Many doctors have hobbies, but for Dr. Aaron Field, UW radiologist and leading expert in the field of neuroradiology, his hard-rocking pastime keeps him grounded and lets him indulge his love of music.
When not seen in the hallways of UW Hospital, Dr. Field is a guitarist and lead singer in an alternative/ grunge cover band, “Fringe Field.” A fringe field, as many radiologists will know, is a region outside of a magnetic field that still exhibits magnetic strength. Fringe fields constitute one of the major hazards of MR scanners, and in a way, Field and colleagues’ music is dangerous as well—dangerously catchy, that is.
The band covers many rock classics, ranging from Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana and Green Day. Sample tunes found on their website (fringefield.com) include Cream’s hit “Sunshine of Your Love,” and recent chart-topper “Just Got to Be” by the Black Keys. One thing common across their repertoire are the gritty vocals and hard-hitting guitar riffs of Dr. Field.
“I think there are many people in medicine with a lifelong interest in playing music,” Dr. Field said. “We seem to find each other and together we find ways to… [enjoy] music.’”
The band seems to have done just that. Composed of radiology and medical physics staff, it also includes Sam Hurley, Ph.D. student in medical physics on bass, Ryan Holdsworth, M.D., radiology resident on drums and Mike Lucking, an ultrasound technician on lead guitar. “We didn’t really intend to form a real band, but we had so much fun and eventually decided to make a go of it,” Dr. Field said.
Initially starting out at Radiology Department parties, Fringe Field played their 2nd and 3rd club appearances at Regent Street Retreat on May 10th at 9 p.m. and at Club Tavern on May 11th at 9 p.m. The band also has a substantial online presence, and over 100 followers of their Facebook profile. Find out more about them at www.FringeField.com or www.facebook/FringeField, and be sure to check out their future performances!