Junior Year Internship: LINK (Leading Internships for New Knowledge)
Description:
LINK is a required program for all Junior (11th Grade) students at Animas, that sends each student out into an internship at a business of their choosing. For three weeks, students can learn the ins and outs of their field and experience what the workforce might how, without having to worry about regular classes.
Internship Location:
My internship took place at a local non-profit music institute called iAM Music. This is a small business run by 6 different musicians who also have their own private lesson studios. Their goal is to create easy access to instruments, lessons, and musical knowledge for children and adults alike, and offer many different programs and services that are accessible to those is southwest Colorado.
Finding an internship:
Finding an internship was relatively easy. At first, I was pursuing an internship related to medical practice, possible at the hospital. I later decided that the type of experience I would have had at the hospital, which was mainly observational. was not what I wanted.
I opted to go with iAM for a number of reasons. Mainly, I know the people that work at iAM because of the class they teach at Animas. I am also very interested in music, and interning at a music institute may be an excellent opportunity for me to refine my own musical abilities and point myself in the correct direction for where I want music to take me.
From this experience, I hope to gain the know-how required to make it as a musician and get a glimpse into the life of a self-made musician. Learning about these things might help me decide if a career in music; be it performing, recording, scoring, or composing. What I can bring to iAM is a deep-rooted love for playing and music in general, as well as an openness to the different experiences and challenges that the music world has to offer. Hopefully, I will leave having made a positive impact at iAM, paving the way for future students looking to intern there; specifically a positive representation of high school interns a and a new sense of perspective for any issues that they might face.
Internship Project:
For the project that each student was asked to complete, I decided to commit myself to writing and original composition, as well as performing in two different events staged by iAM Music at the end of my internship.
LINK is a required program for all Junior (11th Grade) students at Animas, that sends each student out into an internship at a business of their choosing. For three weeks, students can learn the ins and outs of their field and experience what the workforce might how, without having to worry about regular classes.
Internship Location:
My internship took place at a local non-profit music institute called iAM Music. This is a small business run by 6 different musicians who also have their own private lesson studios. Their goal is to create easy access to instruments, lessons, and musical knowledge for children and adults alike, and offer many different programs and services that are accessible to those is southwest Colorado.
Finding an internship:
Finding an internship was relatively easy. At first, I was pursuing an internship related to medical practice, possible at the hospital. I later decided that the type of experience I would have had at the hospital, which was mainly observational. was not what I wanted.
I opted to go with iAM for a number of reasons. Mainly, I know the people that work at iAM because of the class they teach at Animas. I am also very interested in music, and interning at a music institute may be an excellent opportunity for me to refine my own musical abilities and point myself in the correct direction for where I want music to take me.
From this experience, I hope to gain the know-how required to make it as a musician and get a glimpse into the life of a self-made musician. Learning about these things might help me decide if a career in music; be it performing, recording, scoring, or composing. What I can bring to iAM is a deep-rooted love for playing and music in general, as well as an openness to the different experiences and challenges that the music world has to offer. Hopefully, I will leave having made a positive impact at iAM, paving the way for future students looking to intern there; specifically a positive representation of high school interns a and a new sense of perspective for any issues that they might face.
Internship Project:
For the project that each student was asked to complete, I decided to commit myself to writing and original composition, as well as performing in two different events staged by iAM Music at the end of my internship.
“Stuck Here With you”
By Morgan Voorhees
Too long have I waited, to take this risk
I have been sated on the thought of your kiss
And now, as we stand here, nothing feels true
I can’t keep this lie up and stay here with you
Why can’t I move on? To leave and be free?
You’re always right behind me
When I walk out that door, you pull me back
Can I find the strength that I lack?
To leave you.
Everything was so perfect, now it’s all so wrong
I keep on longing for all that is gone
And what was it for? All the time we spent together?
Things that are good, rarely last forever
Why can’t I move on? To leave and be free?
You’re always right behind me
When I walk out that door, you pull me back
Can I find the strength that I lack?
