Aural assaults in Coates must be stopped
Kristina Meyer
Issue date: 3/5/10 Section: Opinion
Across the stretch of the esplanade, a symphony is playing; the Beatles live on in timeless splendor; the tracks of underground, Seattle-based math rock bands reach virgin ears. In the era of the iPod, anyone's favorite tracks can be heard anytime, anywhere.
This is not always the case in the lobby of Coates. Once the automatic sliding doors open, your personal universe of music fades away. You become subject to the aural tyranny of some guy at a piano, playing a sloppy version of that song from "The Notebook."
It would seem logical that someone who cannot play the piano should not play the piano in public. Either the stream of amateur pianists who feel compelled to share their non-existent gift with the world are not aware of their inadequacy, or simply they do not care that they are offending the ears of everyone around them.
One could argue that the Coates center is an open, public space - that students should not have to remain quiet or refrain from playing music, because that is what the space is intended for. I wholeheartedly agree with this view; my objection is simply that the noise produced by the majority of those who play the piano in that building is not music.
Students suck at playing the piano in a variety of different ways. Some lack technical skill and repeat the same portions of their pieces over and over, honing their craft for all to hear. Others play pieces with moderate adeptness but limit their repertoire to show tunes and movie scores. I cannot decide which is worse: to be forced to observe the struggling musician attempt to master a difficult piece or to be subjected to the musical stylings of a musician who will never advance beyond pieces compatible with the films based on Nicholas Sparks novels.
Physical and verbal assaults are widely acknowledged for what they are on campus; after an incident, the University police department sends a notice to students to help avoid further conflicts. But the auditory assault that takes place on a daily basis within the glass walls of Coates receives little attention, and thus far no one has proposed a solution to this problem.
This is not always the case in the lobby of Coates. Once the automatic sliding doors open, your personal universe of music fades away. You become subject to the aural tyranny of some guy at a piano, playing a sloppy version of that song from "The Notebook."
It would seem logical that someone who cannot play the piano should not play the piano in public. Either the stream of amateur pianists who feel compelled to share their non-existent gift with the world are not aware of their inadequacy, or simply they do not care that they are offending the ears of everyone around them.
One could argue that the Coates center is an open, public space - that students should not have to remain quiet or refrain from playing music, because that is what the space is intended for. I wholeheartedly agree with this view; my objection is simply that the noise produced by the majority of those who play the piano in that building is not music.
Students suck at playing the piano in a variety of different ways. Some lack technical skill and repeat the same portions of their pieces over and over, honing their craft for all to hear. Others play pieces with moderate adeptness but limit their repertoire to show tunes and movie scores. I cannot decide which is worse: to be forced to observe the struggling musician attempt to master a difficult piece or to be subjected to the musical stylings of a musician who will never advance beyond pieces compatible with the films based on Nicholas Sparks novels.
Physical and verbal assaults are widely acknowledged for what they are on campus; after an incident, the University police department sends a notice to students to help avoid further conflicts. But the auditory assault that takes place on a daily basis within the glass walls of Coates receives little attention, and thus far no one has proposed a solution to this problem.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Anonymous
posted 3/06/10 @ 1:12 AM CST
Wow...this article is ridiculous.
Post a Comment