Sales, Services, Entertainment, Catering, Banquets, and Administration. It plans and executes approximately 1,500 internal and external events per year. The goal of this internship is to familiarize the intern with various aspects of events administration.

Historic RCA Studio B Internship

Historic RCA Studio B-once home to musical titans such as Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, Eddy Arnold, Roy Orbison, and the Everly Brothers-is one of the world’s most famous recording facilities. The Studio B intern works with the Studio B audio team on recordings and helps manage historic assets and equipment.

Marketing Internship

This internship’s goal is to engage the intern in various areas of marketing at the Museum: research and data, advertising/media buying, partnerships and promotions, and digital marketing.

Guest Relations Internship

The Guest Relations Department is responsible for box office sales for the Museum, Hatch Show Print Tours, Historic RCA Studio B Tours, and other publicly ticketed events and programs. The Guest Relations intern will consistently provide strong customer service and be able to make decisions and work well in a fast-paced environment. Candidates should have strong verbal/written communication and organizational skills. An open, friendly attitude and proactive work ethic are essential.

Museum Services Internships

In direct support of the mission statement of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the Museum Services Division preserves and protects the Museum’s collections using best practices, while incorporating emerging technologies to provide access to these collections.

Collections Internship

The goal of this internship is to learn the necessary skills to provide exceptional care to artifact collections, as well as the importance of proper collections care within a museum setting. The Collections intern will work closely with the team of registrars who focus on collections processing and will assist with organizing, photographing, and cataloging artifacts in the Museum’s collection, including, but not limited to, awards, clothing and accessories, document collections, and memorabilia. The intern will also learn and use collections and digital content management software, providing qualitative improvements to collections information and improving its accessibility for prospective researchers.

Library and Archives Internship

The Library and Archives intern will work closely with the staff to assist with the processing and/or digitizing of materials to ensure preservation and greater access to the Museum’s collections. The collections include manuscript and print materials, sound recordings, video, film, photographs, and oral history interviews.

Public Programs Internship

Public Programs is responsible for educating varied audiences about country music through events that target adult audiences. The goal of the internship is to gain experience in planning and executing a range of programs. These programs may include live interviews and performances, concerts, film screenings, book talks, and other educational offerings. Under the guidance of the Public Programs team, the intern will learn to help prepare for and facilitate programs, communicate with Museum visitors, and program performers, and write various program support materials.

Public Relations Internship

This internship’s goal is to engage the intern in public and media relations experiences in a museum environment. The Public Relations intern will work with the team handling all facets of public and media relations for the Museum, Historic RCA Studio B, and Hatch Show Print. The intern will receive hands-on training from the Public Relations team on a wide range of projects to help expand their communication and relationship building skills and prepare them to manage high-profile tasks and professional challenges.

Operations and Sustainability Internship

The Operations and Sustainability Department is responsible for security, housekeeping, courier services, parking, dock management, and sustainability. Their goal is to support the building in its mission of preservation, to provide flawless service to their staff and others and serve as a brand ambassador to external clients. The Operations and Sustainability intern will work alongside the Director of Operations & Sustainability to promote sustainability and green initiatives across the Museum.

Hatch Show Print Education and Programs

Founded in 1879, Hatch Show Print is a Nashville icon and one of the oldest continually operating letterpress printing companies in existence. The Education and Programs department is responsible for engaging the public in a variety of forums, including public tours, school tours, private group experiences, events hosted by local organizations, and self-determined community events, all focused on educating participants about the shop’s history and the process of letterpress design and print. Visit HatchShowPrint.com/Internships for more information, including internship dates and the application process for this internship.

CMA Internship Program

CMA values providing students with the opportunity to gain realistic training and development in settings that support and promote their professional goals. Internship positions at CMA are typically available during three times of the year as noted below, and are located in Nashville, Tennessee. Please check back for open application time frames.

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