Why can’t I move on? To leave and be free?
You’re always right behind me
When I walk out that door, you pull me back
Can I find the strength that I lack?
Why can’t I move on? To leave and be free?
You’re always right behind me
When I walk out that door, you pull me back
Can I find the strength that I lack?
To leave you.
By Morgan Voorhees
Too long have I waited, to take this risk
I have been sated on the thought of your kiss
And now, as we stand here, nothing feels true
I can’t keep this lie up and stay here with you
Why can’t I move on? To leave and be free?
You’re always right behind me
When I walk out that door, you pull me back
Can I find the strength that I lack?
To leave you.
Everything was so perfect, now it’s all so wrong
I keep on longing for all that is gone
And what was it for? All the time we spent together?
Things that are good, rarely last forever
Why can’t I move on? To leave and be free?
You’re always right behind me
When I walk out that door, you pull me back
Can I find the strength that I lack?
Why can’t I move on? To leave and be free?
You’re always right behind me
When I walk out that door, you pull me back
Can I find the strength that I lack?
Why can’t I move on? To leave and be free?
You’re always right behind me
When I walk out that door, you pull me back
Can I find the strength that I lack?
To leave you.
Reflection:
Going into my internship, there were two specific skills that were very beneficial to me, those being self-motivation and collaboration. When it comes to music, self-motivation is extremely important. If you are not motivated to practice, to market yourself, and to go out and perform/record, you aren't going to be a very successful musician. This was most applicable when I was in the process of writing my own composition for the exhibition. In terms of collaboration, it is a useful skill whether you are a solo musician or in a band; being able to work with those who help make your music possible is crucial. A specific example of this was working with the music group run by iAM at Animas High School. and working with each and every member of the group to make our music sound presentable.
The most notable skills that I developed throughout my internship were focus and showmanship. Focus is what allows a musician to shut themselves inside a practice room for hours on end, slowly ironing our the errors in their performing until it is refined enough to perform. Showmanship is crucial to any live or recorded performance, such as a music video, and is what sets a performance apart from a simple playback. Through audience engagement, motion, and theatrics, musician transform into some of the most versatile entertainers there are. I developed a better sense of focus during my internship through my instrument practice and songwriting that took up three hours of my day, everyday. Showmanship more quickly "clicked" as I made preparations for the performances and observed the mannerisms of my mentor, and other musicians I was exposed to; displaying itself simply, but noticeably, during my two performances.
The short-comings and challenged that I faced during my internship conflicted directly with the skills that I brought to and developed during my internship. Most difficult of all the challenges was motivation. This is something that I have, do, and will most likely tangle with in the future, and I have been struggling with it the most as it parallels with the onset of my depression. Many times throughout my internship, I dreaded the thought of sitting alone, playing and practicing songs with meticulous precision. When it became boring, I struggled to keep myself going, and often found myself taking frequent breaks as not to completely succumb to the overbearing weight of my own boredom. This has also been fairly clearly been mirrored during the last two or so years of High School, where I have found it increasingly difficult to will myself to engage with my classes and productively work my way through content and assignments. During my internship I've been working with this issue and attempting to find and reconcile the source of it, but I still have a long way to go on this uphill battle.
At iAM music, I believe that I was helpful and had a positive impact as an intern, helping out the instructors with classes, organization, advertisement, and other tasks that required special attention. Nothing ever gets done by itself, and having around a capable intern to assign responsibility to can be a very useful and productive force in a place of business, and I think it would be wise for my mentor, and all the staff at iAM, to continue to take on high school interns that prove themselves capable of handling the important and numerous tasks and projects that can be done.
Finally, this internship has opened my eyes to new pathways leading into my future, and has nudged me closer to deciding with certainty what I want to pursue in my future. Things such as studying jazz and other musical theory in college, as well as organizing and participating in an independent band are all things that I have learned about and am leaning towards strongly for my future.
