Harmonious Moonlighting: UNL astronomer Martin Gaskell spends his free time composing classical music.

The (ongoing) Quest for Parallel Universes

By Scott Franzen, Public Relations Intern

UNL astronomer Martin Gaskell has found an interesting parallel universe. It's not inhabited by Mr. Spock but more likely by Mr. Bach. Johann Sebastian, that is.

Gaskell composes classical music as a method of relaxation. Right now, he spends his free time tweeking his "Fantasia for Viola and Orchestra," and trying to secure funding to record it. UNL viola professor Clark Potter premiered the piece at a recital in Kimball Hall last March.

"It's fun for the composer to hear their piece played," Potter said. "His music is beautiful and easy to listen to."

Last fall, four UNL School of Music students performed the premiere of a woodwind quartet that Gaskell began writing in the 1970s while he was in graduate school.

"It was delightful to hear after all those years," Gaskell said. "The players gave a wonderfully sensitive performance of the quartet."

"It was a nice performance," said Dave Baker, a senior bassoon performance major, who was one of the performers of the quartet. Each of Gaskell's movements was different; developing from a classical theme in the first, Baker said. The second movement had a slow impressionistic feel, the third had a dance-like sound and the quartet ended with a hymn-like feeling in the fourth movement, he added.

Gaskell said there is little connection between his career as an astronomer and his avocation for composing.

"Curiously, although astronomy provides little inspiration for my music, people tend to read astronomical associations into it," Gaskell said. Most of his composing ideas come from feelings, events and places, he said.

For instance, the frequent walks he took with his wife during graduate school inspired portions of the woodwind quintet.

Gaskell's passions exist harmoniously. Manila folders filled with musical ideas and composition sketches sit on a shelf in an office filled with numerous astronomy research folders and classwork. Two landscape paintings done by his mother of the Cornwall countryside hang on the east wall of his Ferguson Hall office and suggest a family appreciation of the arts. He doesn't share his mother's talent for painting, but enjoys the art of creating sound compositions, he said.

Over the years, Gaskell has found several parallels between his astronomy and composing pursuits. Technically, they are vastly different but in structure and planning they have many similarities, he said. Scientific research and writing a scientific paper are similar to composing a piece of music, Gaskell said. Both begin with sketches, ideas and notes, then are developed through research and a lot of revisions to produce a finished piece, he said. In both cases, there is a need for being thorough, he added.

"I think the level of mental effort in understanding Einstein's general theory of relativity and Bach's writing is roughly comparable," he said.

Citing Einstein's violin playing, Gaskell said there has been fascinating research in the past decade that classical music enhances IQ and learning in other subjects.

There have been several famous scientists who share musical interests in the past. The Russian composer and organic chemistry professor Alexander Borodin has provided a role model for Gaskell.

The connections carry over to his lectures. He confesses to teaching a class as though he's composing or conducting a symphony. Teaching is more of an art, he said; classroom instruction needs balance, variety, interest and clarity.

On a recent class meeting, he played Pink Floyd's Dark side of the Moon to tie-in the day's lecture topic while his students filed to their seats. He uses the astronomer Johannes Kepler as an example of someone who tried to use music theory to explain astronomical concepts.

He holds no regrets about not having a career in music. "It's a fascinating hobby," he said. He grew interested in composing soon after he began piano lessons when he was 9 years old; he recalls thinking, "I can do this." He didn't start doing much of it till he was 12 years old. And it wasn't until the end of high school that he became serious about it.

"I thought about a career in music but you have to be really good at performing," he said. Deciding that he was not cut out as a music performer, he pursued astronomy and physics in college. He took one class in orchestra conducting in college and continued composing during his free time.

Orchestral music is his favorite, but he also works in other genres, such as chamber music. He describes his music as accessible or lyrical music that's easy to listen to, as opposed to atonal music written in the 20th century.

While the keyboard remains his favorite instrument to play, he has also given performances as a vocal soloist and on a variety of ancient and modern wind and string instruments. They include 16th century instruments such as the viola da gamba, recorder, crumhorn (a bent reed wind instrument) and the rauschpfeife (a windcap reed instrument). He says he usually performs music of the 16th and 17th centuries.

As he finishes up changes on the fantasia, he's also working on finishing a symphonic poem that may go on the same CD. In the crystal ball, he's got ideas for a string orchestral suite. He hopes to compose one major piece annually, but doesn't worry about it.

"The main thing music contributes to my life is relaxation," Gaskell reiterated, "it balances my life."

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