Join the Volunteer Crew!

Welcome to it!

Welcome to the gateway to helping make Vermont an awesome place for music! Big Heavy World  makes a monster effort to include anyone with a passion for music to help give Vermont's music community a crack at success. We don't tell Vermonters what success is, we learn from them what they want it to be, then pull the resources and tools together to help give it a chance. The work we do ranges from research to concert production; from accounting to running a radio station and record label. We're all over the map with the fun stuff that adds up to Vermont being a place that musicians can thrive. Joining the crew makes you a part of that effort - as a volunteer, an intern, as community service... however you glide into Big Heavy's airspace, you're welcome and needed. Below are a bunch of jobs we need help with, and there's plenty more we haven't written down yet. Contact us to get involved!

Volunteering & Internships

Big Heavy World has been promoting and archiving the Burlington music scene since 1996. Our longevity and success is due to participation by volunteers and interns who share our extreme enthusiasm; we wouldn't exist without their support.

High school juniors and seniors, students outside the normal school system, adults with an interest in music, and college students can connect any time to get involved - projects range from street teaming to record label distribution, shows, photography, the music library, pretty much anything relating to music in Vermont. And if you like it here, you can stay.

Our internship program allows a greater level of freedom and creativity than one might expect, but also demands a high level of responsibility and dedication to each mission. As a supervised work experience for academic credit, Big Heavy World internships guarantee personal and professional development.

Big Heavy World has worked with volunteer crew from most local high schools, colleges, and alternative schools, a bunch of out-of-state colleges, Linking Learning to Life, Spectrum Youth & Family Services, College Steps, The Community Justice Center, the Vermont Division for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Vermont Department of Labor, and other community groups that like to discover fun and productive places to point the people they work with.

To apply as a volunteer or intern for college credit, please fill out this form! Several ongoing positions are also listed below as well as on Handshake.

Our Code of Conduct

Everyone is welcome to hop onto our volunteer crew. We have a few expectations to share in advance. Our Code of Conduct, Racial Equity, and Anti-Harassment Policies can be found here. We are committed in our hearts — and in the real world of our actions — to addressing inequity of all kinds. Big Heavy World is involved our staff in the ongoing process of developing and implementing racial equity work. We acknowledge and honor the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals by embracing cultural differences and remaining open to new experiences. We strive to be an organization and community in which people of all races, genders, and identities create, share, and enjoy resources and relationships equitably. At Big Heavy World, you’ll help make sure we:

• Are a safe and respectful environment for all participants;

• Are a place where people are free to fully express their identities;

• Believe everyone's ideas, skills, and contributions have value;

• Don't assume everyone has the same context, and encourage questions;

• Find a way for people to be productive with their skills (technical and not) and energy. We use language such as "yes/and," not "no/but";

• Encourage members and participants to listen as much as they speak;

• Strive to build tools that are open and free technology for public use. Activities that aim to foster public benefit, not private gain, are prioritized;

• Prioritize access for and input from those who are traditionally excluded from work like ours;

• Work to ensure that the community is well-represented in the planning, design, and implementation of our work. This includes encouraging participation from women, minorities, and traditionally marginalized groups;

• Actively involve community groups and those with subject matter expertise in the decision-making processes;

• Ensure that the relationships and conversations between community members, the local government staff and community partners remain respectful, participatory, and productive;

• Provide an environment where people are free from discrimination or harassment.

Volunteer and intern positions at Big Heavy World