The Lakes Area Music Festival is a year round music performance and education organization located in Brainerd, MN. The central activities of the organization occur during the summer festival season in July and August, engaging 230 professional musicians from top ensembles nationwide for a monthlong season of orchestra, opera, and chamber music.
LAMF is hiring up to 3 summer interns – in the areas of Artistic Administration, Fundraising/Development, and Marketing – and to support the organizations’ activities during in the summer of 2026. This position works closely with and reports to the Artistic and Executive Director, Scott Lykins, and other LAMF staff and consultants.
Period of internship: June 1 to August 26, 2026 (start and end dates flexible)
Hours: 40 hours per week
Compensation: $15 per hour. Travel stipend and local host accommodations provided. Intern will need their own car and computer.
Location: On location in Brainerd, MN early June to August 24, housing provided.
Apply: To apply, please prepare your cover letter and resume in a single pdf document. Complete the form at the bottom of this page and upload your materials.
*Applicants must be currently enrolled as a student, or recent (Spring 2026) graduate, in order to be eligible. This internship may be eligible for course credit for your degree; inquire with your school directly for more information. Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States for the duration of the internship.
Primary Duties
- ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION
- Assist the Executive Director in multi-department management of tasks leading up to, and during, the festival season
- Concert Production. Assist with both front of house and back of house staff at over 50 events over six weeks
- Attend and present at community events on behalf of the organization
- Answer office phone and emails from audience on a daily basis
- Help organize engagement of the Board of Directors in various meetings and activities
- DEVELOPMENT & FUNDRAISING
- Coordinate stewardship opportunities between donors and musicians
- Support record-keeping and gift administration in donor CRM database (eTapestry)
- Assist with two large-scale fundraisers, house parties, pre-concert receptions, and other smaller fundraising or development events
- Pull reports and prepare recognition and mailing lists as needed
- Track ticketing sales imports and audience tracking in order to personalize the concert experience
- MARKETING
- Support marketing and mass communication efforts working with the marketing consultant and coordinator
- Lead relationship-based grassroots marketing efforts, maximizing word-of-mouth publicity throughout central Minnesota
- Ensure wide distribution of physical (posters, pamphlets) and digital marketing materials
- Generate on-the-ground social media content
Competencies Required
- General computer competency and comfort learning new software.
- Basic knowledge and experience with: Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel
- Excellent organizational skills
- Comfort interacting with various constituencies, including audiences and artists
- Basic writing and editing skills
Skills Developed
- Understanding and experience with with all aspects of nonprofit and concert management
- Experience in all areas of front of house and back of house concert production
- Improved written and verbal (one-on-one and public speaking) communication
- Specialized training in internship area
Questions? Contact Scott Lykins, Artistic & Executive Director, at: scott@lakesareamusic.org