The internship program at Prairie Sun Recording is a three-month
immersive introduction to all aspects of studio operations. Unlike
other studios, which may have up to twenty interns working irregular
shifts, Prairie Sun instead retains a few dedicated full-timers.
Our focus on a select group of interns means that someone who is
responsible and hardworking will sit in on and help with sessions
within months, not years. Interns are the first here and the last
to leave, involving them in everything that happens at the studio
from open to close.
We look for detail-oriented candidates who are highly
motivated to learn, have a basic understanding of studio technology,
and are ready to leave their pride at home for the sake of education
and career. Candidates must have a cell phone, a reliable car for
running studio errands and a burning desire to learn more about
the recording industry.
Office Duties Include:
• Errands
• Phones
• Cleaning
• Parking Lot Management
• Studio Management Training
• Booking
• Marketing
Maintenance duties include:
• Painting
• Landscaping
• Watering
Studio Duties Include:
• Errands
• Cleaning
• Gear and instrument upkeep
• Interfacing and moving outboard gear
• Helping Assistant During Sessions - setting up mics, wrapping
cables, etc.
Like the studio, interns must be available at a moment’s notice
twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. They can expect to work
twelve to sixteen hours a day. Mooka, Prairie Sun’s owner,
calls it a “boot-camp environment,” meaning both that
no job is too small, and that upon successful completion of the
three-month program interns will be fully prepared for the rigors
of studio work.
Our internship program has been a starting point for a number of
successful producers and engineers, including all of the Prairie
Sun staff engineers. Prairie Sun engineers and interns have enjoyed
the opportunity to work with artists such as Tom Waits, Journey,
Groundation, The Mountain Goats, Primus, High on Fire, Red Sparowes,
and Joe Louis Walker, and assisted producers and engineers such
as Steve Albini, Billy Anderson, Tchad Blake, Scott Solter, and
John Vanderslice.
Recent studio manager Nick Tipp, who transitioned into managing
immediately after his internship, says,
“After interviewing at all
of the major recording studios and many of the minor ones I
discovered that there was only one place on the entire west
coast where I would have the opportunity to gain first hand
experience with an engineer on top-of-the-line equipment in
a serious facility, without waiting 6 months to a year, possibly
longer. This was possible because the company is essentially
a very small operation with a serious gear selection and rooms
to match, as well as the near constant influx of talented engineers
and producers”.
Matt Wright was an intern less than a year ago with no formal engineering
training. Today he works side by side with some of the best engineers
and producers in the world, including Oz Fritz, Allen Sudduth and
Prairie Sun’s own Mooka Rennick. When asked about what he learned
as an intern he said,
“Because we depend on interns
so heavily you have no choice but to learn quickly. Being here
every day, you have incredible access to your greatest educational
resource – working engineers.”
Qualified candidates should call the Prairie Sun office at (707)
795-7011 for more information about the application process.
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