May 29, 2023
Show Notes:
Ruth Hertzman-Miller, a member of the Harvard and Radcliffe class of 1992, graduated with a degree in biology and went on to a career in medicine, completing a residency in internal medicine at Cambridge City Hospital and a fellowship in health services research in Los Angeles. After returning to the Boston area, she worked as a physician at Cambridge Health Alliance and then at NewBridge, a retirement community. Ruth discussed her journey since graduating, reflecting on the unexpected twists and turns it has taken. Ruth made the difficult decision to switch from medicine to music four or five years ago. She took catch up courses at a conservatory in Boston and is now doing a master’s in composition. Ruth is a pianist and choral singer and was inspired to pursue music again when her seven year old daughter joined North Cambridge Family Opera.
An Education and Career in Medicine
She didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life when she went to college, but her dad and grandfather were both psychiatrists, so she figured she’d take some premed courses and see what happened since she liked science and helping people, but she also got to take electives in other subjects like music. In medical school at Case Western, she was interested in the clinical aspects of the program where she was assigned to a pregnant woman and followed her through delivery and the baby’s first year of life, but along the way, she had many doubts about how much she wanted to be in the program. At the end of her internship year, she went to her residency director and was considering quitting, but he talked her into staying.
Balancing Family Life and Work
After the birth of her first child, she found it difficult to focus on both the intense schedule of work and study and family, but she finished her master’s and eventually made the decision to pursue a master’s in music and wrap up her medical career. Ruth balanced work and motherhood for many decades. Initially, she worked at Cambridge Health Alliance and then various medical but non-clinical jobs such as the Joslin Diabetes Clinic and the Hearst Company, and then at EBSCO Publishing. While she was in non-clinical positions, she worked clinically one day a week at Cambridge Health Alliance and then at various sites within Hebrew Rehab, finally landing at the NewBridge retirement community. When she decided to cut down on her work and dedicate more time to music, she kept her one day a week job at Hebrew Rehab and started studying for a certificate in music.
Studying Musical Composition and Theory
Ruth discusses her experience studying composition and writing music and what was included in the coursework. As a composer, she is interested in exploring the form of music. She studies what has been done in the past, the many options and choices available, and considers how she can create something new. She refers to Mozart and Haydn, who approached their compositions differently and how they did so. Ruth is not expecting to make a professional career out of her work, as it is difficult for a composer to make money, but instead, is more interested in exploring new forms and having her work performed. Video game music and film music are some of the biggest markets for composers; however, Ruth is not particularly interested in these areas. She is more interested in writing for small ensembles such as string quartets, for which she can find performers without much difficulty. She also talks about the place of AI in composing music, and how it can provide inspiration but needs human intervention to create a finished product.
The Creative Process of Composing Music
When asked if composing music feels three-dimensional, or if it has different mental qualities, Ruth answers that this is subjective and depends on the individual, but it is likely that the experience of composing music entails a combination of physical and mental elements. It requires both the ability to think in abstract terms, as well as the creative ability to visualize and construct musical ideas. It is a process that is both intuitive and analytical, where the creative elements of music are balanced with the technical aspects of composition.
Ruth talks about the creative process behind composition. She explains that she typically has a broad idea, such as writing a piano piece with two players starting at opposite ends of the piano, and then breaks it down into smaller details such as melody and harmony. She then works on generating variations on the material and figuring out the logical progression of the piece. She explains that she usually isn’t trying to express something that can be explained in words, but rather it is usually a feeling or an exploration of the music itself. She uses the example of a recent project to explain the process. Ruth also talks about conveying emotions through music. For some pieces of music, the goal is to introduce the theme to the audience and have them understand it through the different changes in the music. At the opposite end of this, there is writing an opera scene where the focus is more on portraying the emotions.
Professors and Courses of Influence
Favorite professors and courses from Harvard include Luise Vosgerchian’s course on the Development of the String Quartet and John Stewart’s course on Introductory Music Theory. She also talks about her more recent professor, Lyle Davidson, who happens to be in the same tradition of Luise Vosgerchian. Other favorite courses include Biology of Fishes with Karel Liem, Scientific Ethics with George Whitesides, Moral Reasoning with Thomas Scanlon, and Marjorie Garber on Shakespeare.
Timestamps:
01:41 Pursuing Music After a Career in Medicine
05:19 Motivation and Commitment During Medical School
09:57 Medical Training and Fellowship
16:28 The Process of Studying Composition
20:28 Composing and Making a Career in Music
25:32 Reading and Generative AI in Music Composition
28:03 Exploring the Creative Process of Composing Music
36:05 Music Study and Harvard College Professors
Links:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ruthhertzman-miller3349/videos