The senior internship at Golda Och Academy has been a wonderful opportunity for me. In this internship, I have gained a tremendous amount. For ease of explanation (and also because it’s way, way, way more fun,) I will demonstrate my learning and advancement in skills with the Dungeons and Dragons stats system!
For those who don’t know, Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop role-playing game made by Wizards of the Coast. In it, there are six main stats any character or NPC(non-playable character) can have. They are: Strength(STR), Dexterity(DEX), Constitution(CON) Intelligence(INT), Wisdom(WIS), and finally Charisma(CHA). I will go through each of these, explain what they mean in the context of the game and this context, and how I have grown in each one. I will also give each stat a modifier of what it was versus what it is now, which is a number you add or subtract to a die roll when using that stat. Generally, it goes from -3 (really bad) to +3 (really good).
Firstly, let's start off with Strength. This stat is pretty self-explanatory. Strength is how strong you are, how powerful your muscles are, and how well you can punch, kick, or lift. Generally, I’m pretty average in terms of strength, not weak at all, but not impressively strong either. Over this internship, one of the main things I did was lift heavy things, mainly every morning, where I hauled heavy buckets and humidifier parts full of water up the stairs 4-6 every day to fill the humidifiers, which keep the guitars and other instruments from getting dry and ruined. This got my muscles really working. In fact, there was a time I worked out arms in the morning (I almost never do this) and had tons of difficulty carrying the water up. I don’t really know how much this has genuinely helped me get stronger, so I’m not really going to give myself a higher modifier, but it probably did somewhat. I’d say starting, I have a 0 (perfectly average), and I still do.
Moving on, let's talk about dexterity. Dexterity is about agility, hand-eye coordination, and finesse. It’s how well you can react, how carefully you can do delicate tasks, and how nimble you are physically. At the start of this internship, I wasn’t particularly clumsy or anything, not particularly graceful either. Over time, though, I started handling more gear, arranging pedals, and carefully moving large, heavy boxes through tight spaces and catacomb-like basements. These tasks really required precision. Especially when placing fragile items costs thousands of dollars, I began to notice how much more deliberate and steady I became with my hands. Again, I don’t really know if this puts me in +1 range, but I probably improved in this also.
Constitution is your stamina and durability. It’s how well you handle long hours, repeated effort, and anything that drains your energy. In-game obviously this means taking hits, but here we can talk about it as a mental strength. This is one of the stats I think really improved during my time at the internship. Being on your feet for hours, doing repetitive or physical tasks (like those humidifiers again), and staying focused even when the work is slow all build up endurance. I remember one of my first days feeling this awful feeling because I wasn’t used to not being stimulated in some way by people or technology or something. There were definitely days I felt wiped at the beginning, but as time went on, I found I could push through more comfortably. I’d say I started at a +0 and grew into a +1- 2 here—definitely tougher and better at powering through even when it’s not particularly stimulating.
Intelligence in D&D is all about how much you know, how fast you learn, and how well you can reason through complicated stuff. When I started, I didn’t know a ton about how a music store actually runs—how inventory is handled, what different types of gear are used for, or even what half the equipment did. But I was curious and asked a lot of questions. I learned the names and functions of all sorts of audio gear and how to organize it. I also started understanding how different roles in the store fit together and how systems work on a larger level. I’m not saying I’m a genius now or anything, but I’d say I went from a +0 to a +1 here. I’ve definitely become sharper and more informed, and I’m proud of that.
Wisdom is a little more abstract—it’s about perception, awareness, intuition, and good judgment. In the internship, this showed up in a lot of little ways. At first, I just followed instructions and didn’t think much beyond what I was told to do. But as I got more familiar with the store’s layout, the rhythm of the work, and the people coming in and out, I started picking up on patterns and anticipating what was needed. For example, when organizing inventory, I started realizing what actually makes things easier to access or more appealing to customers. I also began to understand how different personalities function within the space and how to move around and do my job in a way that supports the team instead of getting in the way. That’s not something anyone taught me directly—it came from paying attention and being present. I’d say I went from maybe a -1 to a solid 0- +1 here.
Charisma is how well you communicate and connect with others. It’s not just about charm—it’s about presence, confidence, and how you carry yourself. Going in, I was a little unsure of myself in a work setting. Generally speaking, I tend to be uncomfortable in new spaces. I didn’t know what to say to customers or how to act in a professional environment, so I kind of kept to myself. But over time, that shifted. I started feeling more comfortable speaking up, whether it was asking to learn from the repair guys downstairs or offering help with something around the store. I learned to read the room better, speak more confidently, and even started picking up on how the other employees build trust with customers through calm, knowledgeable conversation. I still wouldn’t call myself super outgoing, but I’d say I went from a -1 to a +0—getting better at showing up and being present socially, even when it’s a little outside my comfort zone.
In conclusion, this internship was pretty cool. Also like I learned stuff and made connections which can help me in my future career. Thanks to Tom and the rest of the people at O Dibella Music for allowing me to spend 180+ hours in their store. Thanks to Mr. Hefetz, Lauren Markon, and the rest of the people at GOA for making this happen!