Summer Plans??????

I have applied for three internships this summer, all in the Washington, DC area:

1. Wolf Trap Opera Company
2. The Washington National Opera
3. The National Symphony Orchestra

All three are in the field of Arts Management. Basically this means taking care of business, planning, coordinating, etc. for a performing arts organization such as an opera or symphony orchestra. It just may be the perfect meld of my professional experience and education.

Wolf Trap, which was my first choice, did not accept me. They had over 550 applicants and only hired about ten, so I don't feel terribly crushed.

I haven't heard anything from the National Symphony Orchestra since the "we received your completed application" email.

I had a phone interview on Thursday with the Washington National Opera in their HR Department. Even though I would be working in the HR Department, I would still get to attend symposiums and other educational workshops to be trained in Arts Management. The interview seemed to go well, but its very hard to judge over the phone. The entire interview was only about 15 minutes long and the interviewer very concisely asked all kinds of questions that no one really likes to answer. "What do you consider your greatest weakness? If I were to ask your current employer about you, what do you think he would say? What areas would you like to improve in?..." They are only hiring one person in that department, and I don't know how many they interviewed. I should find out next week!

I am excited at the very thought of getting one of these internships. I will make basically no money (only a small stipend to defray cost of living is offered), but it will be a great career move. I will learn if Arts Management is really the direction I want to go, and it will look great on my resume no matter what!

Many thanks in advance to my sister Nancy, who has graciously offered her basement for me to live for the summer. Even if I don't get an internship I will go live with her and work in the area for a few months, just for fun. I am very excited for lots of hang-out time with Nancy, getting to know Richard better, developing strong bonds with Naomi (who is now old enough to remember "the summer Aunt Ruthie came"), becoming fluent in Asher's two-year-old language, and watching Isaiah grow up.


What will the final result be? Any predictions?