The Art of Analytics
Alumni Spotlight of Max Scheiber
story by Eszter Veres

Sometimes, the skills you need to manage a hedge fund team of 10 in New York City come from playing saxophone in the pit of the musical Hairspray in high school.

Dreyfoos Class of 2011 alumnus Max Scheiber credits much of his success in the finance world to the highly ranked education and variety of unique opportunities he received at Dreyfoos School of the Arts.

“Dreyfoos is a place where you can do everything,” Scheiber said. 

As a Band major, valedictorian, and STEM-interested student, Scheiber took full advantage of what Dreyfoos had to offer. His interest in STEM eventually led him from Dreyfoos to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned three degrees: two in Computer Science and one in Economics.

While at Dreyfoos, Scheiber challenged himself well beyond his required coursework, taking 24 Advanced Placement (AP) exams during high school. Sometimes, that meant simply buying a prep book, learning the material, and sitting for the exam.

While AP Art History with Ms. Van Reeth was one of his favorite courses, he kept returning to the STEM-based courses. He credits Dreyfoos’ teachers with helping nurture that interest, especially his AP Calculus teacher, Olive Bryan. 

“She was a really good lecturer,” Scheiber said. “She was able to take a class with different STEM competencies and elevate everyone.”

Her influence extended beyond calculus. She also offered career and life advice that stayed with him long after he left her classroom.

Scheiber’s interest in computer science especially took off during the summer before his senior year, when he took AP Computer Science A through Florida Virtual School (FLVS). Programming offered something he found especially appealing: immediate answers.

“When I think back to most STEM classes, how do you know you’re correct? You check the back of the book,” Scheiber said.

Computer science was different. With programming, he could immediately see whether something worked or not. He enjoyed those “fast feedback cycles,” which became one of the reasons he was drawn to computer science and ultimately pursued it as a career.

As valedictorian, Scheiber was accustomed to pushing himself academically, but music challenged him in a different way. Whether learning ensemble repertoire or preparing solo music, there was always something to improve.

“On the music side, I wasn’t the best,” he said. “You won’t be the best or perfect at everything. But the key is to surround yourself with excellence.”

One of Scheiber’s favorite Dreyfoos memories came during the final semester of his senior year, when he joined the pit orchestra for Hairspray. After playing the production approximately eight times, he came to appreciate what could be gained from returning to the same music night after night. 

“There’s something about getting to do the same thing several times in a row and finding the beauty in repetition,” Scheiber said.

Today, he works in finance, where he leads a team of data scientists whose work helps inform investment decisions. But even after building a career around numbers, data, and technology, the education he received at Dreyfoos and his passion for music and education have never left him. 

Throughout his time at the University of Pennsylvania, Scheiber continued his involvement in music, performing with the Penn Wind Ensemble. He has continued to play the saxophone recreationally ever since. He currently performs with The Manhattan Wind Ensemble in New York City and has spent four years on its Board of Directors as the treasurer. Among his musical highlights was performing a full saxophone concerto at Boston Symphony Hall. Even with a demanding career in finance, music remains, in his words, “the hobby I put the most time into.”

When looking back at his time at Dreyfoos, one of the things Scheiber appreciates most about Dreyfoos is the variety of people who surrounded him. In the professional worlds of technology and finance, he has sometimes encountered people with similar educational backgrounds and interests. Dreyfoos was different. 

“It didn’t matter what background you came from; everyone had some really interesting spike in art,” Scheiber said. 

Students were surrounded by peers pursuing completely different disciplines at a high level, allowing them to learn from people they might not otherwise have interacted with.

“I’m super proud to be a Dreyfoos alum,” he said. “I wear Dreyfoos as a badge of honor.”

And his advice to current students trying to balance STEM, the arts, and their other interests, is simple: take advantage of what Dreyfoos puts within reach.

“The opportunities are out there,” Scheiber said. “There are incredible teachers, relevant clubs, extracurricular coursework, and a great group of peers. If you’re interested in something, seize the day.”