Interns and Volunteers

Music Maker began as a volunteer-run organization and volunteerism continues to be an integral component of artist service programs and documentation efforts. Interns and volunteers do everything from transporting artists to gigs to providing legal services, manufacturing CDs, documentary fieldwork, managing event booths, distributing newsletters, hosting fundraiser parties and organizing digital archives. They have also been kind enough to stuff many envelopes over the years. Please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 919.643.2456 for more information.

Internship Program

Click here to download an internship application.

MMRF is very proud of the dynamic internship program we have developed over the past several years. We have hosted interns from undergraduate and graduate programs at UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Greensboro, Hampshire College, Elon College, NC State, Yale, Dartmouth, Duke, Meredith College, Evergreen, UMiss and more. Pictured are Hampshire College interns Drew Davis and Tom Ciaburri documenting Big Ron Hunter in Orange County, NC.

Interns generally spend about half of their hours at MMRF performing general office duties and the rest of their time on projects centered on their area of interest. Past internships have been focused on film, photography, archiving, folklore, social work, writing, booking, audio engineering, graphic design, nonprofit management and entrepreneurship.

Internship programs are available during the academic year and in the summer. Interns must apply, be accepted for participation and commit to an agreed schedule for the term. MMRF internships are unpaid and students must provide their own housing and transportation. Please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more internship information.


Community Volunteers share their talents

The scope of Music Maker’s mission is broad enough to require a tremendous variety of skills and expertise. Our recipient artists and organization often need the consultation of legal and medical professionals. Marketing and graphic design experts have donated countless hours to produce our brochures, newsletters and CD artwork for over 15 years.

No matter where your talent lies, Music Maker would love to have your help and truly appreciate your time and talent.

Legendary MMRF volunteer Mat Thorn (pictured) drove recipient Carl Rutherford and his 1971 motorhome from northern California back to War, West Virginia so Carl could spend his last months with family!

In 2010, volunteer Ronda Wenger organized an online auction and many benefit events in Eddie Tigner’s hometown of Atlanta after Eddie’s car and keyboard were stolen from his driveway.

When Haskell Thompson lost half his left leg to diabetes, Dr. David Thurber volunteered as an advocate to make certain Haskell received continuing care and rehabilitation services, instead of release to the streets of Winston-Salem as the hospital initially planned.

Community Service Groups

Carolina Friends School and Raleigh Charter School have brought groups of middle and high school students to our offices or recipients’ homes to perform service work many times. Students manufacture CDs, assist staff with mailings to donors and artists, or help with maintenance work at our headquarters or in area artists’ homes.

In the spring of 2009, the Arthur Morgan School of Burnsville, NC brought a group of middle schoolers all the way to Birmingham, AL. They performed yard work and made home repairs for Dr. G.B. Burt and spent an afternoon with Adolphus Bell touring the Civil Rights Museum. Please contact our offices if your school or civic group would like to arrange a service day.

Students from Sustaining Roots Music (SOOTS), a community service group at Raleigh Charter High School, have held numerous service days at the MMRF office and at recipients’ homes. SOOTS raises money for their Medical Mini-Grants (see video below) throughout the year with an annual benefit concert featuring Music Maker artists, the Fat Tuesday Film Festival to benefit New Orleans musicians, and the annual May Day Cake Bake.  In the spring of 2010, SOOTS won a $5,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project; the funds will go toward organizing a Benefit Blues Revue featuring 5+ Piedmont blues musicians and to present more Medical Mini-Grants to aging blues musicians who need help with medicine, utilities and grocery bills.

If your community service group or school would like to help keep the blues alive, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 919.643.2456.