MIT Music and Theater Arts fondly remembers the legacy of Professor Emerita Jeanne Shapiro Bamberger, who handed away peacefully at residence in Berkeley, California, of pure causes on Dec. 12, 2024 on the age of 100.
For 3 a long time on the Institute, Bamberger discovered methods to make use of computer systems to interact college students and assist them be taught music. A skilled pianist who turned fascinated with the thought of utilizing know-how to achieve insights into music schooling, Bamberger in the end helped to vary how music was taught at MIT and elsewhere.
Bamberger was born on Feb. 11, 1924 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her mom, Gertrude Shapiro (nee Kulberg), from a Romanian Jewish household, studied little one psychology and was energetic within the League of Girls Voters. Her father, Morse Shapiro, of Lithuanian and Polish Jewish heritage, was a groundbreaking pediatric heart specialist.
In 1969, Bamberger started her 32-year profession at MIT, initially within the former MIT Training Division. Whereas at MIT, Bamberger turned the primary girl to earn tenure within the Music and Theater Arts Part. She was know for pioneering the usage of pc languages to show youngsters to be taught music. She additionally used her pc improvements to check how youngsters — and by extension, all people — be taught music, and this vector specifically turned her life’s work.
Forward of her time, Bamberger labored within the MIT Synthetic Intelligence Lab within the Eighties and developed pc languages (MusicLogo and Impromptu) whereas on the MIT Division for Research and Analysis in Training from 1975 to 1995. She turned affiliate professor in music and theater arts in 1981, earned tenure quickly thereafter, and chaired the division in 1989-90. Throughout this era, she continued to carry out as a live performance pianist, participating in concert events with the MIT Symphony Orchestra, and actively enjoying chamber music each at MIT and locally. She additionally taught on the Harvard College Division of Training.
Institute Professor Marcus Thompson recollects, “Throughout her time with us as a senior professor she was clearly a jewel within the crown. For somebody who had studied piano with an historic legend in Artur Schnabel, who had studied with and recognized not less than one of many French Six, Darius Milhaud, and labored with French composer and conductor Pierre Boulez, she was amongst that group of our professors who frequently advocated for a brand new music constructing, thought-about the opportunity of a graduate program in music at a time after we had been being pushed to develop, at a time when she was our solely senior girl when the necessity to do higher was lastly seen.” Each the devoted music constructing and the graduate music program are actually a actuality.
Bamberger liked her work and was beloved and admired by her college students and colleagues. Kenan Sahin Distinguished Professor Evan Ziporyn shares that she “was very a lot a shaping presence for our part — MIT Music and Theater Arts would not be what we’re right this moment with out her contributions. She’s additionally only a very cool individual — I imply, what number of 90-year-old teachers find yourself working with Herbie Hancock and taking their analysis to the White Home?”
Ziporyn provides that “amongst 7 million different singular accomplishments,” Bamberger revealed quite a few articles and books together with “The Artwork of Listening” with Howard Brofsky, “The Thoughts Behind the Musical Ear,” “Creating Musical Intuitions,” and “Discovering the Musical Thoughts.”
Whereas at MIT, Bamberger took many college students below her wing and assisted many extra with their educational careers. Elaine Chew SM ’98, PhD ’00, an operations researcher, pianist, present professor of engineering at King’s School London, and mentee of Bamberger, says, “I might not be doing what I’m right this moment if not for Jeanne. A toddler prodigy turned music thinker, Jeanne was a pioneer in music and AI lengthy earlier than it was trendy. She was deeply desirous about folks and keen about how we be taught. I cannot overlook the day once I got here to her with complaints about issues not working. Fairly than telling me what to do, Jeanne stated, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ prompting me to mirror on and develop my very own sense of company.” (Chew speaks extra on Bamberger’s inspirational position in a 2016 interview.)
All advised, Bamberger had a inventive, fertile thoughts and liked to ask probing questions, a high quality she handed to her progeny and group — it was her pleasure and her ardour.
Whereas a professor at MIT, Bamberger was a power to be reckoned with. Along with her lengthy and productive educational profession — through which she revealed 4 books and practically 20 ebook chapters — she was politically energetic and supported the anti-Vietnam conflict and the civil rights actions. She continued instructing and publishing her work nicely into her 90s and had a robust group of companions and colleagues to the top.
In 2002, Bamberger turned professor emerita at MIT and moved to Berkeley, California, persevering with to show within the Music Division on the College of California at Berkeley.
At 100, she was predeceased by her former husband, Frank Ok. Bamberger. She is survived by her two sons, Joshua and Paul (Chip); 4 grandchildren — Jerehme, Kaela, Eli, and Noah; and lots of caring relations and buddies.
