Randomness
in the System

Shu Xu ('27), who studies both music and computer science, brings a scientific perspective to the piano. He explains how he thinks of the piano as a "system," a term in computer science used to refer to a set of components that, as a connected whole, produces observable processes of information. A piano is similar in that multiple pieces work together to behave in a certain way. For instance, a human presses a key, which lifts a hammer, which strikes a string. This system can be observed from the outside, and in the case of this decomposing instrument, we can see when and where the system breaks down and fails to connect one step to the next. Shu points out that these small missed connections result in an inherent randomness in the mechanism. Press any note once, and there's a probability that it may or may not sound. Press it again, and you may not get the same sound you got before.

This randomness can make for interesting sounds and inspire a sense of marvel at what goes into making the piano system work. "You start appreciating its complexity," Shu says. "You get to appreciate the craftsmanship that went into making these sounds possible."

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