Boone says his biggest thrill of the past year was playing on the waterfront in New York before a crowd of 200 people.

"It was unbelievable. Very inspiring," Boone says of the twilight performance.

Professor of Law Alan M. Dersowitz engages in a different type of music.

"I'm working on an opera in Yiddish based on a story that grew out of the Holocaust," he says. "It's the story of a person who had a chance to survive but didn't."

Dershowitz, whose grandfathers were both cantors, says he is personally collecting and composing the music. He says it is based on Jewish liturgical music from Poland.

Wide World of Sports

Many professors are also passionate sports fans. Rooting for their favorite team or playing their favorite sport provides many instructors with an entertaining pastime.

Jones Professor of Classical Greek Literature Gregory Nagy, who teaches Literature and Arts C-14, "The Concept of the Hero in Hellenic Civilization," has devoted his heart to the Boston Red Sox.

"I grew up in Toronto, but at age six, when I could read the standings, I picked the Red Sox."

Assistant Professor of Statistics Hal Stern, a devoted Mets fan, takes a more active role in sports.

"I play basketball on the weekends and play intramurals with grad students," Stern says. "I enjoy playing because it is a chance to get together with my friends."

Stern also coaches a Little League team in Jamaica Plain during the baseball season.

"It gets me outdoors in the spring and gives me a good opportunity to work with kids," he says.

Dershowitz, a Celtics fan, frequently finds himself on the basketball court.

"It gets me away from the phone," the law professor says. "I play because it is fun. It reminds me of my youth. Basketball was my life when I was growing up in Brooklyn."