Music of the Spheres

Dave Moschler not only listens, but he adds his own notes to the music of the spheres.

A junior in Carolina's physics and astrophysics program, Moschler also studies music education and conducting. Between his time in honors classes and his research, the native of Kings Mountain, N.C., plays in a variety in jazz, classical, bluegrass, and other groups on campus and around Chapel Hill. When he's not doing that, he enjoys conducting musical theater and opera productions with on campus theater groups.

Moschler took time out to answer a few questions about his life, science at Carolina, his research and his music:

What high school did you attend?
North Carolina School of Science and Math, Durham, NC.

What were your favorite high school courses?
Advanced Modern Physics, Topics in Twentieth Century Literature.

What have been your favorite college courses?
The American Broadway Musical and Quantum Mechanics.

Do you have a career goal?
Yes. Attend graduate school for either physics or music conducting.

How would you describe your research interests?
My interests are varied and have changed over time. Mainly I've worked on my physics professor's [Dr. Jim Rose] international project of building a fundamental library of stellar spectra, and "chasing" after gamma-ray bursts' afterglows. I also was lucky enough to work over one summer as a paid research assistant in the physics and astronomy department, where I spent most of the time training and learning about observational astronomy with the professors and grad students. Over one of my fall breaks I went to Kitt Peak National Observatories outside Tucson, AZ, and worked on the Coude Feed Spectrograph telescope for a week. My professor was there the first night, and after that, it was just me and another undergrad taking data for our professor's project. That will be finished shortly, and we hope that it will be published and archived (for which we'll be recognized for our contributions).

In addition to gamma-ray bursts, I enjoy learning about optical spectroscopy, and I'm especially interested in radio astronomy and interferometry.

What's the best thing about science at Carolina?
The professors are very good teachers and mentors, and it's easy to participate in research with them, regardless of experience. My research projects, discussed above, came about after I e-mailed Dr. Jim Rose concerning an announcement on the physics club/physics Website. Also, the classes in your major are usually small and personal. But I've also had many opportunities outside the classroom. At the end of this past summer, I attended the National Gamma Ray Burst Conference at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute in Rosman, NC, with a new astronomy professor, Dan Reichart. I met and talked with professional astronomers from all over the nation and some from outside the United States. I met science authors and learned about radio astronomy there, as well.

Can you choose one reason you're studying at Carolina?
Well, there are several reasons. There's a diversity of disciplines between sciences and humanities, and a rigorous academic environment while still maintaining a relaxed liberal arts environment. It feels small, yet has opportunities for anyone interested in anything. And, there's a great music scene with so many different groups to get involved with on or off campus.

What do you like most about Chapel Hill?
It's the poster child for a small, yet restless college town.

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