Mixing Art/Music and/or Science and Math

The List

"Music is the hidden arithmetical exercise of a mind unconscious that it is calculating." Gottfried Leibniz, quoted in Lorenz Mizler's Musikalische Bibliothek

This page is the result of an attempt to help a friend develop some ideas to rally his community behind their school music, language arts and arts programs in the face of an almost overwhelming drive to utterly eliminate them from the public school program.

I was arguing that our children benefit from studying music. Their skills in other areas can seriously improve if they are allowed to pursue music. Now, I would also argue that music is a necessity for aesthetic reasons as well, but that can be the subject of another essay. I offer the following list as a collection of examples of the practical necessity of music as well.

Scientist/Musicians

• Pythagoras - Greek philosopher/Mathematician/Musician
• Albert Einstein – Physicist/Violinist
• Enrico Fermi – Physicist/Pianist
• Richard Feynman – Physicist/Percussionist/Artist
• Werner Von Braun – Rocket Scientist/Piano and Cello Player
• Edward Teller - Physicist/Pianist
• Arthur Schawlow - Physcist/Clarinetist/Jazz Fan
• Albert Schweitzer - humanitarian/theologian/missionary, medical doctor/world-class organist and Bach expert.
• Gerald Edelman - Nobel Laureate in Biology/Violinist
• Augusta Ada Byron, Countess of Lovelace, daughter of Lord Byron - Mathematical visionary and credited with the invention of binary arithmetic/Harpist
  

  Musicians/Scientists

• Peter I Tchaikovsky – Composer/Mathematician
• Alexander Borodin – Composer/Chemist
• Fletcher Henderson – Jazz Legend/Chemist
• Charles Ives - Composer/Acctuary
• Victor Ewald - Composer/Engineer
• Adolph Herseth - Legendary Principal Trumpet of Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Math Degree
• William Vacchiano - Principal Trumpet of New York Philharmonic/NBC Orchestra/Studied Accounting
• Clifford Brown - Jazz Trumpet Legend/Majored in Math/Chess Expert
• Ignance Jan Paderewski - Internationally acclamed concert pianist/Ambassador from Poland to the U.S., and president of the Polish Parliment.
• Ernest nsermet- Swiss conductor who made many guest appearances in the U.S. had at one time been a mathematics teacher.
• Charles Kavaloski - Phd in Physics/Former Principal Horn of Boston Symphony Orchestra/Horn Professor of University of Minnesota
  

  Luminaries/musicians

• Ansel Adams - Photographer /Concert Caliber Pianist.
• H.L. Mencken -Famous Newspaperman and Language Scholar/Cellist
• Harry Truman – President of the United States/Pianist
• Richard Nixon – President of the United States/Pianist
• Bill Clinton – President of the United States/Tenor Saxophonist
• Alan Greenspan – Economist/Saxophone/Clarinet/Former Professional Musician
• Henry Kissinger - Former Secretary of State/Clarinet
• William F. Buckley - Author/Political Analyst/Pianist
• Dwight V. Bird, P.E. -Mechanical/Environmental Engineer/Trumpeter
• Merv Griffin - Talk Show Host/Media Entrepeneur/Singer
• Paul Allen - Co-founder of Microsoft/Guitar
• Allan Kay - Computer scientist/Inventor of GUI/Keyboards
• Stephen King - Novelist/Guitar
• Robert Applebaum - Brilliant Physics Teacher (ret.)/Virtuoso Jazz Pianist*
• Steve Allen - Multi-instrumentalist, composer, writer, talk-show host
• Woddy Allen - Clarinetist, jazz musician, movie-maker, comic

  *Bob is not as well known as the other folks in this portion of the list, but, having worked with him for four years, I will testify to his genius. Bob is truly a tribute to notion that mixing music and science works!

  
  

