Does Stanford Accept Saxophysicists?
In the instance of Zachary Lin, the
Answer is yes.
Zachary Lin and Interviewer Amber Yeung
By: Nikki Piedad
To Zachary Lin, learning is full of connections across disciplines, interests, and everyday life. He is currently attending Stanford University as a freshman pre-med student pursuing a double major in physics and classical saxophone performance. From playing basketball to studying to spending time with his friends, Lin does his best to stay curious about the world around him while balancing his interests.
Question 1: How do your majors
correlate with STEAM?
Physics is a natural science that mainly focuses on matter and its interactions with the rest of the universe. Through majoring in physics, Lin aims to utilize his math skills to apply to different practical fields. In terms of playing the saxophone, Lin thinks that “it also has some roots in science, the way that the sound is created, the harmonics, the different waves.” Even though playing the saxophone and studying physics are completely contrasting studies, they are interconnected in more ways than one could imagine.
Question 2: How did you choose your
majors?
“I actually remember the exact moment I decided I wanted to do physics,” Lin said. “It was during basketball practice.”
“We had an exercise where we had to lay flat on the floor and hold a basketball in between our legs, but I remember we ran out of basketballs. We had to go to the weight room and get weighted balls, but being that they were [heavier] than basketballs, we were unable to keep them up with our legs.”
But Lin and one of his teammates remembered a lesson from their physics class about torque, the measure of the force that can cause an object to rotate around an axis. They moved the ball from the ends of their legs towards the middle, and it worked – the exercise became easier.
“That kind of encapsulates the beauty of physics in that it’s all around us,” Lin said.
This idea of applying classroom concepts to the real world is even more apparent in performing arts. Lin has always enjoyed music and grew up playing piano, but found his true passion was in playing the saxophone.
“It was just different,” Lin said. “I played it more because a lot of people weren’t doing it and because I feel like with the saxophone, there’s a lot more interpretation, a lot more freedom.”
The creativity explored through subjects like music connects throughout all fields of study and helps students become well-rounded thinkers and be more confident in communicating original ideas.
Question 3: Why did you decide to
pursue saxophone as a major instead of
just playing for fun?
“One of the biggest differences between just playing for fun and playing it as a major is the amount of involvement you get,” Lin said. “So, when I do a major, having the opportunity to participate in quartets, in wind ensembles, in private lessons – I think those opportunities are really important to me.
Lin believes that while playing for fun could be fulfilling in terms of personal enjoyment, achievements and tangible goals are also part of his dedication to his instrument.
“Having that sort of discipline to follow a course of study really allowed me to stay on track.” Lin said.
Question 4: What skills and habits do
you think are a good fit for STEAM?
A large part of being successful in a field like physics is “always asking the question ‘why?’,” Lin said.
There are a lot of formulas and abstract concepts students come across while studying physics, and Lin believes that being able to understand not only the concepts and the equations themselves but also where they came from and why they exist is one of the most important parts of the learning process.
“A lot of people will just focus on the equations, focus on the numbers, but I think what’s more important than just getting the right answer is knowing how to get it and that will not only help you in the problem but it will be more applicable in the future,”
“You’re building a toolbox as you go through. You’re learning not only things that will help you right now but things you can use in the future that will be applicable universally.”
In terms of saxophone, Lin quipped that having perfect pitch is a great advantage while studying music.
Lin believes that stepping back to see the wider picture and being able to connect concepts to real applications is essential to understanding the world. And through all his ambitions and hard work, he maintains a sense of humor.