 | Mei Rui and Michael Barnett |
Yale College seniors Michael Barnett and Mei Rui foresee careers as doctors in their futures, but they also can't imagine taking paths where music will not be a central focus of their lives.
The two are majoring in molecular biophysics and biochemistry (MB&B) while also pursuing Master of Music (M.M.) degrees at the School of Music, a course of study that requires a five-year enrollment at Yale.
The way they see it, their choice to combine the study of science and music gives them a special bonus: the opportunity to nourish their fascination with the mysteries of life on a biological and chemical level, while also fueling their passion for performance.
While spending much of their time on Science Hill, Barnett and Rui have also taken advantage of Yale's rich musical offerings and opportunities. Barnett, an oboist who is studying with School of Music professor Richard Killmer, is a member of the Yale Symphony Orchestra, and is music director of the Berkeley College Orchestra. Rui, a pianist, studies with Peter Frankl at the School of Music and has performed as a soloist with the Yale Symphony Orchestra.
The seniors also perform with various School of Music chamber ensembles and recently joined forces as a duo for The Friends of Music at Yale's annual competition held in November. They won the competition, beating out various other ensembles and soloists. As the prize-winners, the two will perform together on Sunday, Feb. 20, at 3 p.m. in a free concert in Sudler Hall of William L. Harkness Hall, 100 Wall St.
Barnett and Rui first met in a freshman organic chemistry class, but it was only last year that the scientists-in-training became deeply impressed with each other's musical abilities.
"He is the best oboist I've met here," says Rui of Barnett, noting that her classmate's playing first captured her attention when Barnett played a solo oboe part in the Yale Symphony Orchestra's performance of Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 3. Barnett, likewise, was taken by Rui's talent as a pianist when she was the featured soloist for the same piece.
"She is an incredibly sensitive musician," Barnett comments about Rui.
Barnett asked Rui to perform with him as part of his audition last year for the School of Music's M.M. program, and then the two teamed up again this fall for The Friends of Music competition. Having made the decision to enter the competition only a week before it took place, the two devoted long stretches of time over a short period to practicing for the contest.
"We only get 10 minutes of playing time in the competition, so it's really important to pick repertoire that's really dramatic to catch attention," says Barnett, noting that theirs included portions of a Schumann romance and a Liszt sonata.
Barnett surmises that the duo's choice of showy, dramatic repertoire helped them win the competition.
"We also work well together," says Rui.
Both students attribute their overall success as a duo to their ability to be sensitive to each other's performance styles and approach to music.
"We have very different personalities," explains Barnett. "I like to be logical about music, while Mei is more intuitive. She likes to let her emotions take her where she goes and will do what she feels. Sometimes she goes too far, and sometimes I'm too strict."
"So we compromise," interjects Rui, "and arrive at some balance that works well. Michael is always willing to compromise when I perform with him, so I like working with him a lot."
Barnett, who is from Los Angeles, began playing the oboe as a teenager after studying piano for many years and briefly playing the clarinet. "When I began playing the oboe, I suddenly started to become intensely interested in music, and for the first time, in classical music," he says.
He chose Yale, in part, so he could study with Killmer. When he arrived, he expected to major in English, history or music, but became captivated by science during his freshman organic chemistry class. He is now working on a senior project on the topic "Mechanisms of RNA Interference."
The oboist says that he sees certain parallels between the study of music and of science.
"Performing music and doing scientific research are similar in that with both, you translate thoughts into physical action -- be it a musical performance or an experiment," Barnett explains. "After the ideas, you have to do things with your hands, manipulate things. And both require you to learn techniques in order to reach an end result."
Barnett says that he is in "no rush" to attend medical school, hoping first to spend a few years doing something musical. Once in medical school, he intends to continue making the time to play oboe.
"I have entertained the idea of eventually attending medical school in a major urban area and trying to make money as a freelance oboist," he says.
Rui, a native of Shanghai, China, immigrated with her family to Queens, New York, when she was 14. By then, she had already earned a reputation as a prodigy in China, having won major prizes in piano competitions and made television and concert appearances.
In the United States, she devoted most of her time to music, studying in the Preparatory Division of the Manhattan School of Music and taking three- to four-hour weekly lessons with Phillip Kawin, a faculty member at the college. For her, choosing whether to attend Yale or a music conservatory was a difficult decision, but she ultimately declined Juilliard's full-scholarship offer to attend Yale because she felt she would receive a "broader" education here. She was also intent on studying MB&B.
"I have been interested in cardiology since I was 18 and lost a mentor (the husband of her piano teacher) to heart problems," she says. She believes that there is greater spontaneity to her musical performances because she takes the time to distance herself from it while pursuing other interests, and believes that the whole of her Yale experience has helped her to become a more mature musician.
Rui says the study of science and of music appeal to different parts of her.
"Music is emotional -- the opposite of science," she says. "But in both music and science, you have to pay close attention to meticulous details. However, the results of your lab work don't really reveal your state of mind, whereas in a musical performance, people can tell if you don't give yourself whole-heartedly. I always wear my heart on my sleeve when I play, and I derive immense happiness when I manage to move people with my music."
Like Barnett, Rui says that medical school is a few years into the future.
"I want to devote at least the next two years to music, and enter major competitions," she says, admitting that, should a profitable career in music become a reality, she would consider putting off medical school even longer. Eventually, she may
"Science fuels my passion, but music fuels my life," she explains.
Whatever their destinies, both Rui and Barnett are looking forward to one year at Yale that doesn't involve the trek up to Science Hill from their residential colleges, Jonathan Edwards and Saybrook, respectively.
"I look forward to a fifth year at Yale where I can fully devote myself to music," says Barnett.
And both say they will enjoy a break from the heavy workload they have endured as B.S./M.M. candidates.
"It's been very intense combining the two studies," Rui acknowledges. "Next year will be more focused."
The Feb. 20 concert featuring Barnett and Rui is sponsored by The Friends of Music at Yale, an organization established to raise funds to support undergraduate music on campus. The concert will be followed by a reception. For more information, call (203) 432-4057.
-- By Susan Gonzalez
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