Neil Baker, Class of 2022

Neil Baker, Junior.
Majors: Dual Degree in Physics and Piano Performance.

Short Bio

I was born in Takoma Park, Maryland. I lived in Maryland for four years before coming to Australia. My family lived in Adelaide for six years, but after this time my parents decided it was time for a change. We moved to Sydney where they have been living ever since. But I decided to study overseas for university, which is how I came to Boston. I am persuing a dual degree in Physics and Piano Performance because I couldn't decide between music and math Unfortunately I had to come home due to the pandemic, but I will be back as soon as possible, hopefully to finish my degree by the spring of 2023.

Activities and Interests

Piano Playing

I have been playing piano since I was 6 years old. I have studied with prominent pianists such as Aria Award-winning Sally Whitwell, Professor Boaz Sharon (Boston University) and Tanya Gabrielian (Boston University). I have played in venues such as the Sydney Opera House and Smith Recital Hall at the University of Illinois, and my repertoire spans works from the early Baroque era to music written within the last 20 years. I currently study piano at Boston University under Tanya Gabrielian.
Tanya's webpage can be found here.

Taekwondo and Martial Arts

I have practiced Taekwondo since I was 16 years old, although lately I have not involved myself with any dojo. I hold a red belt given to me by the Australian Martial Arts Academy, with whom I also worked for nearly a year. I am attracted to Taekwondo because of the impressive kicks, and flexibility and strength required. Although perhaps not the most practical martial art, and not one which focusses on the hands, I do feel comfortable that if I was attacked in the street I would be able to defend myself.
The Australian Martial Arts Academy website can be found here.

Coding

I decided to take a computer science course in the summer of 2019, after my freshman year at Boston University. It was a Python basics course, one recommended for my physics degree, and I found I loved it. Since then I have tried to find excuses to code, through mini projects or other BU opportunities. Most recently, I signed up to be a TA for CS108, a course in applications programming run by Aaron Stevens. I am enjoying this opportunity to broaden my horizons and learn new programming languages, the most recent of which is HTML, in which I am now coding.
Aaron Stevens' BU profile can be found here.