I am going to finish my discussion of scientific collectivism in my next post, but because my last post was so long and it is Friday, I want to break up the two by asking:
How many of you scientists play music? How serious are you about it? Do you think it enhances or harms your ability to do science?
I was delayed in the progress of my PhD (I calculated I lost about 6-8 months) because I chose to tour with my band and run my record label pretty seriously.
In the end I am glad it took longer, because I was much happier in my life and I did better science. I even was able to talk about my PhD program when I gave interviews for radio or magazines and it gave me some interesting stories about getting back from gigs at 2 AM and then working in the lab at night.
Anyone else do this kind of stuff? Tell me about it, share some links if you have them.
Happy Friday science-rockers!
(Editor’s note: My boss had a hard time with this in the beginning, like any boss would, but because he was so infinitely cool, we built up a trust that as long as the experiments were done on time that I was free to use my schedule to the best of my advantage-I know not all bosses are like this!)
Ian Brooks, who also blogs here, is a drummer in a rock band. I believe he also toured with a band for a while. You guys should talk!
There’s also a Musical scientists group on Nature Network and there’s been quite a bit of discussion already.
Do you sing, play an instrument or both? And how exactly did music make you a better scientist?
Did someone call?! :)
Hi Michael! Yeah, as Corrie said, I’m a drummer. been playing in rock bands for as long as I can remember (bit of an “in” joke there). I’m currently “resting” as we say, but it looks like something Southern Rockish might be starting soon and be hammering the old skins once more!
:D
Me. I’m a rock keyboard player of the old school. Hammond. A bit of piano. Blues. Rock. Deep Purple. Pink Floyd.
Not rock so much – I’ve played violin in orchestras all through undergrad and grad school – but I’m really interested in the large numbers of people who seem to combine music with science, and have somewhat vague* plans of making a documentary about the topic, so this is all very interesting.
*vague because I don’t have time to think about it and don’t have a camera, but as soon as I graduate this is going to be one of my pet projects.
(Oops, I used asterisks to indicate a footnote and the formatting got all screwed up. nothing should be bold there.)
I (used to) play piano and guitar. The former taught formally, the latter mainly self-taught. These days, my instrument is mainly the karaoke machine…
I only partially qualify. I’m not a scientist but am a rocker who’s very interested in science.
Here’s a wee visual/audio storyboard as it were I posted on my blog describing in coded fashion a job interview.
All of my uploaded compositions/recordings are here and in my most recent interview , we cover some of the intersections of music and research.
All these links were great and I really enjoyed them!
I used to play drums kinda seriously in my undergrad days, but gave up the rock’n’roll lifestyle to focus on passing exams and becoming a scientist.
There’s already another drummer posting above, which makes me wonder, what is the most commonly played instrument amongst musical scientists? I know of 3 other drummers on our science campus here, and I also play the violin, so that’s 5 – 5 for drummers vs the rest of the musical world. Perhaps we should restrict it to NN members only though.
P.S. Henry, do you include Simply Red and Deacon Blue in your Rainbow of Rock?
Hey Mike. I guess your great precedent is Brian May who was a PhD student in Physics in 70’s. His degree was granted just last year, so that there was a thirty something year delay in the progress of his PhD study!! If you had a longer delay, you would have been like the Queen of Neuroscience!
P.S. Does your old boss know that you have a blog?
Boy would I love to be Brian May! That paycheck must be great! I thought what he did was so cool and it really illustrates the connections between science and art-especailly music.
I don’t think the boss knows-I think I told him on the phone once…
I am glad another UMAB person is here on the boards!
P.S. Henry, do you include Simply Red and Deacon Blue in your Rainbow) of Rock?
No.
I play the electric guitar and love some rocking! I have to admit though, my favorite science nerd rocker has to be Francis Collins. Whether he is playing by himself during a speaker introduction, as par of The Directors, (with other NIH directors)or as a session singer/guitarist with Elliot Margulies’ all genome-nerd band, Ethidium Spill, he is sure to please an audience!