Musical Personalities Who Became Engineers

Feb. 5, 2024

Move beyond the bright lights and red carpet and discover the engineering talents of some of music’s most prominent players.

Cabe Atwell

Related To: Electronic Design

Art Garfunkel, mathematics

When you reach the peak of your career, you’re presented with two choices: stick to the familiar or ask yourself what’s next? Art Garfunkel found himself at this crossroads when he parted ways with Paul Simon in the early 1970s. He wasn’t quite ready to return to music; instead he returned to school, this time as a teacher. In 1971, he put his MA in mathematics from Columbia University’s Teachers College to good use when he spent a semester teaching geometry to high school students at Litchfield Academy in Connecticut.

This would be short-lived, as he would return to music a few years later to release his debut solo album, Angel Clare. He never looked back. Though he’s had a successful career both with Paul Simon and on his own, he admits if he never met Simon, he’d be happy as a math teacher. “I would have been happy being a teacher,” he told Forbes in 2017. “I loved the curriculum; I loved the act of teaching.”

Always having been fascinated with numbers, Garfunkel even pursued a Ph.D. in mathematics, but dropped out to focus on music instead. Considering his place in music history, we think he made the right choice.

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What you’ll learn:

Gain insight into the engineering backgrounds of celebrities.
How they used those degrees in their respective fields.

With the Grammy Awards now a wrap, it’s worth shining a spotlight on a different kind of star—celebrities who not only appear on the concert stage but also have engineering backgrounds. Beyond the trappings of the entertainment industry, these entertainers have navigated the world of invention and design, showcasing artistic talent and technical knowhow.

Let’s take a look at some of the notable musicians who have bridged the worlds of fame and engineering, bringing innovation and creativity to both realms:

About the Author

Cabe Atwell | Technology Editor, Electronic Design

Cabe is a Technology Editor for Electronic Design.

Engineer, Machinist, Maker, Writer. A graduate Electrical Engineer actively plying his expertise in the industry and at his company, Gunhead. When not designing/building, he creates a steady torrent of projects and content in the media world. Many of his projects and articles are online at element14 & SolidSmack, industry-focused work at EETimes & EDN, and offbeat articles at Make Magazine. Currently, you can find him hosting webinars and contributing to Electronic Design and Machine Design.

Cabe is an electrical engineer, design consultant and author with 25 years’ experience. His most recent book is “Essential 555 IC: Design, Configure, and Create Clever Circuits”

Cabe writes the Engineering on Friday blog on Electronic Design.