Press Play: Chris Piech debugs his CS109 playlists

‘Press Play’ is a column that seeks to uncover the folks of Stanford and the collections of songs that energy them via their days. Every set up will function a distinct Stanford pupil, school member or affiliate, highlighting a playlist that’s significant to them and their experiences on the Farm.

Erin Ye is at present enrolled in CS109.

Fall quarter at Stanford is upon us. The air remains to be heat with the tail finish of summer season’s warmth. Bikes and electrical scooters have taken over Jane Stanford Manner. Unsurprisingly, tons of of scholars are packing their method in Hewlett Educating Middle for a pc science class. There are 442 folks, together with me, enrolled in CS109: “Introduction to Chance for Laptop Scientists” this quarter in response to my view of the Canvas roster. 

Chance is a tough idea. I do know there’s plenty of math concerned. I’m not anticipating to have enjoyable.

However once I stroll via the doorways of Hewlett 200, I’m stunned. As an alternative of unsolvable issues, I’m met with one thing acquainted: “Shut Up and Dance With Me” by Stroll the Moon. 

I sat down with assistant professor Chris Piech M.A. ’11 Ph.D. ’16 to be taught extra about his favourite music and the way he constructs lecture playlists “Class Upbeat” and “Contemporary.” 

This interview has been calmly edited for readability.

The Stanford Each day (TSD): What sort of music do you hearken to in your free time? 

Chris Piech (CP): I really feel like as you become older, your music tastes broadens, as a result of I don’t cease loving the issues I cherished once I was 18. In my free time nowadays, it’s a little bit of reggae, a little bit of digital music and plenty of children’ music. Certainly one of my targets is to get [my daughter] to understand music. She has cochlear implants, so she enjoys music in a really completely different method. She’s principally there for the dancing, so we hearken to plenty of songs with heavy rhythm and we dance.

TSD: Do you might have any favourite songs or artists who’re particular to you?

CP: I heard a tune just a few weeks in the past that I actually appreciated. The tune is “Apus” by Danit. I used to be having a very fantastic dialog with an individual after which they shared the tune with me. It brings again very nice recollections. I feel I additionally need to advocate “Obiero” by Ayub Ogada. It’s a Luo tune that jogs my memory of my Luo neighbors [in Kenya] who used to play it, and it’s simply been constant all through my life.

TSD: What was your inspiration for taking part in songs at first of sophistication each lecture, and what components do you think about when selecting what tune to play?

CP: The official cause is that if persons are listening to music, they realize it’s chatting time, and once I cease the music, they realize it’s time to hearken to lecture. However extra importantly, I play music to set the tone. It’s to get folks energized and assemble an environment the place it’s going to be joyful. We’re going to enter some arduous math. Some folks get actually scared about that. I don’t need them to, I would like them to really feel welcomed and comfortable. Music does that for them. 

It additionally does one thing for me. I really feel like while you’re in a lecture, the vitality of the trainer issues a lot, and if I hearken to music, that will get me energized. Earlier than class, I’ll typically select one thing that has a excessive tempo, if I really feel prefer it’s the time of the quarter the place we want that. Or I select a tune that has some considerate parts to it to get folks to really feel the spirit of curiosity. After which I attempt to go for issues which are pleasing to many various palates. You’ve received to arrange a welcoming atmosphere.

TSD: You’ve spent most of your tutorial {and professional} profession at Stanford — how would you say the social panorama has modified since your undergrad days, and what retains you coming again annually with a renewed sense of vitality?

CP: I’ve modified and my position at Stanford has modified as properly, so it isn’t a managed experiment. I imply, it is a hope: I would like my college students to have a good time and be curious.

It looks like there is likely to be extra stress on campus now. The world has put extra stress on 20-year-olds. The financial system appears a bit sharper. There’s extra entry to media, which might actually convolve folks’s perceptions in bizarre methods. I feel the world can seem like a harsher place than it’s should you truly go and discuss to of us — these aren’t pressures distinctive to Stanford. And there are actual issues; it’s not similar to we will ignore it. So I do recognize the pressures that college students are below. However in that context, I nonetheless need folks to thrive and be curious, as a result of I really feel like extra folks thriving, extra folks being curious are most likely one of the best issues we’ve to tackle these fairly huge issues.

TSD: If CS109 had been a tune, what would it not be and why?

CP: “A Stroll” by Tycho, a band within the space. It was made by computer systems, however the attention-grabbing factor is, there’s plenty of work to make sounds. So the digital sounds are actually attention-grabbing, difficult and nuanced. And that’s truly fairly mathematically tough to do. It’s a superb match with 109 as a result of we use computer systems as our device. We care about what’s natural, necessary and delightful, and the technical depth like in search of actually arduous issues which are price fixing on this world.

It’s uplifting. Studying ought to be so uplifting. Play is mainly studying for teenagers, throughout all species. Play is such a studying expertise. And as a trainer, I’m doing it due to that uplifting ingredient. How enjoyable it’s to see somebody perceive — their eyes mild up once they get it. And I would like that pleasure for my college students. I would like that pleasure for me.

TSD: When you may give one piece of recommendation to a freshman this yr, what would it not be?

CP: Who am I to provide recommendation? Okay. That is my story. I went and received eye surgical procedure the day after my first lecture at Stanford, which I didn’t anticipate. Once I was getting in for the attention surgical procedure, I received a textual content message which was clearly from any individual who supposed to ship me one thing earlier than my first day of sophistication. And it mentioned, “Don’t neglect to have enjoyable.” It actually simply hit the right chord. Like, “Oh, that is an expertise, similar to every little thing on this planet.” I have to go benefit from it and benefit from the surgical procedure. However while you get to arduous moments, simply don’t neglect to have enjoyable. And within the good moments, be sure to take pleasure in it. I feel one of the enjoyable issues we will do is to broaden our ability set and be extra succesful than we had been. That’s like a deep, deep, enjoyable factor to do. So go have enjoyable.