  Current Practitioners of Mixing Art and Science or Other Challenging Disciplines

• Nick Drozdoff – Electrical Engineer/Physics Teacher/Professional Trumpeter/Composer
• Philip Holmes – Cryogenic Physicist/Composer/Virtuoso Natural Horn Soloist
• Oliver Sacks - Neurologist/Author/Pianist
• Sam Wong - Medical Doctor/Conductor (Music Director of the Honolulu Symphony AND the Hong Kong Philharmonic!)
• Ted Conley - Software Engineer/Graduate Student/Trombonist
• Paul Lukas -Chemical Engineer/Trombonist
• Hugh Manning - Software Developer/Programmer/Trombonist
• John Lynch - Nasa Engineer/Mouthpiece Manufacturer/Trumpeter
• David Cureton - Electronic Designer/Trombonist
• Mike Votta - Microbioligist/Director of Bands at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill/ Triangle Brass Band and North Carolina Wind Orchestra
• Corey Clingo - Electrical Engineer/Trombonist/MIDI puppeteer
• Lans Taylor - PhD in Geology/Pianist
• Thomas Taylor - Lawyer/Principal Astronomer at the Chaco Observatory, Nageezi, N.M./Trumpeter
• Tom Rheam - Math Techer/Trumpeter
• Andrew Michael - Seismologist/Trombonist
• Philippe Kahn - Software entrepreneur/Mathematician/Soprano sax
• Marvin Minsky - Computer scientist (MIT)/Keyboards
• Manfred Clynes - Psychologist/Inventor/Pianist
• Tony Sampognaro - Chemist/Trombone
• Stacy A. Rasgon - Ph.D. Candidate, Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Trombonist
• Susan Gall Hampton - Professional flutist/Founder & director of Boston's AUROS Group for New MUSIC/Former radar engineer
• Robert Pyle - Retired research physicist, MIT/French Horn
• Robert Higgins - Bass trombonist/Freelance database designer
• Charles Kavalovski- Boston Symphony former principal horn/Physicist
• Michael Kocour - Jazz piano faculty at Northwestern University/Math Major in college
• Billy Cordova - Construction Estimator/Biology Graduate Student/Trombonist, Bass Vocalist
• Karen Zagrodnik - Assistant Professor of English and Philosophy/Pianist
• Steve Wagner - Associate Professor of Biology/Trombonist
• Deborah LeBlanc - Elementary School Teacher/Flautist
• Sandra Collier - Pharmacist/Flautist
• Jim Jaffe - Electrical Engineer/Trombone
• Daniel Sniderman - Computer Programmer/Systems /Professional Trombone Player
• Ken Johnston - Retired engineer/Active trombonist, organist, pianist
• Tim Hutson - Infrared spectroscopist/Trumpeter
• Paul Johnston - Industrial Electronics-Computer Networking Instructor/Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer-Trainer/Professional Bass Trombonist-College Low Brass Instructor
• Roger Cappallo - Radio-astronomer/PhD - MIT in Planetary Sciences/Mathematical-physicist/Trumpeter
• Bernie Burke - MIT Physics Prof. Emeritus/Cello
• Alan Whitney - Asst. Director, MIT Haystack Observatory/Violin
• John Copella - Computer Scientist/Nasa Contractor/Music Degree from IU/Trumpeter
• Richard Shook - Biologist/Animal Behaviorist/DVM in Veternary Medicine/Professional Trumpeter
• John T. Lynch - Ph.D. in High Energy Physics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison/Trumpeter
• William F. (Jack) Fry - Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of Wisconsin/High Energy Physicist/Violin Acoustician
• Juan Roederer - Professor emeritus of physics - University of Alaska, Fairbanks/Expert in psychoacoustics/Organist
• Nathaniel Dickey - Professional trombonist in Boston/ Former visiting instructor of trombone at Baylor University/Freelance web designer/B.S. in Math, Oberlin College
• Andrew Hillaker - Professional trombonist in Boston/Computer software engineer and salesperson
• Michael Hosford - Professional trombonist in New York/Freelance web designer
• Alan Ashton - Computer Science Professor/Co-creator of WordPerfect/Trumpeter
• Bruce Bastain - Computer Science/Co-creator of Word Perfect/Bachelor's Degree in Music/Saxophone
• Bob Fredericks - Jazz Tenor Virtuoso/Software Engineer for Motorola
• Jim Booth - Top Flight Lead Trumpeter from Kansas City and Chicago/Computer Software Engineer
• Steve Obrien - Top Lead Trumpeter from Chicago/Stock Broker with Merryl-Lynch
• Jim Peterson - Jazz Trumpet Virtuoso from Chicago/Stock Broker
• Terry Connell - Jazz Trumpet Virtuoso from Chicago/Telecommunications Entrepenuer
• James Boyk - Pianist in Residence/Lecturer in Music in Electrical Engineering/Director of the Music Lab - California Institute of Technology
• Mike Valdez - Chemistry Teacher/Computer Expert/Electronics Graphics Designer/Artist/Guitarist
• Larry Madsen - Ph.D. Physical Chemistry/Professor of Chemistry/Trumpeter
• Dan Hessler - Saxophonist/Defense Attorney in the Federal Courts System
• Al Goldman - Trombonist/Partner Sidley & Austin
• Stu Katz - Pianist/Attorney
• Rich Lapka - Trombonist/Keyboard Player, and Network Engineer
• Rich Moss - Trombonist/Executive Recruiter
• Michael Halpin, Trombonist/Accountant and Financial Planner
• Eddie Barrett - Jazz Clarinet Virtuoso (ala Benny Goodman)/Attorney
• Jim Martin - Jet Test pilot, bass trombone player
• Dr. William Wade Perry, was Head of Music Education at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, a flautist and conductor. He is also an astronomer, photographer and pyro-technician (he makes fireworks).
• Dr. W. Edwards Demming-Statisticion/Music Theorist/Composer
• James Blinn-Computer expert/trombone artist

Now, this list is a fluid thing! If you know of other folks who have found that studying music has helped them in their other careers, please feel free to email me. Even graduate students in applied science or engineering who are studying music or music students who are studying math or physics are welcome to have their name added to the list. If you can think of any major historical figures such as those already listed, let me know via my email at the top of this page.

This page is intended to help anyone who needs some ammunition in their battle against the "conservative pragmatism" that would kill off their school music and arts programs.

Don't stop the music.

Peace.

Also see...

Musician's Manifesto by Nick Drozdoff

Nick Drozdoff's Ampcast Site featuring his recordings and compositions.