It's Come Down to This

The list-serve for the American Musicological Society just posted an announcement, under the heading "JOB: Summer internship in Musicology, Brandeis University":

Rebecca Cypess, Assistant Professor of Music History at the New England Conservatory of Music, will begin a critical assessment of the work of Devora Ascarelli, a 16th-century Roman Jewish writer. Little is known about Ascarelli other than the information from her book L’abitacolo degli oranti (Venice, 1601; 1609/R). The book--­apparently the first published work by a Jewish woman­--consists primarily of Italian translations of Hebrew texts (some in prose and some in verse) including piyyutim and other works apparently intended for liturgical use. Also included in Ascarelli’s book are two original poems in Italian, including one based on the Apocryphal story of Susanna.

Dr. Cypess’ project will consist of an edition of and commentary upon Ascarelli’s L’abitacolo degli oranti, and will consider the possibility that translation may shed light on the persona of the writer ­ that Ascarelli’s works contain elements of the translator’s voice. It will also attempt to understand the performative aspects of Ascarelli’s works--­especially those in verse­--by assessing them in the context of musical-poetic practices of the Italian Renaissance and of the Jewish communities of Renaissance Italy.

The HBI research intern will work on transcription (and, if language skills allow, translation) of both the Hebrew and Italian texts of L’abitacolo degli oranti. The intern will also assist in the preparation and assembly of a bibliography on Jewish women in Renaissance Italy. In addition to transcription and work on the bibliography, some photocopying will be required. The project may take longer than just the summer, but it is expected to produce a publication, for which the intern will share credit.

PROFILE OF APPROPRIATE CANDIDATE
- Strong word-processing skills, including Hebrew fonts and formatting
- Hebrew essential; Italian helpful, but not required
- Library research skills, including familiarity with Rambi and other research databases
- Demonstrated initiative
- Strong organizational skills

The internship lasts for six weeks (June 8-July 15); the HBI provides housing at Brandeis and a small stipend of $250, as well as an academic advisor to assist the students with their own projects.

Additional details and application instructions:

http://www.brandeis.edu/hbi/internship/details.html

I have to admit that I've never heard of an internship in musicology before, and I like to think that I'm usually pretty well kept up with all the email list developments. I was also intrigued that this email showed up right after the New York Times published a story about internships, suggesting that many companies use unpaid internships as free labor, a system which keeps them from hiring a worker who would earn an actual wage. But unpaid internships do more than just boost the unemployment rate. They also undercut something many colleges and universities have taken on in recent years. The Times explains:

"While many colleges are accepting more moderate- and low-income students to increase economic mobility, many students and administrators complain that the growth in unpaid internships undercuts that effort by favoring well-to-do and well-connected students, speeding their climb up the career ladder."

Not to toot my own horn, but I've been talking about this for years. It was pretty obvious to me as a Columbia undergrad during the Hedge Fund Era (2001-2005) that certain people could afford to take an unpaid internship over the summer at a financial institution or a film company and support themselves in New York City and certain people couldn't. And while Columbia at least didn't give academic credit for unpaid internships (or any internship, for that matter), they also clearly had an idea of what their students (at least the poorer ones) were supposed to be doing over the summer: "Summer earnings" were factored in my financial aid package as part of my family contribution.

Now, I'm sure that Professor Cypess' project is going to be great and that working on it will be a great opportunity for whomever ends up being her intern. I'm also sure that the $250 stipend provided will more than cover a roundtrip cab ride from Logan Airport to the campus of Brandeis. And maybe a Red Sox cap, too.

I don't mean Professor Cypess any ill will. No doubt she's doing the best she can. This is the work she wants done, this is the money and the resources she's got to spend. That's the way the world works, I dig. Still, it seems like the successful candidate for this internship will be a pretty accomplished person, fluent in at least two (or possibly three) languages, an experienced researcher in the field of Jewish Studies (I had to look up the RAMBI database), and some decent paleographic chops. All I can say is that if I were hiring such a person, I would sure want to be able to give them more than 250 bucks and a room for six weeks in a college dorm. I'm sure Professor Cypess would too, but again, we play the hands we're dealt sometimes.

So good luck to whomever is applying for this, hopefully it will work out great for you. But I will say that in a year in which, by one estimate, job openings are already down 20-25% from last year (hardly a boom year), it kind of sucks that this is what we've got to be excited about.