Meet Chris Young, a third year Ph.D. student in Mechanical
Engineering. When he’s not researching plasma, which can be used for space propulsion,
fusion energy, and computer chips, he plays piano as the musical improviser of
the Stanford Improvisers (SImps).
“It’s definitely more of an accompanist’s mindset rather
than a solo performer’s mindset. I describe it in two halves. Half is scoring
scenes, like a movie. You are picking up on the mood of a scene and either
finding something to complement it or you can influence what is going to happen
next. There’s definitely a back and forth with the people on stage. The other
half is actually doing songs and the actors are making up lyrics and melodies
on the spot.”
Young began playing piano at age six, learning classical and
jazz from a teacher and also playing in a rock band. He came to Stanford in
2006 as an undergrad and joined the SImps in the spring of his freshman year.
While he took jazz piano lessons and played in a jazz combo for two years as
well, he eventually decided to devote his time to his studies. However, he continued
to play with the SImps through the rest of his undergraduate career and now as
a Ph.D student. “It was a good amount of
music to keep me sane for the rest of school,” he said. This spring quarter is
his last quarter with the group—he’s been playing with them for six years.
Young’s favorite show format is called Spontaneous Broadway,
in which improvisers perform songs based on audience-suggested titles and then
perform an entire musical based on one of the songs.
His favorite part of improvisation is discovering what he’s
going to play next. Rather than writing songs, Young would rather come up with
something new every time he sits down at the piano. However, recycled material
is limited to popular chord progressions. “You have to clear your entire head
of all real songs and everything you’ve played before. You try to forget. The
subjects and lyrics of the songs are always completely different.”
Young never participates in scenes in shows but he will
during practices. “After six years I could probably teach intro improv
workshops even though I’ve never actually been on stage and performed.”
The process of improvisation itself he finds difficult to
describe, but music theory and ear training have helped him immensely. Young
also has relative pitch, meaning that he can hear the relationships between
chords even if he doesn’t know the name of the key. “It’s half muscle memory of
chords and scales and things I know work already and it’s half trying to keep a
blank mind. Sometimes things that you are playing make suggestions to you that
will remind you of something else or lead you somewhere else.”
For now, it’s crunch time. After completing his last quarter
with the SImps this spring, Young will focus on finishing his Ph.D. in plasma
physics in the next two years. He knows he will continue with music but is
unsure about which path he will take. He has already done several shows with
the Bay Area Theatrical Society, a professional improv company in San
Francisco, as well as for other smaller companies in the area. He is also
considering joining a band where improvisation is encouraged. Still, he prefers
the community of the SImps and will miss them next year. “The actors are
hilarious. I’m laughing on stage the whole time.”
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