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 special Stanford pupil, college member or affiliate, highlighting a playlist that’s significant to them and their experiences on the Farm.

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

Likelihood is a tough idea. I do know there’s a variety 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 study extra about his favourite music and the way he constructs lecture playlists “Class Upbeat” and “Recent.” 

This interview has been calmly edited for readability.

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

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

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

CP: I heard a music just a few weeks in the past that I actually appreciated. The music is “Apus” by Danit. I used to be having a very great dialog with an individual after which they shared the music with me. It brings again very nice reminiscences. I believe I additionally wish to advocate “Obiero” by Ayub Ogada. It’s a Luo music 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 enjoying songs in the beginning of sophistication each lecture, and what elements do you take into accounts when selecting what music to play?

CP: The official purpose is that if individuals 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 need them to really feel welcomed and completely satisfied. Music does that for them. 

It additionally does one thing for me. I really feel like once 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 usually 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 music that has some considerate components to it to get folks to really feel the spirit of curiosity. After which I attempt to go for issues which can be pleasing to many various palates. You’ve obtained to arrange a welcoming atmosphere.

TSD: You’ve spent most of your educational {and professional} profession at Stanford — how would you say the social panorama has modified since your undergrad days, and what retains you coming again every year 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 need my college students to have a good time and be curious.

It appears like there could be extra strain on campus now. The world has put extra strain on 20-year-olds. The financial system appears just a little sharper. There’s extra entry to media, which may actually convolve folks’s perceptions in bizarre methods. I believe the world can seem like a harsher place than it’s for those who really go and discuss to people — 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 the most effective issues we’ve to tackle these fairly huge issues.

TSD: If CS109 have been a music, 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 a variety of work to make sounds. So the digital sounds are actually attention-grabbing, difficult and nuanced. And that’s really fairly mathematically tough to do. It’s a very good match with 109 as a result of we use computer systems as our device. We care about what’s natural, necessary and exquisite, and the technical depth like searching for actually arduous issues which can be price fixing on this world.

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

TSD: Should you may give one piece of recommendation to a freshman this 12 months, what would it not be?

CP: Who am I to present recommendation? Okay. That is my story. I went and obtained eye surgical procedure the day after my first lecture at Stanford, which I didn’t anticipate. After I was getting into for the attention surgical procedure, I obtained 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 stated, “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 the planet.” I must go profit from it and benefit from the surgical procedure. However once you get to arduous moments, simply don’t neglect to have enjoyable. And within the good moments, ensure you get pleasure from it. I believe one of the enjoyable issues we will do is to develop our ability set and be extra succesful than we have been. That’s like a deep, deep, enjoyable factor to do. So go have enjoyable.