From Numbers to Notes: How a Mathematician Became the Master of Musical Satire
A Sunday Ode in Song Form
Amanda Stern
September 29, 2024
It’s a rainy Sunday here on the East Coast.
There’s no better weather than this to reach back in time, to the 50s and 60s, to highlight the one man everyone turned to for laughter and spirit-lifting.
This clever, funny, piano-playing satirist-turned-mathematician recently put all his music into the public domain so everyone can use it.
They don’t make men like this anymore.
Please enjoy listening to the songs I grew up with (thanks, dad!) and listen to when I need a jolt of intellectually stimulating wordplay.
Do you know who I’m talking about?
Find out after the jump…
To meet this iconic, one-of-a-kind satirist, who’s been out of the public eye longer than most of us have been alive, hit the upgrade button!
Join How to Live
For people who live in their heads, feel more than they show, and want a language for both.
Already a paying subscriber? Sign In.
What you’ll receive as a subscriber::
- • Every new essay, the moment it’s published
- • Full access to the complete archive—150+ posts and counting
- • Bonus pieces and experiments-in-progress, shared occasionally
- • Invitations to seasonal, in-person gatherings
- • A direct line to me (annual subscribers): personal replies and tailored recommendations
- • 15% off all workshops and live events
Reply