Meanwhile, artists at Stanford are deprived of the same depth of faculty offered to other fields. There are many incredible visiting artists at Stanford — Joshua Redman is a great example. He’s probably one of the (if not the) world’s best saxophonists, and he is sharing his craft with students here. 

But arts hirings like that are not yet institutional. Redman is still a visiting artist, so there’s no saying if he will remain a part of Stanford for future years. What’s needed are more arts professors who are serious practitioners in their fields and have decision-making positions within their departments — and are here to stay. This could mean giving certain current lecturers and guests more power or prominence within their fields. Their permanence and stature will not only allow students to be more confident in choosing to stick with the arts but it has the potential to bring in a multitude of new students who might otherwise be attending arts conservatories.

“I like to think that [the idea of the fuzzies and the techies] is outdated,” said Deborah Cullinan, Vice President of the Arts at Stanford. I asked if there was a possibility that the fuzzies and techies were merging in this new era. “That’s why I do what I do,” she said. “We all need to live creative lives.”

She insisted that artists are welcome at Stanford. “Some [students] are here to be musicians or visual artists or poets or performers, and that is as valid and valuable as those of us that might be here to study computer science or be policy makers.” She added that being an artist here isn’t just about careers, it’s about how you engage with the world. “It’s about how you live that creative life and how you access creativity,” she said. 

Personally, I think a major in interdisciplinary arts could be invaluable for the arts at Stanford. “I think more people need to know there is that kind of demand,” Cullinan said.

Being an artist at Stanford is a student right but it’s also a privilege. As such, it’s important for the school to prioritize funding for arts students who lack resources, just as Stanford does with its STEM students. Otherwise, “we run the risk of Stanford arts being only for ‘the privileged few,’ said A-Lan Holt, director of the Institute of Diversity in the Arts (IDA), who added that racial justice and equity need to be considered in any discussion around the arts curriculum here. 

For the arts to succeed at Stanford, the school needs to have a culture shift. Or perhaps a shift toward culture. 

That means putting resources towards arts faculty who have more of a say in decision-making and increasing career opportunities for artists at every level. Being an artist should be as much a part of Stanford culture as someone wanting to patent an app or train for a Mars mission. What will it take for that culture to change? I don’t have a clear answer but I’m guessing it would take on a combination of improving the current internal system, while also having stronger recruitment for future artists at Stanford in the years ahead.

“I don’t think the arts are ever going to go away,” said John Chowning DMA ’66, founding director of the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA). Chowning’s work at Stanford in frequency modulation synthesis was the basis for the creation of so many of the synthesizers that we hear today in almost every song on the radio. “The artistic impulse gets channeled, wherever you are at Stanford.”

Not only are the arts not going away, I believe Stanford has a responsibility to be a beacon on this front. At a time when other universities are struggling to keep their humanities departments, Stanford’s commitment to the arts has the potential to pave the way for thousands of institutions across the country to follow suit — and I know Stanford has the money to do it. 

A year in, I’m finding my way. I’m immersed in the arts dorm community through ITALIC. My peer group consists of the Stanford Improvisors, and musicians from jazz bands, pop bands and even a klezmer band. I’m able to think about music even in my linguistics and religious studies classes. And none of it feels fuzzy to me. I’m designing my way forward, and I guess that’s what it means to be an artist. Stanford may have some room for me after all.