4 ms·

Not sure how much rigorous examination this kind of connection can really hold up using modern science, tools, resources, etc, but as far as intuition goes, thi

Not sure how much rigorous examination this kind of connection can really hold up using modern science, tools, resources, etc, but as far as intuition goes, this seems like a natural fit. In graduate school, I did work through some published educational experiments that, in short, concluded having music time in the average school week was an improvement in nearly all other study fields, and particularly pronounced in Math of all things. Even compared to an alternate test group with extra Math time, the Music group did better than that one. The control group got neither and showed no improvement, if I remember it correctly. The relationships between long-form, technical musical proficiency and abstract, logical thinking should be complimentary I think. Lots of the same mental pathways I'd imagine. One guy I knew from finance - a real genius in the synthetics / derivatives arena - had originally gone to University on a full-ride music scholarship. Jazz saxophone and piano I think. After having an, um, trippy experience, he discovered a new-found love of Math and switched majors almost immediately, with great success. Anecdote, sure, but that's how we can make connections for such obtuse notions.

TheOtherHobbes 10y ago
Many employers will tell you that music grads make excellent employees. It's usually easier for a music grad to learn coding to an undergrad standard than vice versa. But I'm underwhelmed by these kind of fluffy semi-literary linkups between otherwise beautiful things. No matter what science people tell you, music is not math. It's much more complex than that. :)
- tjr 10y ago
  No matter what science people tell you, music is not math. It's much more complex than that. :) After three semesters of majoring in music, I made things easier for myself as a student and switched to computer science, with a hefty dose of math on the side. (I also thought that might be better for employment prospects; I think I was right.) I've continued to pursue music as well, but wow, those classes are intense.
  - nathanyo 10y ago
    I had a similar thing happen, where I had this insane aspiration of dual majoring in computer science and engineering and music. After doing marching band my first semester, which was 6+ hours of work a week ignoring games, and seeing how hard the music majors were working, I realized how difficult that'd be. I still do the occasional ensemble, but the time you need to commit to those courses are insane.
- DanielBMarkham 10y ago
  Random idea: I wonder if you could set up an education track, perhaps for homeschoolers (?), that transitioned from music study to music performance in a group to computer programming to programming in a team.

TheOtherHobbes 10y ago

Many employers will tell you that music grads make excellent employees. It's usually easier for a music grad to learn coding to an undergrad standard than vice versa. But I'm underwhelmed by these kind of fluffy semi-literary linkups between otherwise beautiful things. No matter what science people tell you, music is not math. It's much more complex than that. :)

tjr 10y ago
No matter what science people tell you, music is not math. It's much more complex than that. :) After three semesters of majoring in music, I made things easier for myself as a student and switched to computer science, with a hefty dose of math on the side. (I also thought that might be better for employment prospects; I think I was right.) I've continued to pursue music as well, but wow, those classes are intense.
- nathanyo 10y ago
  I had a similar thing happen, where I had this insane aspiration of dual majoring in computer science and engineering and music. After doing marching band my first semester, which was 6+ hours of work a week ignoring games, and seeing how hard the music majors were working, I realized how difficult that'd be. I still do the occasional ensemble, but the time you need to commit to those courses are insane.
DanielBMarkham 10y ago
Random idea: I wonder if you could set up an education track, perhaps for homeschoolers (?), that transitioned from music study to music performance in a group to computer programming to programming in a team.