Daniel Schenker: “Enthusiasm for the subject always came first”

Daniel Schenker, why did you decide to study computer science at ETH Zurich?
I was always interested in programming and the STEM subjects. With its excellent reputation, the central location in Zurich, and highly regarded computer science professors like Niklaus Wirth and Carl August Zehnder, ETH Zurich was an obvious choice.

Today, you are a successful professional musician and a professor at Zurich University of the Arts. Have you ever worked as a computer scientist?
Yes, after my studies I worked for Zurich Insurance for three years. Together with a colleague, I developed software for the sales representatives on the first notebooks available in Switzerland. When I was 29, I decided to give music a chance. I studied jazz for three years and gave myself a five-year trial period to try and build a career in music. It worked.

Have you completely turned your back on computer science?
I didn’t decide against computer science – I decided in favour of music. My hobby became my job, and vice versa. I’m still interested in computer science and I code occasionally to this day. Right now, I’m working on an ear training app called “ET – Ear Trainer” with my 17-year-old son, Elia.

Which moments from your studies do you remember most?
I was very impressed by the Lilith computer, which was developed at ETH Zurich. It transformed a vision into reality: the processor instruction set was coordinated with the Modula compiler, which made the code extremely compact. But our exercise stations already had Apple II computers back then. I also have a clear memory from my very first lecture in the autumn of 1983: the auditorium contained 150 men and three women.

What was your favourite lecture?
I liked Jürg Nievergelt’s lectures with his playful thought experiments, and also those by Niklaus Wirth, who was very likable and modest in a typically Swiss way. From the didactics standpoint, a lot of what we learned was in line with the Fischli/Weiss manifesto: “Say it simple”, “Smile”. It was okay for the code on the blackboard to contain mistakes every now and then. I also appreciated the analysis lectures with Guido Mislin – they were entertaining and accompanied by well-made lecture notes. In other subjects, I was out of my depth, for example in linear algebra or physics. In the first three weeks of physics, we recapped the secondary school material, in week four it was relativity, and starting from week five it was all about operators.

What were the most important lessons you took away from your studies?
The atmosphere during my studies was relaxed, focused and humanistic in principle, although the first- and second-year exams were tough. Enthusiasm for the subject always came first and that could be felt at many institutes. Since storage was still expensive and therefore scarce back then, there was often an emphasis on algorithmics. This kind of optimisation coding has influenced me. I have also kept a few personal friendships. The social life was elementary to the students: we exchanged ideas, studied together, and relaxed in what was then Culmann Corner.