At Colby College, a liberal arts education allows students to explore multiple disciplines. As a result, many choose to major in more than one subject. For Chase Kanitz `26, a physics and music double major, the College’s structure has allowed him to thrive academically.
Kanitz grew up in Southern California and wanted a completely new environment for college. “I wanted to study in a different state, so going to school in Maine definitely fulfilled that requirement,” he said.
Kanitz’s interest in physics began with visits to science museums in California, including the California Science Center. He said that “the visits sparked my curiosity for how the world works, and learning about physics in middle school made me realize how fundamental physics is to science.”
Kanitz also began playing the vibraphone and marimba in high school, which inspired him to pursue music academically. “I first got into performing in my senior year of high school and wanted to learn more about music and composition,” he said.
Studying physics and music together inevitably created juxtaposing moments for Kanitz throughout the day. “In the morning, I could be learning about electromagnetism, and in the afternoon, I could be learning about the origins of rock and roll,” Kanitz said. “It can sometimes feel like a whirlwind of information from seemingly polar opposite subjects.”
Over time, Kanitz began to recognize more similarities than differences. “I started to see more in common between physics and music, like how physicists are creative when coming up with grand theories about the universe, and how musicians are analytical when composing harmonies that fit together.”
Kanitz said this kind of crossover is hard to find outside a liberal arts education. “A music conservatory might not allow for the intensive study of kinematics, while a large research university might make it harder to participate in multiple ensembles within a single semester,” he said.
At the College, both departments contributed to his experience. For example, the physics professors conduct their own research and encourage their students to engage with complex ideas. “They are all super passionate about sharing their knowledge of physics,” Kanitz said.
On the other side of campus, the music department offers an equally eye-opening experience. Courses explore a variety of musical traditions, and guest performers occasionally visit campus. “The music department highlights many different styles of music from all over the world,” he said.
These experiences have strongly shaped how Kanitz thinks about knowledge itself. A recent senior seminar introduced him to the standard model of particle physics, which describes how a small set of fundamental particles forms everything in the universe. “It is mind-boggling to think that our entire universe and all of its complexity derive from only a few particles,” he said.
This realization has prompted Kanitz to consider broader questions about the role of music in the universe. Yet the coexistence of both fields makes the experience meaningful. “I believe that music in culture and society is what makes humans so special,” Kanitz said.
For Kanitz and many Colby students, pursuing different fields is not a contradiction. Instead, it reflects on the abundance of a liberal arts education.
~ Summer Woo `28
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