I am often surprised at just how many of my engineering colleagues are also serious musicians. I have met instrumentalists who have performed on some of the biggest stages in the world, composers who have significant film credits, and even engineers who moonlight as professional custom guitar luthiers. As it turns out, there is a well-established relationship between the study of music and the pursuit of intense disciplines such as medicine and engineering.
This is demonstrated by thriving organizations like the World Doctors Orchestra and the Flying Musicians Association. Many universities have established ensembles which provide a musical outlet for their engineering students. The University of Texas has the Engineering Chamber Orchestra (EChO); Stanford has a music scholarship specifically for engineering students; and MIT is known for offering extremely high quality music experiences and education for its student population. Einstein, Planck, Heisenberg... these are not just the names of Nobel laureates in physics. These are also the names of gifted classical musicians. Punk rockers Dexter Holland of the Offspring and Greg Graffin of Bad Religion hold PhDs in molecular biology and zoology, respectively, while Brian May of Queen was awarded a PhD in astrophysics.
When my friend Tiffiny asked if I would be interested in performing for a new live music series being hosted in the University of Texas Arlington Planetarium, I jumped at the opportunity! Planetariums, especially those hosted at universities, are important centers of scientific collaboration and public outreach. What better way to extend that reach than to bring live music into the sphere?
My first experience performing in the planetarium was with my string quartet known as the Panther City Quartet, based here in Fort Worth, Texas. Fittingly, two of our four musicians studied music at the university/conservatory level prior to a career in aerospace engineering. I have been fortunate enough for this to become a repeat opportunity to perform with both my quartet, and other visiting artists-- most recently, ambient guitarist Dallas Skies. It has been exciting to meet audience members who were new to our music, while others were experiencing a planetarium show for the first time.
The artists who perform and the scientists who run the planetarium and this music series often find ourselves conversing about ideas to bring more science into the music, and vice versa. Music is, after all, physics in action. Opportunities abound to create audio-visual experiences that enable new ways of exploring scientific data. And what musician could turn down the opportunity to play against a backdrop of our entire cosmos?
We will forever look to the skies to find inspiration, meaning, and answers. Voyager carried the golden records which held what was considered a sonic summary of civilization. Many astronauts from our space-faring nations have performed music while in orbit, and Commander Chris Hadfield famously recorded David Bowie's "Space Oddity" on station. We will continue to show our deep reverence for humanity by sending pieces of our souls into the universe-- and where we cannot rocket into the stars ourselves, we bring the stars to us.
I look forward to each opportunity to be an ambassador of both science and music. The planetarium is only the beginning. 🪐
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