Duke University Musical Instrument Collections (DUMIC) is home to an extensive collection of historical musical instruments from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries. Despite the potential DUMIC’s holdings have to inspire and complement the work of students, faculty, and the wider Duke community, very few have taken advantage in recent years and some are altogether unaware of its existence on campus. This Story + team will work to create new and effective ways of interacting with the musical instruments in the collection—particularly on innovative digital platforms. Students will work with various types of media—audio, visual, photographic, historical—to tell the most compelling story about the social, artistic, and scientific history of DUMIC’s musical instruments. One of the primary goals will be to design an integrated website that brings together these various types of media content, as well as a new platform (i.e., an app) with which students, faculty, and community members may engage with the collection both remotely and interactively. These digital platforms will also require the development of an original graphic, branding, and a promotional interface for DUMIC.

Skills:

Knowledge in creating and presenting audio/visual content on digital platforms is essential. Desirable skills include: a musical background and interest; experience with musical instruments from a scientific or artistic perspective; experience in museums, curation, and conservation; interest in graphic design, promotional material and educational outreach.