Going into my internship, there were two specific skills that were very beneficial to me, those being self-motivation and collaboration. When it comes to music, self-motivation is extremely important. If you are not motivated to practice, to market yourself, and to go out and perform/record, you aren't going to be a very successful musician. This was most applicable when I was in the process of writing my own composition for the exhibition. In terms of collaboration, it is a useful skill whether you are a solo musician or in a band; being able to work with those who help make your music possible is crucial. A specific example of this was working with the music group run by iAM at Animas High School. and working with each and every member of the group to make our music sound presentable.
The most notable skills that I developed throughout my internship were focus and showmanship. Focus is what allows a musician to shut themselves inside a practice room for hours on end, slowly ironing our the errors in their performing until it is refined enough to perform. Showmanship is crucial to any live or recorded performance, such as a music video, and is what sets a performance apart from a simple playback. Through audience engagement, motion, and theatrics, musician transform into some of the most versatile entertainers there are. I developed a better sense of focus during my internship through my instrument practice and songwriting that took up three hours of my day, everyday. Showmanship more quickly "clicked" as I made preparations for the performances and observed the mannerisms of my mentor, and other musicians I was exposed to; displaying itself simply, but noticeably, during my two performances.
The short-comings and challenged that I faced during my internship conflicted directly with the skills that I brought to and developed during my internship. Most difficult of all the challenges was motivation. This is something that I have, do, and will most likely tangle with in the future, and I have been struggling with it the most as it parallels with the onset of my depression. Many times throughout my internship, I dreaded the thought of sitting alone, playing and practicing songs with meticulous precision. When it became boring, I struggled to keep myself going, and often found myself taking frequent breaks as not to completely succumb to the overbearing weight of my own boredom. This has also been fairly clearly been mirrored during the last two or so years of High School, where I have found it increasingly difficult to will myself to engage with my classes and productively work my way through content and assignments. During my internship I've been working with this issue and attempting to find and reconcile the source of it, but I still have a long way to go on this uphill battle.
At iAM music, I believe that I was helpful and had a positive impact as an intern, helping out the instructors with classes, organization, advertisement, and other tasks that required special attention. Nothing ever gets done by itself, and having around a capable intern to assign responsibility to can be a very useful and productive force in a place of business, and I think it would be wise for my mentor, and all the staff at iAM, to continue to take on high school interns that prove themselves capable of handling the important and numerous tasks and projects that can be done.
Finally, this internship has opened my eyes to new pathways leading into my future, and has nudged me closer to deciding with certainty what I want to pursue in my future. Things such as studying jazz and other musical theory in college, as well as organizing and participating in an independent band are all things that I have learned about and am leaning towards strongly for my future.
Updated Resume:
Morgan Voorhees
EDUCATION
Animas High School, Durango, CO
Expected Graduation: May 2018
EXTRACURRICULAR EXPERIENCE
CU Mini Med School Program……...…………….…………………. ….Sep. 7th-Nov. 2nd 2016
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
iAM Music Institute…………………………………………………………....May 1st-19th, 2017
WORK EXPERIENCE
Pura Vida Cafe…………………………………………………………………....…Jul-Oct 2016
INTERESTS
Biology, Chemistry, Musical performance, Musical composition
Morgan Voorhees
EDUCATION
Animas High School, Durango, CO
Expected Graduation: May 2018
EXTRACURRICULAR EXPERIENCE
CU Mini Med School Program……...…………….…………………. ….Sep. 7th-Nov. 2nd 2016
- Attended weekly medical lectures on different specialties and practices
- Trained in basic first aid practices
- Developed intermediate medical knowledge and skills
- Certified in CPR and AED usage
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
iAM Music Institute…………………………………………………………....May 1st-19th, 2017
- Organized and neatened place of business
- Advertised for performances and events
- Set up and performed in shows
- Assisted donors with application process
- Organized donation area
- Lead promotional team
WORK EXPERIENCE
Pura Vida Cafe…………………………………………………………………....…Jul-Oct 2016
- Improved organization and cleaning skills through work duties
INTERESTS
Biology, Chemistry, Musical performance, Musical composition